Workout Snapshots

While it may seem that I've spent the last few weeks merely planning upcoming races and contemplating training goals, I actually managed to complete a few, uhm, challenging training sessions, too. Here are a few recent workout snapshots:

July 26 - Not quite, but almost, kicking and screaming, I've resigned myself to early morning workouts for some of our Tuesday/Thursday bricks. Because either I'll be too tired after work. Or I'll end up in a bind because of a thunderstorm. Or because a morning workout will allow me to actually partake in a social event or two. So, way too often, the alarm clock goes off around 5:15 am. On the schedule for this Thursday in July was a 45 minute bike and a 45 minute run at West Creek - by myself - and a perfect time to see if Patriot Sangria could help me beat previous 6 mile loop times. My best with Amarone was around 21 minutes. First lap - 19:50. Second lap - 19:35. Workout snapshot - "A somewhat stunned TRIgirl 40 staring at her Garmin."

July 28 - Ah, Saturday - meaning a long workout brick. This Saturday was HOT, Virginia hot and humid. TRIgirl KO and I decided to brave the 30 mile bike and 10 mile run together. Coach B lapped us for the upteenth time before riding along with us for a WC loop. We tried to bike harder so Coach B wasn't completely bored - while we picked his brain about form and nutrition tips. I thought to myself - cool, nice pace for that lap. Until we started the next one - and heard Coach B's challenge to take it up a notch. All that talking on the previous lap - not so much on this next one. That final lap was a great push and wore my legs out a bit more than usual for the 10 mile run ahead. Great practice for IMFL - when my legs will not be very fresh for the run. Coach B's push helped me understand what I should be striving for during a tempo bike - and that I can get through a long run (even if I need to walk occasionally) when I can't imagine that my legs will be capable of getting me past just a mile or two. Workout snapshot - "TRIgirl 40 toppling off her bike in the parking lot from being 'exercise drunk' as Devil Face so perfectly described."

August 1 - Gotta love Wednesdays because they are a swim day. With Ironwoman Canada back in town, I decided it was time for another private lesson. 7:00 am, we met and worked on my form. She videotaped my stroke - which showed my left arm having a "windmill" like motion vs. a nice relaxed elbow bend and extend. By the end of the lesson, my stroke was longer and stronger through focusing on more of a "catch up" action. I was excited for that evening's Masters swim class to practice what I learned. Except, when I got to Masters, I found myself struggling, exhausted, breathing heavily - and not having the productive swim I'd been looking forward to since the morning's lesson. My body rebelled with my first ever calf cramp while swimming. Workout snapshot - "Ironwoman Canada digging her fingers deep into TRIgirl 40's leg cramp."

August 4 - Another Saturday, this time a 30 mile bike, 12 mile run. I was so jealous of some of my TRIgirl buddies heading out for a 60 mile ride. The bike went fine - 30 miles in 1:41 minutes - and it didn't feel like a major push. Even the first 8 miles of the run were OK. Then the heat seemed to worsen. And I realized I miscalculated my route which ended up being closer to 13 miles. Workout snapshot 1 - "TRIgirl 40 has the best reason to take a slight break - a beautiful doe glides across the road and stops within yards of where TRIgirl 40 quietly watches." Workout snapshot 2 - "Lying in the parking lot as TRIgirl TB kindly offers a bandanna filled with ice to cool down a disgustingly sweaty TRIgirl 40."

August 6 - Guppy Swim. TRIgirl DL has joined Guppies - and since we both share an unusual first name - there are occasional funny situations where folks try to figure out how to address us. Ironwoman Canada helped me experience another "aha moment" when she pointed out that I was following through too far with my left arm - contributing to the windmill like motion we worked on the previous week. The cue of immediately bending my elbow when pulling out of the water made a big difference with understanding how to stop the windmilling. Workout snapshot - "TRIgirl 40 watching the clock for the end of five straight minutes of kicking."

August 7 - Another early morning bike/run with TRIgirl DL. Another ridiculously hot Virginia day. We were both thankful for waking up early to fit in the two hour workout before the predicted heat index of 105 degrees kicked in. We biked along at a good pace for the first 20 miles. For the last 6, I timed myself - 18:46. Beating the July 26th record. Workout snapshot - "TRIgirl 40 shooing the geese that strolled across the road just as she was trying to gain some momentum for the dreaded Farmer's Bureau hill."