Week 4 Utah 1/2 IM Training

This week's goal is recovery, which I'm totally looking forward to. According to the training plan, I'm supposed to absorb my recent training and finish the week feeling rested and ready to harder training next week. Also, I'm heading off to Triathlon camp this weekend, so it should be a great way to test my training and see if I'm making any progress.

April 14, 2008

SWIM - I struggled to get out of bed this morning, but did make it to the pool to get this workout done. It was nice to have a shorter workout. I did the 1300 yds in 26:46 and my 100 yd intervals were all right at 1:59. Now I just have to get them a bit faster.

Warm up (300 yds), Drill set (8x25 yds), Base intervals (5x100 yds), Cool down (300 yds) Total 1300 yds

BIKE - I had a packed evening, so I ended up cutting this workout 15 min. short. I did get all of my intervals in, but I did a shorter warm up and cool down. I had no problems with my saddle tonight, which was a nice feeling. My average HR was 142 and I burned 634 calories. I almost skipped this workout because of time constraints, but it felt good to get it done and to push myself.

Power intervals 6x20s. (1 h.) - 20 s. intervals done in a high gear at speed intensity with 2 m. active recoveries; warm up and cool down long enough to reach total time

April 15, 2008

SWIM - I had a great swim this morning and finished my workout in 30:43. I worked on my breathing every 3 strokes during my drills and I'm still struggling with that. I haven't figured out the roll to breathe on my right side very well. My 100 yds were right at 1:50 this morning, so I guess the speed work is starting to pay off.

Warm up (300 yds), Drill set (8x25 yds), Fartlek intervals (8x100 yds), Cool down (300 yds) Total 1600 yds

RUN - I had a pretty good run this afternoon considering the conditions. I headed out for my run in shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt which was so nice. My first 20 m. went really well, and then I turned around and was running smack into the wind. However, I did manage a negative split. I did my route in 39:59, kept an average HR of 166, and burned 702 calories. It was definitely nice to have that negative split into the wind.

Fartlek intervals 6x30s. (40 m.) - Foundation run with 30 s. bursts at VO2 max/speed intensity

April 16, 2008

BIKE - Well, I had the best of intentions this morning to ride the bike. However, when I woke up with a pounding headache, I ended up lying in bed for an hour debating whether or not to do the workout. I finally got up, got dressed, set the bike up on the trainer, got on, and 2 m. later decided that I really wasn't feeling good and that I needed to either skip that workout, or possibly fit it in tonight, depending on how I feel.

Foundation ride (45 m.) - Steady ride at moderate aerobic intensity

YOGA - I struggled through yoga tonight and am feeling wiped out, which meant no bike ride tonight. Apparently, taking two weeks off of yoga really effects balance and flexibility.

April 17, 2008

SWIM - I woke up this morning with an achy shoulder, so I think I must have slept on it wrong. I decided to swim thinking it would work out the kinks and thankfully, it did. However, I felt like I was swimming through mud. It was almost like every stroke was a struggle. At the end of my swim, I was completely surprised. I swam the yardage in 31:33, in spite of feeling like I was swimming in mud. Definitely weird...

Warm up (250 yds), Base intervals (1200 yds), Cool down (250 yds) Total 1700 yds

RUN - I've decided to skip this workout and take advantage of a good 36 hours of rest before tri-camp this weekend.

Foundation run (40 m.) - Steady run at moderate aerobic intensity

April 18, 2008

RUN - 45 m. Trail Run - I will write more about the workouts from the tri-camp in my report, but I did make it through this trail run with some very steep hills. I meant to track my HR data and calories burned, but I did not.

April 19, 2008

BIKE - 3 h. - I made it through this very hilly ride, with only one slip-up.

RUN - 1 h. - This run was tough because we were running on a cross-country route and the grass was pretty muddy.

SWIM - 2 h. Clinic with stroke taping - This felt great after the other two workouts. We worked on the drills from Total Immersion and I'm finally feeling good about my swimming. I'll write more about the workout and video analysis later.

April 20, 2008

SWIM - 2 h. - This workout was awesome. We did: 300 warm-up, 4x50 drills, 8x100 intervals, 8x25 sprints, 100 cooldown, and I think some other drills.

BRICK - Hill brick of death 2 h. - I struggled with this workout, mainly because of fatigue. I made it halfway up one hill and then ended up running the 2 mile very hilly route.