This morning I did my last longer ride before I start tapering for my triathlon next week. I rode for 23.63 miles and practiced my nutrition plan for the race. I still need to write a race plan but I was overall pleased with how today's workout shaped up. Now it is time to relax and start getting mentally and physically prepared to race next week.
I still have some things to work out, like what the heck am I supposed to wear during the swim, but overall I have been pretty on top of things. I took some time this week to create a packing list of all the goodies I will need for my race. I have been doing the little things right and trying to mentally prepare for what lies ahead of me.
This has definitely not been an ideal training cycle but I still made a lot of progress during it. I feel stronger and more confident in my abilities then ever. I feel ready to race and officially become a triathlete.
At the beginning of training I set some goals for myself and although I didn't pay any attention to them during training I still want to reflect on how I did.
1. Don't succumb to the fear of failure.
When it came to running and half marathon training I put so much pressure on myself to do well. I wanted to be fast and always set unrealistic goals for myself. Going into triathlon training I switched to the mentality that I am a newbie and just finishing is enough for me. Sure I want to do well, but I want to do well according to my standards.
2. Train consistently and don't let small things derail me.
Although there were a few weeks where I completely fell off the training wagon I was far more consistent than I was while training for either of my half marathons. During this training cycle I focused more on just getting out there and doing something regardless of how hard of an effort it was. I think the mentality that something is better than nothing really helped me.
3. Practice the things that scare me or I have never done.
I didn't do so good with this one. I did practice running on tired legs, and practiced running fast on the track but I didn't make much progress with my cycling. I also didn't do any open water swims during training. I still have one week left so maybe I can squeeze in some of the things I forgot, or skipped.
4. Make training a priority.
I did really well with this and I am really proud of myself for it. I started focusing on myself and what I need to do in order to be successful. I learned to say no and didn't worry about pleasing everybody anymore. I also did a few training runs with my boyfriend that I otherwise would have missed. It really is great to combine social activities with training.
5. Lose weight but fuel my body properly.
I wasn't so good at this during the beginning of training but over the past few weeks I have really started to pay more attention to my eating habits and how it affects my training. And as a result I have lost a few pounds and feel lighter and leaner.
6. Take things one day at a time.
I could have done even better with this but I surely did better than I normally do. There were many days where I didn't want to ride so I switched to something else. I didn't let a training plan control my life and by doing so I enjoyed training much more than I normally do.
7. Don't forget about the big picture.
I often get caught up in wanting to do everything but lose sight of how things will turn out in the long-run. I didn't stress about my lack of speed on the bike because I know that it will come with time and that I don't want to overtrain in my first season and end up injured.
Overall I would say that training has been a big success. I will be writing about what I would do differently but I am still really proud of what I did do.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Doing the Little Things Right
Ever since I was about ten years old I have always been told by my swim coaches to "do the little things right." This saying always drove me crazy but lately it has been my personal mantra. I have been super swamped with schoolwork this week and haven't had much to do anything other then sleep, eat, train, and study. Normally when I am this busy my nutrition suffers along with all of the other things that enable my body to train the way it should. Since my first triathlon is a week and a half away I am being extra careful to take care of my body though.
Eating clean.
I have a tendency to just grab whatever is the quickest and easiest, which in turn is often not the healthiest. This past week though I have been making an effort to eat lots of fruits and veggies and monitor my intake of macronutrients. I have also been making sure I am not eating too many calories. In just this past week I have lost 2-3 pounds and I feel much better. I just feel healthier.
Drinking lots of water.
I rarely drink as much water as I should be. Due to a medical condition I have I am often cold and do not want to drink anything that will make me even colder. And because I am infrequently hot I am infrequently thirsty. I have been drinking a large glass of water before every meal and often have another glass with my meal in order to ensure that I am properly hydrated.
Compression.
With coming home from college and packing all of my stuff up I forgot that I had a pair of compression sleeves. I busted them out after Tuesday's run and could feel a huge difference after I took them off. I recently read a great article about recovery methods and when to use them. The article said compression gear is best worn immediately after a hard workout so that is what I did.
Ice.
After a hard track workout on Wednesday I took the plunge (pun intended) and suffered through my first ice bath. I only submerged my calves and shins so it was a wimpy ice bath but it still did the trick. There was a serious reduction of swelling and my legs felt invigorated afterwards.
Sleep.
I am not one of those people who can survive on only a few hours of sleep. I rarely get less than eight hours a night and most nights I am getting 9-10 hours. This may not work for everyone but lots of sleep has helped keep me rested both physically and mentally. And naps are an even better way to recover between two-a-days.
Yoga.
I started going to yoga last week and already I have seen a huge improvement in my flexibility. The looming tightness in my legs after running is no longer there and my IT bands feel better than ever. My legs feel lighter too. I'm not sure how this relates but every time after I leave yoga the heavy feeling in my legs is gone.
Eating clean.
I have a tendency to just grab whatever is the quickest and easiest, which in turn is often not the healthiest. This past week though I have been making an effort to eat lots of fruits and veggies and monitor my intake of macronutrients. I have also been making sure I am not eating too many calories. In just this past week I have lost 2-3 pounds and I feel much better. I just feel healthier.
Drinking lots of water.
I rarely drink as much water as I should be. Due to a medical condition I have I am often cold and do not want to drink anything that will make me even colder. And because I am infrequently hot I am infrequently thirsty. I have been drinking a large glass of water before every meal and often have another glass with my meal in order to ensure that I am properly hydrated.
Compression.
With coming home from college and packing all of my stuff up I forgot that I had a pair of compression sleeves. I busted them out after Tuesday's run and could feel a huge difference after I took them off. I recently read a great article about recovery methods and when to use them. The article said compression gear is best worn immediately after a hard workout so that is what I did.
Ice.
After a hard track workout on Wednesday I took the plunge (pun intended) and suffered through my first ice bath. I only submerged my calves and shins so it was a wimpy ice bath but it still did the trick. There was a serious reduction of swelling and my legs felt invigorated afterwards.
Sleep.
I am not one of those people who can survive on only a few hours of sleep. I rarely get less than eight hours a night and most nights I am getting 9-10 hours. This may not work for everyone but lots of sleep has helped keep me rested both physically and mentally. And naps are an even better way to recover between two-a-days.
Yoga.
I started going to yoga last week and already I have seen a huge improvement in my flexibility. The looming tightness in my legs after running is no longer there and my IT bands feel better than ever. My legs feel lighter too. I'm not sure how this relates but every time after I leave yoga the heavy feeling in my legs is gone.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
A Case of Overconfidence
After yesterday's unexpectedly fast longish run, last week's track party, and an unofficial 5K PR the week before I started to think that I was invincible. I was quickly reminded that I am not some sort of running superstar when I hit the track tonight for my second and last speed workout before next week's triathlon.
My planned workout was:
1 mile warm up
3x 800 fast, 400 recovery
5x 400 sprint, 800 recovery
This would have put me at a total of seven miles. I am really not sure why I thought running seven miles of hard track running would be a good idea when my longest run during this training cycle was not only seven miles but the previous day. The other problem with this workout was that I went during the hottest time of the day so that I wouldn't miss a minute of watching my favorite swimmers battle it out at Olympic Trials.
Before I even started the workout I was sweating buckets and should have taken that as the first sign to back off on the planned mileage. But nope, that did not happen. I started my warm up and was immediately greeted by wind. Luckily the wind was only affecting me on part of the lap, but it still felt pretty miserable.
Besides starting out way too fast on my first 800 the first half of the workout went pretty well. Even on the recovery jogs I was holding a pace much faster than what I am used to. But when the third 800 came I started to really feel the effects of yesterday's run. I tried to push myself but my body fought back.
3:30 (7:07), 3:28 (6:58), 3:33 (7:09), 1:46 (7:03)
I thought I would do better with the shorter distance of the 400 sprints so I moved on. After the first 400 I decided to call it quits though. I felt absolutely terrible and was even starting to get dizzy. I realized that pushing myself even more so close to a race is not worth it. I would rather be able to push myself even harder during my race.
After I left the track I came home to watch the Olympic Trials. While I watched I soaked my feet in a big bucket filled with ice water. This was my first time doing an ice soak and boy was it an experience! Within seconds of putting my legs in the bucket my feet started to hurt really badly. I wasn't sure if this was normal but I decided to keep my legs submerged for at least five minutes. After I was done my legs felt a million times better and I could really notice how much swelling went down. Ice baths may not be fun but they are definitely effective.
My planned workout was:
1 mile warm up
3x 800 fast, 400 recovery
5x 400 sprint, 800 recovery
This would have put me at a total of seven miles. I am really not sure why I thought running seven miles of hard track running would be a good idea when my longest run during this training cycle was not only seven miles but the previous day. The other problem with this workout was that I went during the hottest time of the day so that I wouldn't miss a minute of watching my favorite swimmers battle it out at Olympic Trials.
Before I even started the workout I was sweating buckets and should have taken that as the first sign to back off on the planned mileage. But nope, that did not happen. I started my warm up and was immediately greeted by wind. Luckily the wind was only affecting me on part of the lap, but it still felt pretty miserable.
Besides starting out way too fast on my first 800 the first half of the workout went pretty well. Even on the recovery jogs I was holding a pace much faster than what I am used to. But when the third 800 came I started to really feel the effects of yesterday's run. I tried to push myself but my body fought back.
3:30 (7:07), 3:28 (6:58), 3:33 (7:09), 1:46 (7:03)
I thought I would do better with the shorter distance of the 400 sprints so I moved on. After the first 400 I decided to call it quits though. I felt absolutely terrible and was even starting to get dizzy. I realized that pushing myself even more so close to a race is not worth it. I would rather be able to push myself even harder during my race.
After I left the track I came home to watch the Olympic Trials. While I watched I soaked my feet in a big bucket filled with ice water. This was my first time doing an ice soak and boy was it an experience! Within seconds of putting my legs in the bucket my feet started to hurt really badly. I wasn't sure if this was normal but I decided to keep my legs submerged for at least five minutes. After I was done my legs felt a million times better and I could really notice how much swelling went down. Ice baths may not be fun but they are definitely effective.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
A Glorious Morning Run
I knew I wanted to run today, but I was planning on heading out around 10 so I could sleep in some. My plans were derailed when I was woken up at 6 by a sick puppy. Gracie had thrown up all over my bed and was still getting sick. I didn't want to leave her outside all by herself to sleep so I sat outside with her until my parents woke up. At that point I was already awake and decided to just move the run up a couple hours.
I wanted to get in a longer run before my triathlon so I settled on 7 miles. Not incredibly long but definitely longer than I have been running lately. I decided to run with music even though I didn't want to do a hard run. Sometimes it's just nice to have a distraction. I started out at a very comfortable pace that turned out to be pretty quick for me. My splits were pretty consistent during the first half of the run and mind-blowing during the second half.
9:20
9:08
9:09
9:10
Somewhere between miles 5 and 6 I felt like I hit the wall. I was no longer running in the shade and the sun was sucking all of the energy out of me. I contemplated trying to push harder to maintain my pace but then I thought it would be better to listen to my body and do the last mile as a warm down.
8:59
9:00
8:44
I really have no idea how I ran sub-9 based on how I felt. I was sure I was running close to 10 min/mile! This run really shows just how far I have come in the last year too. This was the fifth time that I have done a seven mile run and was my fastest by more than five minutes! Last fall when I was training for the Baltimore Half Marathon I ran seven miles in 1:17:36 for an 11:05 pace. Today I finished in 1:03:36 with a 9:05 pace.
A couple months ago a 9:05 pace only existed during my hard or fast runs. I had run sub-9 before during hard runs but I never imagined I would be doing an easy longish (for me) run so close to a pace that starts with an eight. I think this is just the beginning though. I took almost two months off from running so I could focus on improving my cycling and because I was burned out from half marathon training. Now after my break I'm running significantly faster? I'll take it!
9:20
9:08
9:09
9:10
Somewhere between miles 5 and 6 I felt like I hit the wall. I was no longer running in the shade and the sun was sucking all of the energy out of me. I contemplated trying to push harder to maintain my pace but then I thought it would be better to listen to my body and do the last mile as a warm down.
8:59
9:00
8:44
I really have no idea how I ran sub-9 based on how I felt. I was sure I was running close to 10 min/mile! This run really shows just how far I have come in the last year too. This was the fifth time that I have done a seven mile run and was my fastest by more than five minutes! Last fall when I was training for the Baltimore Half Marathon I ran seven miles in 1:17:36 for an 11:05 pace. Today I finished in 1:03:36 with a 9:05 pace.
A couple months ago a 9:05 pace only existed during my hard or fast runs. I had run sub-9 before during hard runs but I never imagined I would be doing an easy longish (for me) run so close to a pace that starts with an eight. I think this is just the beginning though. I took almost two months off from running so I could focus on improving my cycling and because I was burned out from half marathon training. Now after my break I'm running significantly faster? I'll take it!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
General Smallwood Training Week 13
Monday:
Monday was a rough day for me. My stomach was in all kinds of pain and didn't cooperate the entire day. I ended up getting nothing done and rather stayed in bed catching up on rest. I did muster up the energy to take the puppy on her 2 mile nightly walk though.
Tuesday:
I woke up Tuesday morning and couldn't decide between going for a run or going to yoga. My legs have been incredibly tight lately so I ultimately decided on going to yoga with the intention to do the run some other time this week. After 60 min of yoga my entire body felt like it had been completely rejuvenated. In the evening my boyfriend and I went out for a run through my neighborhood. We were doing more exploring and found a really nice bridle path about a mile from my house. The run was really hilly and my legs felt like lead the entire time but I loved being out there with my boyfriend. We finished up with 3.39 miles.
Wednesday:
When I woke up on Wednesday my legs were pretty sore from Tuesday's hilly run. I wanted to get in a bike ride but my seat needed to be lowered some and my dad, who has the tools, was out of town. Instead I opted to do my first track workout. Even though my legs were still tight I was surprised by the paces I was running. I wore my Pure Cadence and loved them as a fast running shoe. Since I wasn't exactly feeling fresh I decided to only do a 4 mile run. It may have been short but it still kicked my butt.
Thursday:
I had a 22 mile recovery bike ride planned for Thursday morning but within the first mile of the ride my left leg started seizing due to being sore from Wednesday's track session. I still wanted to loosen up my legs so I kept my pace ridiculously slow and only rode for a total of 9.61 miles. By the end of the ride things were feeling much better but my legs were still sore in general so I switched my planned swim for 30 minutes of yoga. I feel so much better after going to yoga and will definitely be incorporating it into marathon training in a big way.
Friday:
I slept in on Friday and enjoyed every minute of it. Then at night my boyfriend and I went to the gym. I worked my hamstrings, quads, lats, and triceps mostly. Like most endurance athletes I want to incorporate more strength work into my training but it is always the first thing I skip. Still, it was nice to be at the gym for 45 min of strength training.
Saturday:
Saturday afternoon I set out to do my second brick of triathlon training. I did an 18 mile bike ride followed by a 3 mile run. The bike ride was nothing special but I was really surprised by my run pace. I felt terribly slow the whole time but was still averaging 9:19 min/mile. Over the past week and a half I have really seen my running improving.
Sunday:
I spent all Sunday catching up on laundry and schoolwork. It felt great just to spend the day doing neglected chores and getting everything back in order. I did go for a 2 mile walk at the end of the day though.
Weekly Totals
Monday was a rough day for me. My stomach was in all kinds of pain and didn't cooperate the entire day. I ended up getting nothing done and rather stayed in bed catching up on rest. I did muster up the energy to take the puppy on her 2 mile nightly walk though.
Tuesday:
I woke up Tuesday morning and couldn't decide between going for a run or going to yoga. My legs have been incredibly tight lately so I ultimately decided on going to yoga with the intention to do the run some other time this week. After 60 min of yoga my entire body felt like it had been completely rejuvenated. In the evening my boyfriend and I went out for a run through my neighborhood. We were doing more exploring and found a really nice bridle path about a mile from my house. The run was really hilly and my legs felt like lead the entire time but I loved being out there with my boyfriend. We finished up with 3.39 miles.
Wednesday:
When I woke up on Wednesday my legs were pretty sore from Tuesday's hilly run. I wanted to get in a bike ride but my seat needed to be lowered some and my dad, who has the tools, was out of town. Instead I opted to do my first track workout. Even though my legs were still tight I was surprised by the paces I was running. I wore my Pure Cadence and loved them as a fast running shoe. Since I wasn't exactly feeling fresh I decided to only do a 4 mile run. It may have been short but it still kicked my butt.
Thursday:
I had a 22 mile recovery bike ride planned for Thursday morning but within the first mile of the ride my left leg started seizing due to being sore from Wednesday's track session. I still wanted to loosen up my legs so I kept my pace ridiculously slow and only rode for a total of 9.61 miles. By the end of the ride things were feeling much better but my legs were still sore in general so I switched my planned swim for 30 minutes of yoga. I feel so much better after going to yoga and will definitely be incorporating it into marathon training in a big way.
Friday:
I slept in on Friday and enjoyed every minute of it. Then at night my boyfriend and I went to the gym. I worked my hamstrings, quads, lats, and triceps mostly. Like most endurance athletes I want to incorporate more strength work into my training but it is always the first thing I skip. Still, it was nice to be at the gym for 45 min of strength training.
Saturday:
Saturday afternoon I set out to do my second brick of triathlon training. I did an 18 mile bike ride followed by a 3 mile run. The bike ride was nothing special but I was really surprised by my run pace. I felt terribly slow the whole time but was still averaging 9:19 min/mile. Over the past week and a half I have really seen my running improving.
Sunday:
I spent all Sunday catching up on laundry and schoolwork. It felt great just to spend the day doing neglected chores and getting everything back in order. I did go for a 2 mile walk at the end of the day though.
Weekly Totals
- Biking: 28.37 miles
- Running: 10.4 miles
- Walking: 4 miles
- Yoga: 90 min
- Strength: 45 min
- Total Hours: 7 hours 16 min
Friday, June 22, 2012
My First Track Party
After a pretty bad run on Tuesday I wanted redemption. I decided to head to the track on Wednesday evening for my very first track party. I have honestly never had any desire to run at the track but after reading about how much fun Sarah was having during her track parties I wanted to have one myself. I didn't want to do a long workout or anything that would leave me too sore but I still wanted a challenge. I settled on doing a mile warm up, followed by four rounds of a 400 sprint and an 800 recovery.
The warm up mile was slow and terribly boring, leaving me questioning why I was even at the track. But after my first 400 sprint I remembered why I was there. I had no time goals for this run, only to sprint my heart out and see what I was capable of. I am not used to doing short fast sprints so it took my body a little bit to really get going.
4 x 400 sprint
1:52 (7:09), ? (I forgot to hit lap), 1:44 (6:59), 1:40 (6:40)
I had my garmin set up so it only showed me time, not pace. I was able to somewhat figure out my pace with a little math but I was still shocked to see how fast I was going once I got home. Anything sub 8 min/mile is normally pretty darn fast for me so I was in no way expecting to see a number starting with a 6 pop up.
This run may not be very impressive to those of you who frequent the track and do longer and harder runs but for me this was a pretty big deal. I still have a little over two weeks until my first triathlon but this run left me excited to start marathon training. I had a blast running instead of forcing myself to keep going. I actually considered doing more repeats but it was already dark out and I had a lot of homework to finish.
The warm up mile was slow and terribly boring, leaving me questioning why I was even at the track. But after my first 400 sprint I remembered why I was there. I had no time goals for this run, only to sprint my heart out and see what I was capable of. I am not used to doing short fast sprints so it took my body a little bit to really get going.
4 x 400 sprint
1:52 (7:09), ? (I forgot to hit lap), 1:44 (6:59), 1:40 (6:40)
I had my garmin set up so it only showed me time, not pace. I was able to somewhat figure out my pace with a little math but I was still shocked to see how fast I was going once I got home. Anything sub 8 min/mile is normally pretty darn fast for me so I was in no way expecting to see a number starting with a 6 pop up.
This run may not be very impressive to those of you who frequent the track and do longer and harder runs but for me this was a pretty big deal. I still have a little over two weeks until my first triathlon but this run left me excited to start marathon training. I had a blast running instead of forcing myself to keep going. I actually considered doing more repeats but it was already dark out and I had a lot of homework to finish.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
An(other) Unofficial 5K PR!
Over the past few months I have had a love/hate relationship with running. Most of the time I hate it, but I want to love it in the worst way. After struggling through a series of miserable runs I decided to take some time off. I knew I would grow to truly hate running if I pushed myself through it. With triathlon training starting this was the perfect time to take my running hiatus. I still did 1-2 runs a week but I didn't worry about distance or pace.
With only three weeks until my first triathlon I knew I needed to step up my running game. I was planning on running on Friday but had no plans for how long or fast I wanted to run. As the day progressed I felt more and more like doing a hard run. It had been months since the last time I really pushed myself during a run so I felt ready to see what I could do.
I settled on three miles hard and even made a playlist to motivate me to run fast. The playlist started out slower and finished with music that would get my booty moving. Since I hadn't done a hard run in so long I had no idea where to expect my pace to be. I know that my overall fitness level is high but I wasn't sure if that meant my running fitness was also high.
I made sure to start off the run conservatively so I wouldn't burn out. There is nothing I hate more than positive splitting hard runs like this. Must be my Type A personality. Anyway, I settled into a pace that I like to call "easy speed." I was cruising along but not huffin & puffin yet. I felt like I was flying but I really wasn't sure how I was doing. I was quite surprised when I checked my watch for the first mile and saw 8:26.
I have only ever broken 8 min once before but I wanted to do it again. I picked up the pace during the second mile but made sure to keep everything in check so I would still have enough energy for the third mile. When the running got tough I tried to focus on keeping my cadence high. My cadence is still relatively low but this was definitely a good distraction. Before I knew it I had finished the second mile, and in 7:42! This was a new mile PR for me! I was so excited that I didn't even care if my third mile was slower just so long as it was still fast.
The third mile where was things got real. I started to develop a side stitch and I was terribly out of breath. But I knew I having a crazy fast run. It was during the third mile that I decided to change the run to a 5K. I ran a 5K time trial during my first week of training and wanted to be able to compare my times.
The third mile was a much of a mental challenge as a physical one but I finished it in 7:33. At this point I was already incredibly happy. But I still had .1 left. I wanted to quit so badly but I pushed through and finished the run in 24:27 for a new (unofficial) 5K PR! When I did my 5K time trial back in the end of March I did it in 25:41 for a pace of 8:18.
What made me even more ecstatic though was that I beat my 5K PR from when I swam back in high school. I don't count that time as my 5K PR because I was swimming 20+ hours a week and in much better shape. It is not realistic for me to count a time that I did years ago with that kind of training. For me my glory days were when I was swimming. I was really good at swimming, qualifying for nationals multiple times, but was forced to quit due to injury. It means the world to run a time that I did as a swimmer. It means more than I can even explain but when I saw that my time was 24:27 and my swimming PR was 24:29 I burst into tears!
With only three weeks until my first triathlon I knew I needed to step up my running game. I was planning on running on Friday but had no plans for how long or fast I wanted to run. As the day progressed I felt more and more like doing a hard run. It had been months since the last time I really pushed myself during a run so I felt ready to see what I could do.
I settled on three miles hard and even made a playlist to motivate me to run fast. The playlist started out slower and finished with music that would get my booty moving. Since I hadn't done a hard run in so long I had no idea where to expect my pace to be. I know that my overall fitness level is high but I wasn't sure if that meant my running fitness was also high.
I made sure to start off the run conservatively so I wouldn't burn out. There is nothing I hate more than positive splitting hard runs like this. Must be my Type A personality. Anyway, I settled into a pace that I like to call "easy speed." I was cruising along but not huffin & puffin yet. I felt like I was flying but I really wasn't sure how I was doing. I was quite surprised when I checked my watch for the first mile and saw 8:26.
I have only ever broken 8 min once before but I wanted to do it again. I picked up the pace during the second mile but made sure to keep everything in check so I would still have enough energy for the third mile. When the running got tough I tried to focus on keeping my cadence high. My cadence is still relatively low but this was definitely a good distraction. Before I knew it I had finished the second mile, and in 7:42! This was a new mile PR for me! I was so excited that I didn't even care if my third mile was slower just so long as it was still fast.
The third mile where was things got real. I started to develop a side stitch and I was terribly out of breath. But I knew I having a crazy fast run. It was during the third mile that I decided to change the run to a 5K. I ran a 5K time trial during my first week of training and wanted to be able to compare my times.
The third mile was a much of a mental challenge as a physical one but I finished it in 7:33. At this point I was already incredibly happy. But I still had .1 left. I wanted to quit so badly but I pushed through and finished the run in 24:27 for a new (unofficial) 5K PR! When I did my 5K time trial back in the end of March I did it in 25:41 for a pace of 8:18.
What made me even more ecstatic though was that I beat my 5K PR from when I swam back in high school. I don't count that time as my 5K PR because I was swimming 20+ hours a week and in much better shape. It is not realistic for me to count a time that I did years ago with that kind of training. For me my glory days were when I was swimming. I was really good at swimming, qualifying for nationals multiple times, but was forced to quit due to injury. It means the world to run a time that I did as a swimmer. It means more than I can even explain but when I saw that my time was 24:27 and my swimming PR was 24:29 I burst into tears!
Monday, June 18, 2012
General Smallwood Training Week 12
I'm still trying to catch up on my weekly recaps, luckily week 12 is only a day late. This week wasn't incredibly exciting but there were still some good workouts thrown in the mix.
Monday:
I honestly can't remember what I was doing on Monday but all I managed to do was a 2 mile walk. I really need to do a better job paying attention!
Tuesday:
Tuesday I wasn't feeling well and decided to take a rest day. I probably should have tried to push through and at least get a swim in though.
Wednesday:
I started Wednesday off with an 18 mile bike ride where I played with my speed. I did 60-120 second sprints where I averaged 17-18 mph. Now that I am getting more comfortable and confident on the bike I want to start working on increasing my speed. I rounded out the day with some strength work, followed by stretching and foam rolling.
Thursday:
I went for a run for the first time in over a week on Thursday morning but unfortunately this run was terrible. It was one of those runs that left me saying I hated running and should not have signed up to run a marathon. I did 3 slow hot miles. I quickly got rid of my grumpy mood when I hit the pool for 2,600 yards of pure joy. I did butterfly and drills and all of my favorite swimming things.
Friday:
I decided I wanted to try another run on Friday in hopes that I would have more success this time around. I went for an evening run instead of a morning run and ended up doing a 5K for time. I will write a separate post for this run but I can tell you it was nothing short of amazing. As soon as I was done my run I took my puppy for a 2 mile walk, which turned out to be a wonderful cool down.
Saturday:
I was supposed to go for a 25-30 mile bike ride with my boyfriend but he ended up forgetting most of his cycling gear at his house after he was almost attacked by a bear! Needless to say we were unable to go for our ride and Saturday ended up being a rest day.
Sunday:
Since Sunday was Father's Day my family just hung out by the pool together. We then took the dog for a 2 mile walk before bed.
Weekly Totals
Monday:
I honestly can't remember what I was doing on Monday but all I managed to do was a 2 mile walk. I really need to do a better job paying attention!
Tuesday:
Tuesday I wasn't feeling well and decided to take a rest day. I probably should have tried to push through and at least get a swim in though.
Wednesday:
I started Wednesday off with an 18 mile bike ride where I played with my speed. I did 60-120 second sprints where I averaged 17-18 mph. Now that I am getting more comfortable and confident on the bike I want to start working on increasing my speed. I rounded out the day with some strength work, followed by stretching and foam rolling.
Thursday:
I went for a run for the first time in over a week on Thursday morning but unfortunately this run was terrible. It was one of those runs that left me saying I hated running and should not have signed up to run a marathon. I did 3 slow hot miles. I quickly got rid of my grumpy mood when I hit the pool for 2,600 yards of pure joy. I did butterfly and drills and all of my favorite swimming things.
Friday:
I decided I wanted to try another run on Friday in hopes that I would have more success this time around. I went for an evening run instead of a morning run and ended up doing a 5K for time. I will write a separate post for this run but I can tell you it was nothing short of amazing. As soon as I was done my run I took my puppy for a 2 mile walk, which turned out to be a wonderful cool down.
Saturday:
I was supposed to go for a 25-30 mile bike ride with my boyfriend but he ended up forgetting most of his cycling gear at his house after he was almost attacked by a bear! Needless to say we were unable to go for our ride and Saturday ended up being a rest day.
Sunday:
Since Sunday was Father's Day my family just hung out by the pool together. We then took the dog for a 2 mile walk before bed.
Weekly Totals
- Swimming: 2,600 yards
- Biking: 18 miles
- Running: 6.1 miles
- Walking: 6 miles
- Total Hours: 5 hours 17 min
General Smallwood Training Week 11
I have been really busy since I have come home and consequently blogging has taken a backseat to all of the many things on my to-do list. I was so busy last week that I forgot to recap my training! I know I'm a little late but I still want to recap my training so here is a very late week 11 recap.
Monday:
I spent Monday with my boyfriend who had just come home from doing a century ride. I wasn't expecting to see him so I ended up missing my planned workout. I did manage to squeeze in a two mile walk though.
Tuesday:
Tuesday I was crazy busy and was only able to get in a two mile walk. These walks aren't anything strenuous and hardly count as training but they are better than nothing.
Wednesday:
I spent National Running Day out on the trails at a beautiful lake near my house. It was a gorgeous day but pretty hot outside so I kept the run short at 2.5 miles. At night I went to the gym with my boyfriend and did a 60 min strength workout.
Thursday:
I was pretty sore from going to the gym so I thought it was the perfect day to swim. I did a quick 1800 yard swim and really worked on my speed.
Friday:
42 miles on the bike for a new PDR (personal distance record)! You can read my recap of the ride here. I also took my puppy for a two mile walk in the evening.
Saturday & Sunday:
The weekend was filled with a lot of schoolwork and other obligations. Not ideal but both days ended up being rest days.
Weekly Totals
Monday:
I spent Monday with my boyfriend who had just come home from doing a century ride. I wasn't expecting to see him so I ended up missing my planned workout. I did manage to squeeze in a two mile walk though.
Tuesday:
Tuesday I was crazy busy and was only able to get in a two mile walk. These walks aren't anything strenuous and hardly count as training but they are better than nothing.
Wednesday:
I spent National Running Day out on the trails at a beautiful lake near my house. It was a gorgeous day but pretty hot outside so I kept the run short at 2.5 miles. At night I went to the gym with my boyfriend and did a 60 min strength workout.
Thursday:
I was pretty sore from going to the gym so I thought it was the perfect day to swim. I did a quick 1800 yard swim and really worked on my speed.
Friday:
42 miles on the bike for a new PDR (personal distance record)! You can read my recap of the ride here. I also took my puppy for a two mile walk in the evening.
Saturday & Sunday:
The weekend was filled with a lot of schoolwork and other obligations. Not ideal but both days ended up being rest days.
Weekly Totals
- Swimming: 1,800 yards
- Biking: 42 miles
- Running: 2.5 miles
- Walking: 6 miles
- Total Hours: 6 hours 31 min
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Improving Speed On the Bike
I am a complete cycling newbie and am pretty darn slow. I don't mind not being the fastest one out there but when other triathletes complain about being slow and they are averaging 17-18 mph I know I have a problem. Most of my rides lately have been between 13-15 mph. I really enjoy cycling so I don't notice that I am going slowly but I also want to put up a respectable time at my upcoming triathlon.
So far this year all of my rides have been about increasing mileage. Most of my rides have been between 18-24 miles, with one 42 mile ride. Now that I have proved to myself that I can successfully complete the distance, I want to work on doing it faster.
Today the plan was to do 18 miles. My legs felt pretty tired from the start but I wanted to see what I could do. I kept the pace steady and moderate for the first half of the ride and then did 60-120 second pickups throughout the second half. My overall pace on the ride was just under 14 mph but I was pushing 17-18 mph during the pickups. By the end of the ride my legs were pretty shot, but in an oh so good way.
I am not sure why, but I don't feel much pressure to be a fast cyclist. I do for running but with cycling I feel as though I could be going 5 mph and it wouldn't matter. And even though I don't feel any pressure, I would still like to be able to pull times that I am proud of and will make me competitive.
My boyfriend is a cyclist and does century rides so I turned to him for help on getting faster. He suggested that I do workouts exactly like the one I did today except with even more sprinting during the ride. He also said that he noticed a big increase in power and speed after he started strength training.
Any other suggestions for getting faster on the bike?
So far this year all of my rides have been about increasing mileage. Most of my rides have been between 18-24 miles, with one 42 mile ride. Now that I have proved to myself that I can successfully complete the distance, I want to work on doing it faster.
Today the plan was to do 18 miles. My legs felt pretty tired from the start but I wanted to see what I could do. I kept the pace steady and moderate for the first half of the ride and then did 60-120 second pickups throughout the second half. My overall pace on the ride was just under 14 mph but I was pushing 17-18 mph during the pickups. By the end of the ride my legs were pretty shot, but in an oh so good way.
I am not sure why, but I don't feel much pressure to be a fast cyclist. I do for running but with cycling I feel as though I could be going 5 mph and it wouldn't matter. And even though I don't feel any pressure, I would still like to be able to pull times that I am proud of and will make me competitive.
My boyfriend is a cyclist and does century rides so I turned to him for help on getting faster. He suggested that I do workouts exactly like the one I did today except with even more sprinting during the ride. He also said that he noticed a big increase in power and speed after he started strength training.
Any other suggestions for getting faster on the bike?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A Biking PDR
Ever since I came home and have been able to ride my bike outside I have fallen head over heels in love with biking. It is the primary form of exercise for me as of late, which luckily works out nicely for my triathlon.
About 2 miles from my house in Pennsylvania is a crushed stone trail that runs 40 miles into Maryland. The trail is extremely well-maintained and as flat as can be. It is my favorite place to both bike and run and where I spend the majority of my time training when I am home.
Since I have been liking biking so much I set some goals for myself over the summer to build up my cycling endurance. One of my goals was to bike to Maryland and back, a forty mile ride total. Inspired by my boyfriend's upcoming century ride, I embarked on my own cycling journey.
Friday morning I packed a bottle filled with a mix Hammer Perpetuem and water, and a Honey Stinger Waffle and a gel and hit the trails. I decided to break the ride up into 10 mile sections to make it easier mentally for me.
The first ten miles were great. I felt energized and excited but made sure to hold back so I didn't burn out too soon. I made sure to drink every 5 miles during the ride and got extra water at miles 10 and 32.
Miles 11-21 were tough. The trail is very flat but still has the slightest incline over these ten miles. It is hard to notice any incline but my legs sure were feeling something by mile 18-19. This part of the ride also had a lot of busy intersections to cross. I am still getting used to having clip-ins so I ended up falling twice.
Along the trail there are mile markers telling you how far away you are from Maryland. After seeing mile marker 1 I was expecting some kind of sign telling me that I had made it to Maryland. No such luck though. I ended up riding one mile into Maryland. Oh well.
I was so happy to have arrived in Maryland that I had no desire to bike the twenty miles back home. I took my Honey Stinger Waffle, stretched for a bit, and told myself that I could either bike home or sleep on the trail.
Again, the next ten miles were not my favorite. At about mile 24 I had a pretty bad fall that left a nasty bruise on the side of my leg. At this point I wanted to quit more than anything but I had too much pride to call my mom to come pick me up.
By the time I made it to the water stop at mile 32 I was in a better mood. I knew I was almost done and would make it home alive. I filled up on water and biked the last ten miles hard.
This was a mentally tough ride for me but one that I am incredibly proud of. The longest I had biked before Friday was 20 miles so 42 miles was a huge PDR (personal distance record). I was tired, I was hot, I was sore but I am still so proud of myself for completing that ride.
About 2 miles from my house in Pennsylvania is a crushed stone trail that runs 40 miles into Maryland. The trail is extremely well-maintained and as flat as can be. It is my favorite place to both bike and run and where I spend the majority of my time training when I am home.
Since I have been liking biking so much I set some goals for myself over the summer to build up my cycling endurance. One of my goals was to bike to Maryland and back, a forty mile ride total. Inspired by my boyfriend's upcoming century ride, I embarked on my own cycling journey.
Friday morning I packed a bottle filled with a mix Hammer Perpetuem and water, and a Honey Stinger Waffle and a gel and hit the trails. I decided to break the ride up into 10 mile sections to make it easier mentally for me.
The first ten miles were great. I felt energized and excited but made sure to hold back so I didn't burn out too soon. I made sure to drink every 5 miles during the ride and got extra water at miles 10 and 32.
Miles 11-21 were tough. The trail is very flat but still has the slightest incline over these ten miles. It is hard to notice any incline but my legs sure were feeling something by mile 18-19. This part of the ride also had a lot of busy intersections to cross. I am still getting used to having clip-ins so I ended up falling twice.
Along the trail there are mile markers telling you how far away you are from Maryland. After seeing mile marker 1 I was expecting some kind of sign telling me that I had made it to Maryland. No such luck though. I ended up riding one mile into Maryland. Oh well.
I was so happy to have arrived in Maryland that I had no desire to bike the twenty miles back home. I took my Honey Stinger Waffle, stretched for a bit, and told myself that I could either bike home or sleep on the trail.
Again, the next ten miles were not my favorite. At about mile 24 I had a pretty bad fall that left a nasty bruise on the side of my leg. At this point I wanted to quit more than anything but I had too much pride to call my mom to come pick me up.
By the time I made it to the water stop at mile 32 I was in a better mood. I knew I was almost done and would make it home alive. I filled up on water and biked the last ten miles hard.
This was a mentally tough ride for me but one that I am incredibly proud of. The longest I had biked before Friday was 20 miles so 42 miles was a huge PDR (personal distance record). I was tired, I was hot, I was sore but I am still so proud of myself for completing that ride.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Spending National Running Day the Best Way I Know How
I haven't been doing too much running over the past few months but today was definitely a run day. I have been toning down the running so I can focus on improving my cycling for my upcoming triathlon and also so I don't burn out before I start marathon training. Some people can run and run all year long and never get bored with it. Well I am not one of those people. I love to run but in moderation. After training for and running two half marathons five months I started to feel like I needed a break. I wanted to switch things up and not feel tied down to only running. I want to make sure that I am always doing something because I love it and at the time that meant taking a hiatus from running.
I have still been running here and there since running is the third leg of triathlon. I run when I want to and I run for as long as I want to. And recently I have been wanting to run more and more. So today I laced up my new trail running shoes and drove to the lake for my very first trail run. I really didn't know what to expect but I made sure to keep an open mind and try not to get lost. I looked at the map, tried to make a plan of attack and set off running.
Right from the start the run was hilly. I haven't run hills in quite some time so my legs were not too happy about this but we pushed through. The trail was a dirt path that was covered over with grass at times. For the first mile or so it wasn't too hilly or technical. Then the fun started. The trail started splitting and I had to decide where to go. I was starting to worry about how I was going to find my way back with so many trails. But I just kept running. I decided to try to run as close to the lake as possible but a few times I wound up lost.
Once I turned around I decided to try a new trail and see where that went. I figured I could always turn around again if I got lost. The more I ran the better the views were. I started getting deeper into the trails but I could still see the lake. At one point I came out into a clearing and realized that I was at a different parking lot. I tried to look at a map to figure out where I was and the best way to get back to my car but unfortunately for me there was no map. I decided to take the main road instead of heading back into the trails and ended up finding my original trail. Before I knew it I was back at my car.
I think I only ran 2.5-3 miles but I loved every minute of it. I felt so free and relaxed. I loved being able to explore and not worry about traffic or ending up in an unsafe area. Even though I didn't want to get lost I knew I couldn't truly get lost because there is only 12 miles of trails total. I loved being able to go wherever I wanted to and seeing the beauty of each new trail. To me, this was the perfect way to spend national running day.
I have still been running here and there since running is the third leg of triathlon. I run when I want to and I run for as long as I want to. And recently I have been wanting to run more and more. So today I laced up my new trail running shoes and drove to the lake for my very first trail run. I really didn't know what to expect but I made sure to keep an open mind and try not to get lost. I looked at the map, tried to make a plan of attack and set off running.
Right from the start the run was hilly. I haven't run hills in quite some time so my legs were not too happy about this but we pushed through. The trail was a dirt path that was covered over with grass at times. For the first mile or so it wasn't too hilly or technical. Then the fun started. The trail started splitting and I had to decide where to go. I was starting to worry about how I was going to find my way back with so many trails. But I just kept running. I decided to try to run as close to the lake as possible but a few times I wound up lost.
Once I turned around I decided to try a new trail and see where that went. I figured I could always turn around again if I got lost. The more I ran the better the views were. I started getting deeper into the trails but I could still see the lake. At one point I came out into a clearing and realized that I was at a different parking lot. I tried to look at a map to figure out where I was and the best way to get back to my car but unfortunately for me there was no map. I decided to take the main road instead of heading back into the trails and ended up finding my original trail. Before I knew it I was back at my car.
I think I only ran 2.5-3 miles but I loved every minute of it. I felt so free and relaxed. I loved being able to explore and not worry about traffic or ending up in an unsafe area. Even though I didn't want to get lost I knew I couldn't truly get lost because there is only 12 miles of trails total. I loved being able to go wherever I wanted to and seeing the beauty of each new trail. To me, this was the perfect way to spend national running day.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
General Smallwood Training Week 10
Monday:
Monday was my last day of pet sitting and so I had to stay at the house all day until the family came home. Once I was done it was storming and I was in no mood to do another workout in a storm so I just called it a rest day.
Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I went for my longest bike ride yet, 20 miles. I fell the first time I tried to clip in but I only scratched my hand. After that the ride went really well. For the first half I stayed in a lower gear and kept my cadence up and ended up maintaining a pretty low pace. But then on the second half I bumped things up and felt like I was flying. My legs got tired with only a couple miles to go but I was still able to keep the pace up. I took a strawberry banana GU around the half way mark and actually kind of liked it. I tasted like mashed up bananas and went down really easily.
Wednesday:
Wednesday I was up at some early hour to finish my schoolwork on time. I didn't get to bed until pretty late on Tuesday and just didn't want to do anything on Wednesday. So I didn't. I took a rest day and caught up on some much needed sleep.
Thursday:
I was feeling incredibly tired and dizzy all Thursday. I was hoping to get in a run but could not muster up the energy to do anything but a 1.86 mile walk with my mom. Something is better than nothing right?
Friday:
I finally got to the pool on Friday! I hadn't gone for any swims since I had gotten home and I was dying to jump into the pool. Unfortunately, the pool was 86 degrees. I have swum in water this warm before so I knew it wasn't a problem but I prefer the pool to be closer to 80 degrees. I got in the pool, did my workout and got back out as quickly as I could for a total of 1,600 yards. At night my dad and I took the dog for a 2 mile walk.
Saturday:
Saturday morning I set out to do a long bike ride. I went with my dad and left around 11 in the morning. I packed some nuun and a honey stinger waffle for the ride and set off. It was pretty cool and windy during the ride and my hands were more or less numb the entire time. I would have liked to push the pace a bit more but I didn't want to leave my dad behind so I just held back. In total we rode about 23 miles.
Sunday:
Sunday evening I went for a run with my boyfriend for the first time. He is a lot faster than me so I was worried that I was going to have to sprint the whole run but he hung back to run with me. I haven't been doing too much running so holding a 9:27 pace for four miles was pretty tough but not as bad as I would have expected.
Weekly Totals
Monday was my last day of pet sitting and so I had to stay at the house all day until the family came home. Once I was done it was storming and I was in no mood to do another workout in a storm so I just called it a rest day.
Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I went for my longest bike ride yet, 20 miles. I fell the first time I tried to clip in but I only scratched my hand. After that the ride went really well. For the first half I stayed in a lower gear and kept my cadence up and ended up maintaining a pretty low pace. But then on the second half I bumped things up and felt like I was flying. My legs got tired with only a couple miles to go but I was still able to keep the pace up. I took a strawberry banana GU around the half way mark and actually kind of liked it. I tasted like mashed up bananas and went down really easily.
Wednesday:
Wednesday I was up at some early hour to finish my schoolwork on time. I didn't get to bed until pretty late on Tuesday and just didn't want to do anything on Wednesday. So I didn't. I took a rest day and caught up on some much needed sleep.
Thursday:
I was feeling incredibly tired and dizzy all Thursday. I was hoping to get in a run but could not muster up the energy to do anything but a 1.86 mile walk with my mom. Something is better than nothing right?
Friday:
I finally got to the pool on Friday! I hadn't gone for any swims since I had gotten home and I was dying to jump into the pool. Unfortunately, the pool was 86 degrees. I have swum in water this warm before so I knew it wasn't a problem but I prefer the pool to be closer to 80 degrees. I got in the pool, did my workout and got back out as quickly as I could for a total of 1,600 yards. At night my dad and I took the dog for a 2 mile walk.
Saturday:
Saturday morning I set out to do a long bike ride. I went with my dad and left around 11 in the morning. I packed some nuun and a honey stinger waffle for the ride and set off. It was pretty cool and windy during the ride and my hands were more or less numb the entire time. I would have liked to push the pace a bit more but I didn't want to leave my dad behind so I just held back. In total we rode about 23 miles.
Sunday:
Sunday evening I went for a run with my boyfriend for the first time. He is a lot faster than me so I was worried that I was going to have to sprint the whole run but he hung back to run with me. I haven't been doing too much running so holding a 9:27 pace for four miles was pretty tough but not as bad as I would have expected.
Weekly Totals
- Swimming: 1,600 yards
- Biking: 43 miles
- Running: 4 miles
- Walking: 3.86
- Total Hours: 5 hours 27 min
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