Monthly mileage report

Psychologically, for me, the beginning of March is the 'light at the end of tunnel.' I know it's early, but winter will not be around too much longer. Let me just take this opportunity to say: 'yea!'

Before I get to the mileage report, here is what I did today: run 8.5 km - did my first hill repeats. Just did 2 sets as I'll ease into these nice and slow. I'll have to take picture of the hill I run up and down - just so you can share in my pain. :) I also logged 1.5 hrs on the trainer and did 30 minutes of weights. An excellent day.

Here's the mileage report for the month of Feb:
Run: 184 km
Spin: 19hrs 45 min
Swim: 13.7 km
Dryland: 8.5 hrs
I'm happy with the month, my base is coming along nicely and I'm starting to feel 'in shape.' The plan for the month of March is to maintain same training ratio amongst the sports, with a focus on running. The end of March brings my first 'training camp.' More on this later.

Monday weigh in

The mileage report for week 8:
Run: 36 km
Spin: 4.5 hrs
Swim: 4.1 km
Dryland: 2.5 hrs
Weight: 164
My second four week cycle comes to a close. So far so good. Week 8 was an 'easy' week as I dropped my running mileage and did a little less spinning. I also had two rest days last week. So now I should be fully recovered and stronger - so the theory goes.

Week 9 is going to be a moderate/hard week. The plan is to run 5 times for a total of ~55k, spin for 5 hrs, swim 4k+ and do 2 hrs of dryland. I'm also planning on introducing my first hill repeat and first tempo run.

Today I only have stretching and core work on the agenda as it's a designated rest day. Happy Monday!

Weekend Update

One of the things that Sally and I really enjoy is sleeping in on weekends. It's not uncommon for us to hit the 10 hr mark. :) It's a guilty pleasure, but there is the added benefit of getting fully recovered from the week's workouts.
On Saturday I hopped on the trainer for 2.5 hours and watched the Olympics. I watched the mens 15k biathlon, now those guys have some serious aerobic engines. I watched Cindy Klassen capture her fifth Olympic medal, along with the gold medal performance of Clara Hughes. The 4 man bobled came in 4th - I believe that was our 11th fourth place finish..
It was a great motivator and the spin session flew by. Canada's showing certainly made me proud.

Today, I strapped on my Garmin Forerunner and did my run. (it's a little GPS gadget that straps on your wrist and gives you speed, distance covered etc..) I have not been using the Forerunner as I still want to keep my pacing down and not be running against the clock. However, I wanted to verify my route length, so today I used it. I ran for 1hr 51 min. The first hour was slow, only covered a mere 11k, I picked it up a bit for the second half the run and eventually got it to my regular long pace of 5min/ km. The total was just a tad over 21k. This was the same route I did last week, which I thought was 22k - so I guess I should adjust my internal odometer a bit. Cheers.

Happy Friday!

Believe it or not, sometimes it's hard to take day off. It's a beautiful sunny day, hovering around the zero degree mark. I want to run. Bah, if I don't have the discipline to take a day off when I'm suppose to, how am I going to have the discipline to stick to my race strategy? So I'm being a good boy and taking the day off, just doing some stretching/core work and giving one-eyed-Joe an extra long walk.

So what's the plan for the weekend, you ask? As it stands, Saturday is my spinning day - I think I'll crank it up to 2.5 hrs and Sunday is my long run, which will be the same as last week - 22k. Stay tuned for the weekend update.

Uneventful Thurs

Today was fairly unventful. I was able to do my 7.5k run while it was still +3 and sunny - so that was a bonus. Afterwards, I logged an hour on the spinner and did 30 minutes of weights.

Since this is an easy week, I'll be taking the day off tomorrow, and by 'off ' I mean it will be a stretching and core workout day.

Not a very exciting post as I'm feeling a little tired, (hope it's not a bug) going to hit the hay early tonight.

Kept my promise

Well I promised I was only going to work on one sport today and I did. The goal for today's swim to maintain aerobic intensity. I must get into my head to swim slow.
The biggest lesson I learned in Ironman Lake Placid was that if you swim too fast, there are going to be consequences down the road. I banged off a 52min swim and thought I was going slow. Well I didn't go nearly slow enough, because of the swim, I had a very sub par bike and even crappier run. That 52 min swim, messed up my nutrition and once that goes, trust me, you are in for a world of hurt.
Back to today's workout:
1000m warm-up
6X400 each one came in at 6min. Took 1 min rest between sets.
100pull, 50kick X4. Drill work.
100 cool down
Total 4100m
A good workout and I didn't go over lactic threshold once. It's all about sticking to the plan. Cheers.

So I go for my run today, it started out sunny and beautiful. After about 15 minutes a snow squal hits and visibility is down to maybe 50 feet. It was intense! The squal lasts for 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes was back to sunny and beautiful. It was like I entered and exited the Twilight Zone. Bottom line: 7.5k.
I also spun for an hour and did 30 minutes of weights. I know, I know, it's suppose to be an easy week, so tomorrow I'm only going to swim. Promise.

Monday weigh in

Week number 7 is down for the count. Here's the mileage report:
Run: 50.5 km
Spin: 5:15 hrs
Swim: 3.6 km
Dryland: 2 hrs
Weight: 164
Just missed my running mileage goal by a whisker, but made up for with some extra spinning time. My weight actually fluctuated from a low of 162 to a high of 165 - so I went high and I'm calling it 164. Either way, the ol belt has come out.
The upcoming week is an 'easy' week, which will bring my second 'cycle' to a close. A 'cycle' is a 4 week block - weeks 1 to 3 are progressively tougher and week 4 is a 'recovery' week. Recovery is so important as that is the time your body becomes stronger. So for this week, the plan is to just run 3 times for a total of ~35km, spin for 4 hrs, maintain swim distance and regular core/weight routine. If I go really crazy, I may even throw in an extra rest day. Let the wackiness ensue.

Ain't so bad!

After much procrastinating, I finally got off my duff and did my long run today. I was kinda hoping that it would a) warm up and b) get less windy. Well it warmed a couple of degrees, but other than that, the conditions did not getting any better. So I sucked it up and headed out.
During my run, I was thinking of the scene in Rocky where Rocky was getting pumelled by Apollo - or was it the Russian guy?, no matter, Rocky is taking the hits all the while saying "ain't so bad!.." How does this relate to my run?
-20C+ windchill: ain't so bad!
60km/h headwind: ain't so bad!
outrun a 100 pound St. Bernard: ain't so bad!
help a car in the ditch: ain't so bad!
running in whiteouts: ain't so bad!
If you say something enough, eventually you'll believe it. In the end, I had great run! I had 21k on the agenda and even tacked on a little extra at the end. The grand total ended up being 22+k, lots of gas left in the tank at the end and it felt strong. Yay me! :)

Oh jeez, I almost forgot, remember that person I had helped get out of the ditch? After we get her car unstuck, she asked me what I was training for, so I told her Ironman. She says: "cool!, I'm training for Ironman!" It turns out, her and 3 of her friends are doing Ironman this year. Now I ask you, how cool is that??!

Lastly, yesterday I did a 2hr 15min spin session, so that goes in the books. Yep, not a bad weekend.

Fantastic Friday!

BIG news..remember awhile back I mentioned that I requested sponsorship from my employer? Well, I put togethor a package and submitted it. Over the last few weeks, I've been checking the mail and the answering machine, waiting for that elusive yea or nay..
So after work today, I check the messages on the machine and lo' and behold, there is a message from Canada Post. The bottom line: they've agreed to sponsor me! Sweet news indeed. This year is going to be particularly expensive and having a sponsor on board is really appreciated.
Honestly, now it feels kinda funny. Having a large corporation giving you a donation is paramount to saying 'we believe in you.' I just hope I can live up to their and my own expectations.

As for training, today I bundled up, put on the ice cleats and ran 11k into the wind. Yea the weather sucks, but I missed 1 run this week and I sure the heck wasn't going to miss another. I followed up that run with a good stretch and a core workout.
On tap for the weekend is a 2+hr aerobic spin session and a ~21k run. Have a GREAT weekend!

Sloppy Thursday

We got snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain. About the only thing missing was the locusts. So, due to the treacherous conditions, I wimped out on my run. However, all was not lost, I did some extra time on the bike trainer to make up for the missed run. Total spinning time was 1:45 and I followed that up with a 30 minutes of weights. Not too bad considering outdoors was a total right off.

Feelin fine

There is a possibility of some crappy weather heading this way, so today I tacked on a few extra kms on my run. Total run was 11k and it felt quiet good.
The goal for swimming was to log 3.5k, which I did. After a 1k warm-up, my main set was a pyramid set of :400, 200, 100, 100, 200, 400 and my arms were feeling it on the last 400. I followed that with a 5X100 I.M. and a 5X100 pull set. Throw in 200 easy and call it day. Actually I guess the mileage was 3.6k - nice, a 100m bonus!
Rumour has it Simon Whitfield will be competing at Muskoka again this year, competing against an Olympic gold medalist ought to provide a little inspiration and motivation. I can't wait.

Happy Heart Day!

In celebration of Valentine's, I ran 7.5k, spun for 1:15 and did a 30 minute weight workout. After a rest day, you always feel like a million bucks, so the hardest part was just curbing my enthusiasm. I still have 3 weeks of 'base' training to go, after that the plan is to introduce hill training into my running regime along with the odd speed workout. So, until then, I must keep my intensity down.
Have a great Valentine's everyone, I'm off to go play with my sweetheart. Cheers.

Monday weigh in

Mileage for week 6:
Run: 48km
Spin: 4hrs
Swim: 3.2km
Dryland: 2hrs
Weight: 165
Week 6 done and accomplished what I wanted. Week 7 goals are as follows: Run 52-54km Spin: 4.5 and Swim 3.5k. The end of week 7 brings my second 'cycle' to a close and week 8 will be a 'rest' week. So no matter how tough the upcoming week is, I have something to look forward to when I'm done.
Today is my designated rest day. I did some nice easy stretching/core work for 45 minutes.

Sunday.... Ug

As I reported on Friday, we had company come over Saturday. Fun times, good food, good friends and lots of laughs. However, my motivation today was at an all time low, I just wanted to cacoon and watch the Olympics. But, I said I was going to 2hrs on the trainer .. and since I said it, I have to do it. So I sucked it up, popped in the movie Gladiator and did a solid 2 hours of spinning. In the end, it turned out to be a good spin session. Watching a great movie helped too.
Saturday I did a 17k run. I could feel some deep tissue fatigue in my running legs, probably from running 5 days in a row. But I'm determined to become a decent a runner, so I'm trying to push the envelope while at the same avoid over doing it. Cheers.

Computer hell..

You have to be a obsessive when training for an Ironman. I mean most anyone who wants to do an Ironman, can do Ironman. You train, you learn, you train some more then simply do the race. You're more concerned with finishing then competing for time or a Kona slot.
Then there is another category Ironman athletes who train to do the race to the very best of their abilities. The obsessed. They make plans, training schedules, tweak their diets, race strategize and are constantly balancing work/training and life. I already have a strategy for a race that's over 6 months away. Ok, so I obsess. But I think obsession is only detrimental if it starts to influence other areas in your life in a negative manner. So a balance must always be struck.
I only got to thinking of this because I'm troubling shooting some computer problems and those same obsessive qualities crop up. I simply must figure this problem out and I won't let go until it's fixed. See the similarities?
Right now I'm taking a break from my computer hell and updating my blog - so I guess I'll get back on topic. Today I ran 10.5k, it felt strong.
The weekend brings a 17k run tomorrow and a 2hr spin session on Sunday. The spin session could be interesting - we are having company over on Saturday night. Enough said.
Have a great weekend - I'm heading back to computer hell for a bit...

Tired Thursday

Yesterday was a run/swim day. The run was an easy 6.5k in the cold - yup not a huge fan of running in the cold. The swim was a total of 3.2k. The main set was a 8X200 on 3:30, with each one coming in at 2:55. I still had a little gas in the tank for the last repeat, so I cranked it off in 2:45. My swimming is feeling really good. All that 'muscle memory' from my competitive swimming days is paying off.
Today was a run/bike/weights day. It was tougher than usual, got home from work tired, immediately did a 6.5k run, just to get it out of the way. Later I did an uninspired 1 hour spin session followed by my 30 minute weight routine. I'm thinking I'll sleep well tonight.

47cm of snow

It's hard to imagine just 3 short days ago it was green outside. By Monday night we had a respectable 47cm of snow. Things have pretty much got back to normal and I did manage to get a 7.5k run in. There was still a coating of snow on the roads and it felt like running on the beach, which reminded me of Long Beach near Tofino on Vancouver Island. So I just imagined I was running there.
I also did 1 hour of spinning and a 30 minute weight session. Mission accomplished for Tuesday, Feb 7, 2006.

Monday weigh in

Mileage for week 5:
Run: 41 km
Spin: 4.5 hours
Swim: 2.8 km
Dryland : 2 hours
Weight : 165
I accomplished what I set out to do in week 5. The goal for week 6 is to run 5 times, keep the spinning to 4-4.5hrs and tack on another 400 meters in the pool. This could be a challenging week as it is still snowing in these parts. The forecast is looking a little better though, so hopefully it won't be too bad.
Today was a scheduled rest day... and I sure love my rest days. Well, I did do 45 minutes of stretching and core work, but it was a relaxed and stressless 45 minutes. :) Cheers.

Weekend Update

I've been tinkering with the site, I still can't get it the way I want it, but it's improving.
It's funny, there are always things that crop up, and I say to myself "don't forget to blog that." Now comes the time to write about it and I forget all the little things I was going to mention.

The biggest weekend news was the massive dumping of snow we received - I'd say a solid 30cm. Luckily I got my long run (17k) done on Saturday before it started. The run was just ok as my legs were a little tired from the 10k run on Friday.
This morning we awoke to a winter wonderland. I took Joe for a walk up the pinacle. The 'pinacle' is a nearby hill that has elevation of maybe 300 feet. Naturally we were the only ones out. I'm sure people thought we were crazy.. but then again I think they are crazy for not experiencing the fun, beauty and excerise of walking in the woods after a snowstorm. Then again, I'm the one doing Ironman Canada, so perhaps I should question my sanity.

Eep, sorry for the tangent. Today was a good spin day. I did 2 hours on the trainer while watching Rob Roy. Initially the legs were a little lethargic, but I settled in and had a great ride. Not too often you can say that when using the trainer. Tomorrow is a scheduled off day. Woo hoo!

Mucky Friday

Yesterday was a good day. I went and saw my niece, who gave me some running tips..

Yes, that's the M-Dot on her diaper... The picture reminded me of this video of Julie Moss crawling across the finishing line at Kona.
Yesterday I spun for 1.5 hrs while watchin Invasion of the Body Snatchers - I can't believe that movie is 28 years old. Afterwards I did my weight/core workout.
Today was mucky. Lots of rain, sleet and snow, which really does a number on the dirt roads I run on. I managed a very dirty 10k and followed that up with some core work and stretching.
On tap for the weekend: two hours of spinning and a 17k run. They are calling for 15cm of snow tomorrow which could make my Sunday run interesting.
Have a super weekend!

Run, swim Wednesday

Today was a good mid week training day. Got a nice 7.5k run in and followed that up with a 2.8k swim. I was kinda of suprised how well the swim went being as it's only my second swim since I started training. The main set was a 6X200m on 3:30 and each one came in between 2:54 and 2:56. Still slow, but a marked improvement from last week. I'm happy because I won't start 'serious' swimming until mid April. So these once a week swim sessions will make that transition easier.
Other than that, the day was rather uneventful. Here's a good article on Ironman Hawaii. It's a little old, but it's interesting and inspiring. Go ahead, take 5 and give it a read. Cheers, Darren.