So that's the hole I disappeared into this past month. If it seemed like training was all I thought about all month, that's because it was. It had to be this way. You see, last January when I first embarked on this journey, I pretty much went in blind. Eleven months of trial-and-error have taught me a lot, but in order to get the best results, it was time for a more scientific approach.
Coach Jeff (hiring him was the best thing I did) has been a tremendous help in gaining a better understanding of such concepts as periodization, eating for energy, and injury prevention. The great thing about a coach is not even having to think about the science. He feeds me my weekly workouts, and all I need to do is get them done, log the results, and log my nutrition. He analyses how I feel, how I eat, how my body responds to the various stresses, and adjusts as necessary. It's been an amazing month of swim-bike-run workouts. Six days a week. I can see results, and I am thrilled.
Here's a sample of the workout schedule I get each week:
| Date | PLAN | Description | ||
|  Swim1400.0 m | 200 warm up 6x50 kick with fins (:30 rest) 6x50 swim (negative split at 25 wall) 200 pull 6x50 swim (25 easy, :5 rest, 25 fast) 100 cool down | ||
|  Run45min | warm up for about 5 minutes then run 30 minutes in upper zone 3 lower zone 4 cool down with 10 minutes easy run. | ||
| Swim 1500.0 m | 200 swim 100 drill 100 kick 12x25 w/:30 rest (descend 1-4, 5-8, 9-12) 8x50 odds: ALL OUT, evens recovery 300 with fins 100 cool down | ||
|  Bike01hr 00min | The main set of this session is all to be done in Zone 3. Warmup: 15 mins steady 6 x (50 secs fast spin/ 40 secs easy spin) Main Set: 12/10/8 mins at low Zone 3 at 90-100 rpm 3 mins rest between rests 4 x (20 secs fast spin, 40 secs easy spin) Cool Down: 15... | ||
| Swim 1500.0 m | 200 warm up 6x50 2x(kick, drill, swim) w/:45 rest 6x50 w/:60 rest 2x(back, breast, free) 6x50 @ 2:00 (descend effort 1-3, 4-6) 300 with fins 2x(50 kick on back, 100 swim) 100 cool down | ||
| no PLANNED workouts | |||
| Bike 01hr 15min | Nice steady ride in zone 2 relax be on the aero position through the entire ride | ||
| Run 20min | Make a smooth transition from the bike and run 20 minutes very easy | |||
TEAM IN TRAINING
Simultaneously, training for the BMO half marathon for Team in Training is in full swing. Every Sunday morning for the past month, I have been getting up to meet my TNT run team at Granville Island for our Group Training Sessions. It has been going relatively well. I have some minor issues with my ankles resulting from the increasing distances, but so far we have them under control. One of the rewards of running with Team in Training, for me, is getting to know fellow teammates - people from various backgrounds united by a cause and running so others won't have to face life with blood cancers. It's been very inspiring hearing their stories. What a cool bunch. Go Team!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
It's been slow-going, I'm afraid. The downside to digging into my training this month is that I have devoted no time at all to my Team in Training fundraising efforts. I am embarrassingly only at 8%. HELP!
It is now time to kick up the fundraising a notch. Just as the thought of my first race in April scares me half to death, the looming fundraising deadline gives me tummy aches. Again, HELP! :)
MY 2010 RACE CALENDAR:
Apr 24 Delta Triathlon (sprint distance)
May 2 BMO Half Marathon
May 30 Shaughnessy 8k
Jun 18 UBC Longest Day 10k
Jun 27 Scotiabank Half Marathon
Jul 4 Subaru Sprint Triathlon
These are the races I plan to do this year, assuming everything goes well. There might also be some minor races squeezed in between, and some others later on in the season.
The season marches on. I am 3 months away from my first triathlon, and 3.5 months from my first half marathon. GULP. Lots of growing to do!
If you would like to help my fundraising efforts for Team in training, please click HERE.
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