Busy Week

Well... it woudl seem like I have done nothing since tuesday.... that is simply no true, as I do not take days off.... well.... except Thursdays.

So Wednesday I was in the tank and doin' the ole back and forth... back and forth... sounds kinda porno.... no?

Anyway, I was in the pool doing...  4x150 (100 Free/50m Choice. 6x50m Pause Freestyle (Take 3 strokes then pause on your side for 10 kicks, continue). 10"rest. 2x300m Swim (:30), 2x200Swim/100kick (:30), 2x300 Pull (:30). 6x50m (25Sculling/25Choice).

This is a photo of the kid who passed me..... man she had game.

Now that was a swim.... seemed like it would never end.. the rest was long enough to check what was up for the next set.  That said.  I did it and only had to take out the pause freestyle.  When I swim on Mon/Wed/Fri I only get 60 minutes on the nose if they are on time... Wednesday not so much.  By never end, I mean it... I was going ad then had my 30sec rest and ... wham back in to it.

Today... HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!  +13˚C.  Holy shit.... I think the entire province of Manitoba was standing out side staring at this orange globe in the sky and wondering what it was.  I think ultimately we didn't care as long as it was bringing warmth to our green/white skin.

I was cautiously optimistic about the weather, so I changed out the trainer tires off of the bikes and cleaned the chains and lubed the joints in anticipation of the day.

Ducked home after my physio and hit the road Jack and went out to the road end in Headingley.



What fun was that.... I giggled the whole way and to be honest I am really looking forward to Pigeon lake tomorrow.

A beautiful evening

Time to get the legs going as this race in June..... let alone the 15k I am racing on Sunday.  We are staring out easy with a decent warm-up and 3X 1 mile efforts with a little 200 M build at the beginning and the end.

I was really nervous, as I wondered if the legs were going to be able to give me any decent speed.  Was the last run (two mondays ago) just a one off?  I am wondering if that would explain the wonky HR at the beginning.  I maxed out my Heart-rate in the first 1/4 mile.  Now isn't that something.

My legs and back felt good with the calf twins calling me to remind me of what used to be.  Every little twinge or flutter in my calf made me wonder about their stability and their commitment to my success.  Also, I made  rookie move and ate dinner with my tri-boy before the run and had a healthy bowl of chilli.... get that jumpin' around while you run and you can imagine how bloated and crampy I felt around mile three.   The thing is I was getting mad a myself, as I know better.  Wont make that mistake again.



All in all I am pleased with my efforts and happy with the run.  8:33 is respectable and anything under or around 9:00 on the course would make my day.  Last year in Oliver I ran a 1:58:15 1/2 Marathon which was the equivalent of 8:53 minute miles.  I was pleased.... although I do remember that hurting a bit more that I would have liked.

A Monday Spanking

Part I of Monday:

2x200 Free/100 Kick. 6x50m Decreasing Stroke Count (1:15 repeat). 2x: 500m Pull (1min), 5x100 (2' repeat). 6x50m (25Free/25Choice).  When I was done I could not lift my arms above my head... I was done... cooked as they say.  I was hitting the main set and doing the 100M in about 1:30 ish leaving about 20 seconds to gasp by the side of the pool and then head off again.  By the time I was done, it was all I could do to get out of the pool and back to work.

Then after soccer practice, I hit the basement and went through a bike set to get the legs spinning about.  Tri-girl joined me for the first two builds in the main set, but I was on my own after that.



I am off to bed now where I will dream of floating arms and easy cycles, as I sure in the hell ain't getting out anytime soon..... sigh

Unexpected TT

We decided to get up early this morning and go to the Y with the kids and swim some laps together.  I was not expecting to go out, but hey when the family calls, I listen.  So we bundled up everyone to leave from the pool and hit the H2O at 10 to 7.  I was not supposed to work out today, so seeing that it is  "easy week" I thought I would go after a 400M TT or time trial.

I did one back in March and crossed the line at 7:10 so I was very pleased with my 6:53 today.  I was truly going for it.  I did a warm-up of 3x( 2laps Breast, 2 laps Free, 2 laps back) and 200m pull.

The TT was good but the last 50 I think I was screaming underwater.  Here's a photo taken from the roof of the Y looking down on my finish.

P.S. back to the chiropractor after work and it looks like I am going to be just great.  Quick and easy - crack, crack and I was out of there.

No perceivable lag = Awesomeness

Got to the massage today and we focused on my back and quads and wound up with my right psoas..... which if you have ever had someone try to get at, is a real bitch.  Moreover, when they get there, it hurts like hell.

I had the first great sleep I have had in a long time... I am thinking it is a combination of Chiro and massage..... either way, I will take it.

Straight from a deep tissue massage to swim.    Warm-up - 100 Breast, 200 Back and 300 Free - continuous.  Then 400 pull breathing 2,4,6 and into the main set of 15X100 on 2:15.   It was a hard effort to maintain my time and keep 'er steady, but I did and I am very proud that there was no fade..... check out these #'s - (1:39, 1:40, 1:41, 1:43, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:41, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:39).  Those last few were really big efforts in the shoulders, but even though I felt like I was slowing up a bit, the time kept nice and steady.

Over-trained... what the hell are you thinking?

So I went to the chiropractor today.  I am desperate and although I am receiving an hour long deep tissue massage once a week, my spidey senses are still telling me that something is up with my back.  A few years back I "tweaked" my back and was off work for three weeks.  I was at the point that I could not even walk and Lori had to help me into the clinic like a little old man.  In the end all my old Dr. wanted to do was to medicate me and it was chiropractic that literally got me back on my feet again.

So I hit the room and the Dr. takes a good look and tells me that I am showing all the classic signs of over-training.  HUH?  No freakin' way.  I have done regular HR testing once a week for the past 6 months and trust me I have the data to back up that I am in the pocket and doing fine.  I have a coach and a plan and it is all laid out for me to avoid that exact scenario.  You have got to be kidding me.

That said, when a professional tells you that, it does make you think.......

What do you think about, you ask?  Well you think about Zealotry.  There are many people out there that might add up the number of hours and the amount of time that I dedicate each week to triathlon and think..... he's nuts.  Whereas, I look at what I am doing and I think that there are so many people out there doing more than me.... maybe I should do more.   Then, inevitably, you end up asking yourself if you really are nuts.  I am almost certain that all of this pain would go away if I stopped pushing myself.

Well, either way you look at it I was back in the basement of the PAN-AM tonight givin' 'er all I had to get myself ready, and if that makes me nuts... well then nuts it is.






P.S.

Boston Tri-guy is thinking of you.

Poppin Advil

Stoopid back.  This has become a real struggle for me.  I keep thinking that I am going to go to bed and wake up with all my aches and pains gone.  Not happening.  I am on the verge of getting super frustrated.  I am doing everything I should and I am still not seeing any results.

So in a last ditch attempt I am going to see the chiropractor tomorrow and then have a deep tissue massage on Thursday.  Someone there may be able to tell my why I feel the way I do.  I cannot help but keep thinking that it is all connected and that the ache in my lower right side of my back is causing all this funky stuff to go wrong in my legs.  The only other thing I could do is wear my lumbar brace, as that sometime gives me comfort.... I guess we will just wait and see what the Dr. says tomorrow, as there has to be a better solution than poppin' advil.

I have been doing some investigation into the pain and this is what it looks like.

I got this pic off a herniated disc website.... I hope the hell not.

Hmmm... well regardless of the pain.... I'm in to the pool for some fun, as that does not seem to hurt nearly as much.  1000m easy with a relaxed warm up. 400m moderate = 7:36  (1 minute rest) 2X 200 = 3:39 (1 minute rest) 3:37  8X 50 on 1:20 = (:48, :49, :48, :49, :48, :49, :49, :49) (1 minute rest) 16X 25 - well we both know I cannot go 25M so I went for 2 lengths at 36M and instead of 16, I did 14 (:29, :30, :30 :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30, :30,)  How about that!  I AM A SWIMMING MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!! Now go and look at the April 8th data.  I am right on the money with maybe an argumnet for a slight improvement.