Another good week of training. I got caught up in the weekend, so I didn’t get in any workouts Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Oh, yeah, and it’s miserable outside, so who wants to work out outside? I bought a helmet on Friday, so now I can ride both safely and in style, but I haven’t taken it on the road yet. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time, here’s what I did last week:

Monday, July 21, 2008

• Workout type. Running
• Route. Forest Park subdivision
• Feeling.
• Time. 35 minutes
• Distance. 3 miles
• Pace per mile. 11:40
• Additional notes. Nothing new this week. Just a run-of-the-mill run around the subdivision.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

• Workout type. Brick (Cycling + running)
• Route. Forest Park subdivision
• Feeling.
• Time. 69 minutes (58 cycling; 11 running)
• Distance. 13 miles (12 cycling; 1 running)
• Pace per mile. 5:20 (4:50; 11:00)
• Additional notes. Another ride around the neighborhood. This time I was riding after dark, so I had to be careful with the traffic. I dropped off my bike and took a one-mile loop around the neighborhood. My legs were jello-y until about the half-mile mark, and I didn’t find my groove until I was about 3/4 of the way done.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

• Workout type. Swimming
• Route. YMCA
• Feeling.
• Time. 45 minutes
• Distance. 1000m
• Pace per mile. n/a
• Additional notes. Rough waters today. The pool was really busy because I went after work, but I managed to get in a decent workout. I need to work on my stamina in this department; I think I’ll be OK for the race, but I would like to swim well.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

• Workout type. Cycling class
• Route. YMCA
• Feeling.
• Time. 44 minutes
• Distance. 9 miles
• Pace per mile. 4:50
• Additional notes. Just another cycling class with weight lifting beforehand.

Wow! Last week was so much more productive than the previous two combined! Of course, I’m pretty sure my increased motivation came from an increasing number on my bathroom scale. I haven’t checked my body fat percentage in a long time, but I’m hoping the few pounds I’ve gained are a result of increased muscle mass rather than an increase in body fat. I certainly haven’t increased in inches anywhere, and my clothes still fit fine. We just happen to live in a “vanity number” society, and even though we’re healthy as horses, we hate the scales to reach certain numbers (and I’m getting a little too close for comfort to my vanity number). Here’s what I did this week:

Monday, July 14, 2008

• Workout Type. Running
• Route. Forest Park subdivision
• Feeling.
• Time. 33 minutes
• Distance. 3 miles
• Pace per mile. 11 min/mile
• Additional notes. Felt good for being the first time I was out in a week! Even though I wanted to hit the road hard for an hour or so, I held myself back. I tend to work too hard on Mondays and Tuesdays and then have zero energy for workouts later in the week. I’m pacing myself.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

• Workout type. Cycling class
• Route. YMCA
• Feeling.
• Time. 59 minutes
• Distance. 12.6 miles
• Pace per mile. 4:40 minutes/mile
• Additional notes. Our instructor didn’t show up, so I “warmed up” for 20 minutes before a sub took over. It’s encouraging to see that I can easily get in 12 miles in less than an hour, which will help me finish the triathlon in less than 2 hours.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

• Workout type. Running
• Route. Forest Park subdivision
• Feeling.
• Time. 58 minutes
• Distance. 5 miles
• Pace per mile. 11:40 minutes/mile
• Additional notes. Still incorporating walking into my runs. I find that when I stop and walk when necessary, I can go faster when I’m actually running, so my overall time is faster, too. Even with all the time off from running this winter, my pace is right where I left it when I did the half marathon last fall.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

• Workout type. Cycling class
• Route. YMCA
• Feeling.
• Time. 46 minutes
• Distance. 9.6 miles
• Pace per mile. 4:48 minutes/mile
• Additional notes. Just another cycling class. Actually, they’re getting to be old hat for me. Maybe I should look into learning how to teach a cycling class. Every time I get out of one, I think about the music I would use, how I would plan the class, and how I would encourage my students. Ooh, and if I teach, I could probably get a discount on my gym membership. Dave Ramsey would be proud!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

• Workout type. Cycling (road)
• Route. Forest Park subdivision (4 laps)
• Feeling.
• Time. 56 minutes
• Distance. 12 miles
• Pace per mile. 4:40 minutes/mile
• Additional notes. I actually aired up my tires and rode outside! Of course, I was a genius and went out at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and it was miserable, but I didn’t notice the heat until after I got off the bike. I did four 3-mile loops around my subdivision. My subdivision is by no means hilly, but it rolls in a few places, and I handled those spots just fine. I knew I could do 12 miles in cycling class, but I wasn’t sure once I got out on the road, so I was thrilled that this 12 miles was pretty easy for me. Once I finished, I dropped my bike in my yard and ran a lap around my block (4 minutes). That was the most painful part: for one, I realized just how hot it was. Secondly, I realized how much my quads had been working on my bike ride (I don’t have bike clips, which let you use your hamstrings more). My legs felt like jello for that four minutes. I’ll have to work on my transitions in the next month or so!

I just realized I haven’t updated you all on the triathlon training in a few weeks. Two weeks ago I was on vacation, so I was pretty lazy, and last week was my first week back, and I slacked off. Even though I haven’t been over-the-top dedicated to training, I still feel good about the race.

I’ve only been cycling at the gym, so I suppose I’ll have to get on the road eventually. My dweeby mountain bike needs new tires, and I need a bike helmet before the big day. I hope to get those this week. I’m also trying to figure out what to wear on race day. I have a two-piece Tyr suit that will work, and I think I’ll pull on a pair of shorts and a tank top (with a support bra) after the swim. I’ll have to do a test ride/run with my wet suit and those clothes to see if they’ll work.

Here’s what I’ve been up to the last two weeks:

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

• Workout Type. Cycling class + run (+ strength training)
• Route. YMCA track
• Feeling.
• Time. 55 minutes + 35 minutes
• Distance. 11 miles + 3 miles
• Pace per mile. 5:00 + 11:40
• Additional notes. First brick workout. Not too terrible. A few more of these will definitely help me prep for the race.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

• Workout Type. 5k race
• Route. Clinton, MO, Katy Trail
• Feeling.
• Time. 31:13
• Distance. 3.1 miles
• Pace per mile. 10:06
• Additional notes. Excellent race! One of my fastest times in a while. Runners were bussed out 3 miles, and we ran back into town. The course is fast and flat, but it’s made of limestone gravel, so pebbles in the shoes were a problem. And there wasn’t much shade. I pushed myself a bit harder earlier in the race than I usually do. I was really pleased with my results.

Monday, July 7, 2008

• Workout Type. Lap swim
• Route. YMCA pool
• Feeling.
• Time. 50 minutes
• Distance. 1250 yards
• Pace per mile. N/A
• Additional notes. No problems with the swim, though I’m starting to realize just how slow I am. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to swim all 300 yards just free stroking, but I think I can if I combine free stroke and the side stroke.

That’s pretty much all I did for two weeks. Pathetic, I know.

Somehow, I managed to not run at all this week. Not so good. It’s hard for me to get up and work out before work two morning in a row, so if I swim in the mornings, the next day I can take a cycling class and strength train in the evenings. I have good intentions to run in the evenings on the days I swim, but I’ve been reading so much, that I don’t want to put my books down and get out of the house. We’ll see if I can remedy that next week.

Monday, June 9, 2008

• Workout Type. Lap swim
• Route. YMCA indoor pool
• Feeling.
• Time. 40 minutes
• Distance. 1000 yards (20 laps)
• Pace per mile. N/A
• Additional notes. Good workout today. Started with an easy warm up of six breast/side stroke laps. Main workout included two sets of 1 free, 1 breast, and 1 side laps + two sets of 2 free, 1 breast, 1 side. Cooled down with a lap of back stroke. Met benchmark no. 4: 2 free laps nonstop. No creepy weird guys this morning.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Third wedding anniversary. I wanted to get up early and go to cycling class, but getting up before work to work out two days in a row is proving difficult, if not impossible. Told myself I would run after I got home from dinner, but we put in a movie and sat on the couch. No workout today.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

• Workout Type. Lap swim
• Route. YMCA indoor pool
• Feeling.
• Time. 40 minutes
• Distance. 1000 yards (20 laps)
• Pace per mile. N/A
• Additional notes. I so did not want to get out of bed this morning, and my workout wasn’t great. What was "easy" on Monday was really difficult today. When I free stroke, I find myself focusing on too much at once: flutter kicking, arm rotation, head position, and of course, breathing. There’s so much I feel is wrong with my technique that I don’t know how to focus on just one thing. Strength trained at home in the evening.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

• Workout Type. Cycling class
• Route. YMCA
• Feeling.
• Time. 42 minutes
• Distance. 9.2 miles
• Pace per mile. 4:30ish
• Additional notes . Strength trained before class and ran two laps after class. Had to focus quite a bit to push through the hard portions, but I love seeing how hard I can push myself!

Friday, June 13, 2008

• Workout Type. Lap swimming
• Route. YMCA indoor pool
• Feeling.
• Time. 35 minutes
• Distance. 900 yards (18 laps)
• Pace per mile. N/A
• Additional notes. Checked benchmark #5 (1 breast/side lap + 2 free laps). I wanted so badly to swim longer, but there was lightning in the area, and apparently, you still have to get out of the pool even if it’s indoors. I had already postponed my swim one hour, and I didn’t want to wait around to finish off my workout. Call it an easy day.