It has been a week of ups and downs. Aren't most weeks this way? Which should I start with? I'll get the downs out of the way - and I will spare the details.
*Ever think you know the truth about someone close to you only to find it it has been mostly lies and manipulations for years? When you find out the truth you are left feeling utterly humilated and with an ache so strong it physically hurts? As of this past Wednesday I can answer yes to both of these questions.
OK - on to the ups!
*Three weeks from tomorrow is my first race of the season. I would like to add that this race is the cheapest race of the year (or, anywhere) at $17.00. Yes, $17, not $170.00 or $1700.00. Of course, you get (or, don't get) what you pay for. I can't wait.
*Part of the reason I can't wait is that I have had a great week of seriously awesome workouts. In the big picture, I am feeling rested and healthy. I haven't felt this great in all honesty for MONTHS. It took getting really sick (my sicky week) to realize how bad I really was - I compare it to how I feel now and it's incredibly different. I rather like it.
Monday was off: forced off just to not overdo it. My legs took a little beating with a double day ride on Sunday.
Tuesday I swam 4000m in the pool - first set was a sort-of 1000m time trial. I felt great and I do think I am getting every so slightly faster.
Wednesday was my mini-du workout. AKA sweat fest. AKA crash and burn workout Wednesday. I feel this was an honest BT (breakthrough) workout. It was basically the distance of my #2 race this year. Therefore my confidence is soaring right now. I did a 15' TM warmup followed by 60' on the spin bike (45' in class 15' on my own after) followed by 45' on the TM with 1-3% incline and some up-tempo intervals as well. What really made this workout so awesome - other than feeling good during is - is that I felt really good on Thursday morning!
Thursday morning I was a little groggy and late getting out of bed (sleep is good) and got to the pool for 2700m of which I worked on my endurance and felt really good again. I love the pool so much; always have; hopefully always will. I just wish I was faster. I did have a few teeny tiny BT moment though. I did 5x100m on 2:00 as my last set and each one got faster than the one before. Yessss.
Friday (this morning) I plopped down on my trainer and rode for 3 hours. Yes, 3 hours...another honest BT workout, another confidence builder as well. Most of the ride was in zones 1 and 2 with 22 minutes in zone 3. Perfect training ride. Practiced my nutrition too. Two Vanilla Bean Gu's (one at 45' and the 2nd at 1:45), one bottle of Accelerade Hydro and one bottle of water. No stomach issues the entire ride, but the last 30 mintues I could have used some more calories. I could/should have had a snack BEFORE getting on the trainer, but I had to get going as I was running out of morning time. (I ended up 15' late for work anyway - oops.) I was able to get in the ice bath about an hour later and I am feeling very good right now.
My plan is an easy long run tomorrow morning. If that goes well (the whole "long run following a long bike" is something I only tried once last year... and I wasn't too honest with it) then I will be feeling better about myself than I EVER HAVE in terms of fitness and being prepared for my A race (Kansas 70.3). To say I am pumped is an understatement.
In case you were wondering what I do during 3 hours on a (practically)stationary bike: The first 60 minutes was spent listening to Mike & Mike in the Morning on my laptop as they were broadcasting live from Target Field. After their broadcast was over at 9am I turned on Friends and watched 4.5 episodes....I am currently paused in the last episode of Season 7 (the one where Chandler and Monica get married).
That's the week so far - been continuing to work on patience and confidence and my overall health. Ups and downs - and happy to have more ups than downs. Happy to be able to swimbikerun :) :) :)
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