Tapering sucks

I'm tapering now I guess for the k-town triathlon, but I'm still increasing mileage for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

In keeping with the advice in the Triathlete's Bible I've maintained the frequency of my workouts, increased and/or maintained the intensity but decreased the duration.  So yesterday I did a mini brick workout... 15min swimming, 30 min spinning, and 5k run.  This morning I'm going to cycle 20k and run 5k... followed by some swimming at Carleton U (mainly because I'm bringing the kids to the open swim).

Tomorrow will be a hard day: 29k endurance run.

It's still a lot of training... next week there will be more rest.

Triathlete's Bible

I've been doing some reading...

psych!!

Yesterday's swim totally SUCKED!  My neck muscle was feeling raw and sore before I went out... but I didn't feel it that much while swimming.  I don't think it was the wet suit.  I dunno.  I think it was all in my head.  The plan was to swim 750 - across Meech Lake at Blanchet Beach and back.  When we got there I watched the kids while C swam out and back.  When it was my turn, I was just not stoked at all.  I didn't feel tired or anything just sort of apathetic about the whole thing.  I squeezed into the wet suit and out I went.  I felt really buoyant and I barely needed to kick my legs.  So, in that way the swim was easier.  For some reason, though, while I was on my way out across the lake all I could think about was how inefficient my swimming is and how freaking long it was going to take to get this over with.  So I'm thinking the whole focus on my swim stroke was due to the fact that I didn't have to even think about my legs.  I tried to kick just a bit harder to leverage the fact that they weren't tired at all.  I could totally feel my arms slapping rather than cutting the water, and I could feel my stroke stopping short of the surface of the water rather than following through... and that's how the swim went the whole way.  I turned around about 50m early (maybe more I dunno) just to be done with it.  Not sure what lessons can be learned from it other than take a day or two off between swim workouts?


The beauty of triathlon training is that even though I had a crap swim workout yesterday, I'm still stoked about training on bike and running today.  Variety is the spice of life for us ADD folk :P

Let's talk nutrition...

I've been pretty good all week.  We've agreed not to buy any more junk food... chips, chocolate, candy etc.  The kids will survive :)


Breakfast has mainly consisted of dried blueberries and cranberries - you know, for antioxidants - yogurt and toast with PB... that's not too shabby.  Wash it all down with a couple of cups of coffee (with skim milk and Splenda) and voila... ready for the day.


Today I made this pasta salad to go with honey mustard salmon which Rob plans to BBQ. Yeah, those are some good eats.  I pulled all of the herbs for the pasta salad from the garden... and it tastes so yummy.


Off I go now to test out a rental wetsuit in Meech Lake... yikes.

swimming just keeps getting easier...

...thanks to my rocking coach!  Today I really felt strong for 1000m.  I'm confident about 750m in K-town.


Now that I'm moving into tapering next week... my focus is moving to my Sept. marathon.  Given that I want to take on Ironman next season... if I don't run a BQ this time (finally... please) then I might not have an opportunity until 2012 or late in 2011.  BTW I hate winter.


I just downloaded the Pfitzinger 55/18 program and I might incorporate some of this into my current program.  I like the idea of two interval workouts per week.


I've been pretty good about nutrition.  I caved today and ate some crap but that was after a healthy meal rather than instead of a healthy meal.  I feel badly enough about it that I'll keep on the straight and narrow for a least a week or two before I cave in again!  We shall see.

Fatigue

So... packing on the mileage = fatigue!!

I should be able to run 26k under 5:30 any day of the week.  Today was a total bomb.  I finished the run but I walk/ran the last three kms which brought my average pace waaaaay down.  I was steady at 6:00 for the first 13k and I had to hold myself back to stay at that pace.  I was aiming for negative splits, so after 13k I picked it up just a bit for a few km and then by 17k all hell broke loose.  I was just too tired to keep it up.  Like I said... I finished and I got plenty of "experience running tired."

I'm really looking forward to tapering.

Next week I'll maintain a higher load with emphasis on cycling, and then the week after, easy running only :)

not really a 'brick' ...

Well I don't think so any way.  I cycled, ran and then later on I swam.  My swim was about 1000m give or take.  I have a really hard time keeping track of my laps, never mind my time!  So I know I put in the time with plenty of gas in the tank.  The only reason I stopped was because the kids were getting bored and so was I.

I'm feeling pretty confident now that I have a solid base for some more serious training.  I even bought the Triathlete's Training Bible... you know, to learn all there is to know on the theory side of things.  The only problem is that the training season will come to a close in November... and I'll be stuck back in the office with only my lunch hour to spare.  So that means that I'll have to wait for the spring to race a half iron and later in the summer to race a full.  Plus there aren't that many Ironman races to pick from! Shit shit shit!  I want to do one this fall; in North America.  I did look at some races in the South... we'll see.

So this morning I'll do an easy 26k run... I've had to adjust my training plan a bit to make up for some lost time during our camping trips.  I'm feeling tired from yesterday's run and I have a feeling this is going to be slow going.    My aim is to run an even paced endurance run.  Not a marathon goal pace run... that will be next week.