S: 22,400 yds
B: 7h 5min
R: 2h 40min
Total: 15h 39min
Pretty light week last week due to having M, T, and W off. I finished up with some solid workouts though so I probably needed the rest. However, the highlight of the week without question was the fact that I made it through the running without any knee/IT pain. While that was certainly encouraging, whether or not I'll be ready for a reasonable performance at St. Anthony's is another story altogether...
Now I'm off to take on a massive of debt in the form of a home mortgage.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pretty nice little Saturday....
The day started off (as most do) at the pool. However, the kids were slacking so I just did a Paulo special and just knocked out 60x50. It went pretty well but then the fun really started as I headed home for the usual Saturday morning feast... pancakes on the griddle!
With my belly full of goodness, it was off to Hhgregg for some appliance shopping. (As it turns out... the refrigerator doesn't come with the house.) I had been shopping them for a while and decided Hhgregg had the best prices so I was pretty much ready to buy when I got there. After working the salesman a bit (cash goes a long way when you are purchasing big ticket items) I ended up getting a great deal on this Jenn-Air. Even with the discount it was still a little more than I wanted to spend but I'm pretty exicted about it... this fridge is pretty BA. Plus, whats more important than the place where you store your food???
With my pockets a little lighter, I headed home to rest up for the matinee... 2h30 w/ 2x30 Zn3 on the bike + 30min transition run. After a nice extended warm-up I hit the Zn3 pretty hard before heading out on the run. The only problem though is that I forgot that I havent really been running any. I was brutally reminded of this when after heading out at 5:40 pace I started feeling a bit uncomfortable at 10min. By 15 I was not having any fun at all. Luckily the tempo was only 20min because I was about ready to explode. I stopped, panted like a dog, and shuffled home.
Contently exhausted, I whipped up a strawberry milkshake for a nice little pre-dinner appetizer.
With my belly full of goodness, it was off to Hhgregg for some appliance shopping. (As it turns out... the refrigerator doesn't come with the house.) I had been shopping them for a while and decided Hhgregg had the best prices so I was pretty much ready to buy when I got there. After working the salesman a bit (cash goes a long way when you are purchasing big ticket items) I ended up getting a great deal on this Jenn-Air. Even with the discount it was still a little more than I wanted to spend but I'm pretty exicted about it... this fridge is pretty BA. Plus, whats more important than the place where you store your food???
With my pockets a little lighter, I headed home to rest up for the matinee... 2h30 w/ 2x30 Zn3 on the bike + 30min transition run. After a nice extended warm-up I hit the Zn3 pretty hard before heading out on the run. The only problem though is that I forgot that I havent really been running any. I was brutally reminded of this when after heading out at 5:40 pace I started feeling a bit uncomfortable at 10min. By 15 I was not having any fun at all. Luckily the tempo was only 20min because I was about ready to explode. I stopped, panted like a dog, and shuffled home.
Contently exhausted, I whipped up a strawberry milkshake for a nice little pre-dinner appetizer.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Back at it...
Well, almost. I had the intention of getting back into training yesterday morning but I awoke to the sound of thunder and a blinking clock. The rain outside was disconcerting but the real problem was the lightning and thunder... enough to warrant a pool closure. So after three days off I figured another half day wouldnt hurt and went on into work.
The advantage of this was that I got into the office super early (before 6!) which meant I also got to leave super early. By the time I was ready to take off, the sky had cleared and it turned into an awesome day for a swim in the Nat and a bike ride on the Arsenal. Maybe it was just the endorphins from the sun hitting my skin but I felt great on the bike. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!
The advantage of this was that I got into the office super early (before 6!) which meant I also got to leave super early. By the time I was ready to take off, the sky had cleared and it turned into an awesome day for a swim in the Nat and a bike ride on the Arsenal. Maybe it was just the endorphins from the sun hitting my skin but I felt great on the bike. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
3?
Well, apparently this "mono-like virus" isnt a good thing... I say this because Paulo gave me three, thats right, 3, free days. So I guess this virus = 1.5 IM? I mean, I get one free day after a 70.3 so three free days in a row means three 70.3s in a row, right???
In all seriousness, I probably need the rest more than I realize. That is, of course, why it is incredibly beneficial to have an actual coach as opposed to someone who just gives you workouts. My head is in the sand while Paulo is looking at the big picture. Anyway, I have no idea how all of this will affect my fitness this summer and if I really think about it enough I could probably drive myself to the madhouse pretty easily. Luckily though I have a real job to focus on with slightly more important things to think about... like how we're going to get the Upper Stage of this rocket built!!
In all seriousness, I probably need the rest more than I realize. That is, of course, why it is incredibly beneficial to have an actual coach as opposed to someone who just gives you workouts. My head is in the sand while Paulo is looking at the big picture. Anyway, I have no idea how all of this will affect my fitness this summer and if I really think about it enough I could probably drive myself to the madhouse pretty easily. Luckily though I have a real job to focus on with slightly more important things to think about... like how we're going to get the Upper Stage of this rocket built!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Mar16-22
S: 32,100 yds
B: 8h 52min
R: 2h 30min
Total: 19h 49min
On the bright side, that was the most real running I've done in a week in a while. Unfortunately though all of it was easy and I'm still not able to run longer than about 35min without any pain. It seems like every time I make a bit of progress and think I'm turning the corner, I have another setback which obv makes it a bit frustrating. Really though, as long as I can continue to keep extending the time I can go without pain, I'll be confident things are improving. In the mean time, I just have to channel Bill Murray in What About Bob, "baby step onto the elevator... baby step into the elevator... I'm *in* the elevator."
B: 8h 52min
R: 2h 30min
Total: 19h 49min
On the bright side, that was the most real running I've done in a week in a while. Unfortunately though all of it was easy and I'm still not able to run longer than about 35min without any pain. It seems like every time I make a bit of progress and think I'm turning the corner, I have another setback which obv makes it a bit frustrating. Really though, as long as I can continue to keep extending the time I can go without pain, I'll be confident things are improving. In the mean time, I just have to channel Bill Murray in What About Bob, "baby step onto the elevator... baby step into the elevator... I'm *in* the elevator."
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sickness x 2
Sickness, Part 1: First it was a cold. I had all the usual symptoms but while they were certainly annoying, overall I didnt feel too terrible. However, after a couple of weeks of sore throat, congestion, cough, etc., I woke up to muscle soreness and a fever. This forced me to take a few days off but then a couple of weeks ago I thought I was finally getting over it. However, my congestion lingered and lingered and I was still feeling a bit sluggish. Additionally, key workouts were off. Finally, after stubbornly avoiding the doctor's office, I decided to head in to make sure there wasnt anything seriously wrong. He took some blood and gave me some antibotics and yesterday I got the results back of the blood work. As it turns out, in my doctors words, I've had a "mono-like virus which explains the tired feeling. Additionally it is common to get a baterial infection on top of these so go ahead and finish the antibiotics." Well... that explains that. This of course made me think of a passage from Once a Runner:
"On a rainy day in November he was so sick with the flu that his wife, Jeannie, felt constrained to stay home from work to look after him. He threw up regularly and he diarrhea so badly his stomach muscles began cramping. Nonetheless, he arose and ran two eerie miles at a stumbling pace, pale and shivering the whole way. Again in the afternoon he repeated the process, this time nearly fainting as he staggered back into the apartment."
Sickness, Part 2 is a totally different kind of sickness... one that really only requires one word... DAMN. New bike!
"On a rainy day in November he was so sick with the flu that his wife, Jeannie, felt constrained to stay home from work to look after him. He threw up regularly and he diarrhea so badly his stomach muscles began cramping. Nonetheless, he arose and ran two eerie miles at a stumbling pace, pale and shivering the whole way. Again in the afternoon he repeated the process, this time nearly fainting as he staggered back into the apartment."
Sickness, Part 2 is a totally different kind of sickness... one that really only requires one word... DAMN. New bike!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
World Champs deja veux
I headed out to the local Tuesday Night World Championships last night which, this week, took place on the crit course at Joe Davis Stadium. The course is a pretty simple loop with 3 turns and one curve, providing good practice for bike handling... practice I can certainly use. Our plan was to do two 20min + 1 lap "races" so that we'd get to double up on the most exciting and important part: the finish.
So ater sitting on the back for a few laps and getting used to the turns, I headed to the front to mix it up a bit and felt surprisingly good. I took some pulls, chased a couple of people down, and tried not to get in anyone's way too much. About 16min into the first "race" I was bringing the pack through turn 2 when I felt my wheel slide. There was some dust in the corner so at first I thought nothing of it. However, it slid again and I realized that I had flatted.
At first I wasnt too upset because being a crit course, I could easily change the tire and get back in the action. Or so I thought... After pulling off the road I got right to work with the wheel and pretty quickly noticed a large (~1/8" long) piece of glass which had pierced my tire and tube. I had to struggle a bit to remove it but once I got it out of the tire I was pretty convinced I would be good to go. After replacing the tube, I attempted to pump it up but was getting nothing. I checked my pump but it was working so I took my new tube out of the tire only to find a hole in it. Awesome. It was like Clearwater all over again... Luckily someone else gave me a tube and I was back at it.... only to have the same problem.
Finally the third tube was the charm and I was ready to go. Unfortunately though by this time the group was finishing up the second race and the end of daylight was quickly approaching. This unfortunately meant I had to finish up the ride on the trainer, which I did, without too much hassle. After riding 1h10 outside, an extra 35min on the trainer with some hard efforts wasnt too bad, at all.
Next week the the TNWC heads to the hills... should be fun!
So ater sitting on the back for a few laps and getting used to the turns, I headed to the front to mix it up a bit and felt surprisingly good. I took some pulls, chased a couple of people down, and tried not to get in anyone's way too much. About 16min into the first "race" I was bringing the pack through turn 2 when I felt my wheel slide. There was some dust in the corner so at first I thought nothing of it. However, it slid again and I realized that I had flatted.
At first I wasnt too upset because being a crit course, I could easily change the tire and get back in the action. Or so I thought... After pulling off the road I got right to work with the wheel and pretty quickly noticed a large (~1/8" long) piece of glass which had pierced my tire and tube. I had to struggle a bit to remove it but once I got it out of the tire I was pretty convinced I would be good to go. After replacing the tube, I attempted to pump it up but was getting nothing. I checked my pump but it was working so I took my new tube out of the tire only to find a hole in it. Awesome. It was like Clearwater all over again... Luckily someone else gave me a tube and I was back at it.... only to have the same problem.
Finally the third tube was the charm and I was ready to go. Unfortunately though by this time the group was finishing up the second race and the end of daylight was quickly approaching. This unfortunately meant I had to finish up the ride on the trainer, which I did, without too much hassle. After riding 1h10 outside, an extra 35min on the trainer with some hard efforts wasnt too bad, at all.
Next week the the TNWC heads to the hills... should be fun!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Mar9-15
S: 32,500 yds
B: 8h 11min
R: 2h 17min
AR: 40min
Total: 19h 42min
The real running finally beat the aqua jogging this week although the volume was still pretty poor. However improvement is a good thing, even if it happens at a slower than desirable rate. With the return of daylight savings time, it looks like the Tuesday Night World Championships is a definite possibility this week. Assuming it is warm, it'll be nice to get out there and mix it up with the roadies.
In other news, I had my home inspection last week and it went really well. My (hopefully) soon to be new home was built almost 50 years ago but according to the inspector it, "is in better shape than one I looked a couple of days ago which was built in '93." They just dont make them like they used to...
B: 8h 11min
R: 2h 17min
AR: 40min
Total: 19h 42min
The real running finally beat the aqua jogging this week although the volume was still pretty poor. However improvement is a good thing, even if it happens at a slower than desirable rate. With the return of daylight savings time, it looks like the Tuesday Night World Championships is a definite possibility this week. Assuming it is warm, it'll be nice to get out there and mix it up with the roadies.
In other news, I had my home inspection last week and it went really well. My (hopefully) soon to be new home was built almost 50 years ago but according to the inspector it, "is in better shape than one I looked a couple of days ago which was built in '93." They just dont make them like they used to...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
DST
One thing GW did right? How about changing the dates of DST so that it starts ~3 weeks earlier? So yeah, yesterday I got to break free from trainer hell, get outside for the ride, and enjoy some "near record" highs. The weather really was awesome and it was great to feel the wind on my face as I was riding fast... something the fan just cant quite replicate.
There is one downside, however, to the onset of DST. I still havent quite adjusted to having to wake up an hour ealier. In theory it really shouldnt make a difference since either way I'm still having to wake up in the dark. However, for whatever reason its been really hard to get out of bed the last few days and has taken me a little longer than usual to wake up in the pool. Anyway, as unfortunate as rough as it has been I'll still trade a sluggish morning for the ability to workout in the light afterwork.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mar3-8
S: 31,800 yds
B: 9h 12min
R: 1h 10min
AR: 2h 18min
Total: 21h 2min
I had a solid week last week capped off by a couple of great rides on Saturday and Sunday. The best part about them was quite simply the weather. It was nice and warm meaning I didnt have to wear long sleeves either day. Hopefully the cold weather is gone for good. Regarding the running, it regressed a bit at the beginning of the week as I had a bit of pain creep back up. However, Nicole really worked on my leg on Friday and Saturday which loosened things up and allowed for a couple of good runs on the weekend. Hopefully the improvement will continue, especially with the warm weather.
B: 9h 12min
R: 1h 10min
AR: 2h 18min
Total: 21h 2min
I had a solid week last week capped off by a couple of great rides on Saturday and Sunday. The best part about them was quite simply the weather. It was nice and warm meaning I didnt have to wear long sleeves either day. Hopefully the cold weather is gone for good. Regarding the running, it regressed a bit at the beginning of the week as I had a bit of pain creep back up. However, Nicole really worked on my leg on Friday and Saturday which loosened things up and allowed for a couple of good runs on the weekend. Hopefully the improvement will continue, especially with the warm weather.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
HHPTC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Huntsville, AL- The Wide World of Andrew has come to a verbal agreement to acquire a 2100 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 2 bath house on 0.7 acres in SE Huntsville for use as a living space as well as for the headquarters of the Huntsville High Performance Training Center. While the sale has not yet been finalized, both sides have come to terms they consider acceptable. 10% of the agreed upon price will be paid up front while the other 90% will be financed over 30 years at fixed 4.75% interest rate. Features of the home include recently refinished hardwood floors, a remodeled kitchen with a double oven, a huge yard, a great location just off the Rocket City Marathon course, and close proximity to the Brahan Springs Natatorium, the official pool of the HHPTC.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
back at it...
After a few days out of commission with the flu, things are getting back to normal. Tuesday started with every flip-turn hating triathlete's favorite main set: 60 x 50. Then that evening it was back to the trainer and the oh-so-lovely 4x10min Zn4 action. Sadly though Erin had the Wednesday night game meaning the Tuesday night Big 10 game on ESPN was even worse than usual. Not that it mattered much since I was staring at the PT/ground anyway.
Along those lines though, I'd have to say Jacqui is certifiably insane... it does matter where you are. Simply put, unless you are a masochist, getting out the door on a beautiful day and banging out some intervals is unquestionably easier than punishing yourself on the trainer. In the end though, she is right about one thing.... getting the work done is getting the work done. Now... back to work!
Along those lines though, I'd have to say Jacqui is certifiably insane... it does matter where you are. Simply put, unless you are a masochist, getting out the door on a beautiful day and banging out some intervals is unquestionably easier than punishing yourself on the trainer. In the end though, she is right about one thing.... getting the work done is getting the work done. Now... back to work!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Feb23-Mar2
S: 24,300 yds
B: 3h
R: 1h 25min
AR: 40min
Total: 11h 29min
It was a light week although not exactly by choice. Thursday morning I woke up feeling a bit more sore than usual but didnt think too much of it as I made my way to the pool. However, about halfway through a set of five 400s, I knew something was a bit off. My whole body was really sore and even though I was going hard, my times were a bit off from the week before. Once I got into work, I didnt exactly feel any better. The day got progressively worse until I was running a pretty serious fever that evening. Needless to say, I wasnt getting on the trainer. Or doing anything else, for that matter, other than laying on the couch. Friday was more of the same as I stayed home from work and took the day off job #2 as well. Saturday I started feeling a bit better and then Sunday I was finally able to get in a couple of light workouts without feeling totally dead.
Needless to say, the flu can kind of kill training time. Looking on the bright side though, this was a good weekend to be layed out. It rained all day Friday and Saturday and then Sunday morning it actually snowed. The rest of Sunday was v. cold and windy, so its just as well that I had an excuse to stay inside and make muffins. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get back into normal training and maybe by that time the weather will actually warm up some... it is March after all!!
B: 3h
R: 1h 25min
AR: 40min
Total: 11h 29min
It was a light week although not exactly by choice. Thursday morning I woke up feeling a bit more sore than usual but didnt think too much of it as I made my way to the pool. However, about halfway through a set of five 400s, I knew something was a bit off. My whole body was really sore and even though I was going hard, my times were a bit off from the week before. Once I got into work, I didnt exactly feel any better. The day got progressively worse until I was running a pretty serious fever that evening. Needless to say, I wasnt getting on the trainer. Or doing anything else, for that matter, other than laying on the couch. Friday was more of the same as I stayed home from work and took the day off job #2 as well. Saturday I started feeling a bit better and then Sunday I was finally able to get in a couple of light workouts without feeling totally dead.
Needless to say, the flu can kind of kill training time. Looking on the bright side though, this was a good weekend to be layed out. It rained all day Friday and Saturday and then Sunday morning it actually snowed. The rest of Sunday was v. cold and windy, so its just as well that I had an excuse to stay inside and make muffins. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get back into normal training and maybe by that time the weather will actually warm up some... it is March after all!!
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