Saturday
Well, according to weather.com, we were supposed to be getting the effects of Hurricane Danny early morning, so instead of my original plan of meeting a friend for a super-early brick, I decided to train by myself later on. Turns out the rain never really came, so I should have gone earlier, but it was sorta nice to sleep in a little. I was out of bed at 8 and ate my typical breakfast (oatmeal + 1/2 banana & peach, 3 egg whites, and small coffee) as quickly as possible to get it in my system so I could get out on my bike as soon as possible. I always like to give myself 2 hours to let it digest before starting my workout, but in the interest of time, I cut it short a little.
I went out and did the Rock Creek / Beach Drive route which I haven’t done in quite a while. I’ve been training McCarthur every weekend but now that Jeremy is gone, it’s not terribly convenient. It was actually a nice change of pace. It wasn’t too crowded– probably b/c it was overcast and threatened rain. My heart rate monitor didn’t work for the first 30 minutes and I spent way too much attention and time fiddling with it. It mostly read “00″ but at times spiked to the 200’s. Highly frustrating, but luckily it picked up just before the important part: my intervals. Today’s workout was 3 sets of 20:00’s at threshold zone 4.
Threshold 20’s
20:00 z4 (172, 153)- 7 mi; avg 21
5:00 recover (150, 136)
20:00 z4 (168, 156)- 6.25 mi; avg 18.75
5:00 recover (159, 130)
20:00 z4 (165, 147); 6.55 mi; avg 19.65
I felt great and strong. I really feel like i’m constantly getting to be a better cyclist. My first interval felt great. I was able to go through the stop lights/signs having to slow or lose speed. My second interval was a lil more uphill, so naturally a bit slower. I got out of the saddle when needed, but I didn’t feel like I was quite as strong as the first. My third interval i started to fade and i lost focus a bit- started thinking about other things and not concentrating on the task at hand. I was cruising not pushing, but once i realized it I got myself back on track and finished out the remaining minutes strong. I did hit one stop light and had to stop for about 20 seconds. I hate having to slow down and I hate even more having to stop. BUT, I supposed it’s a lil better than the alternative of getting hit by a car :)
Nutrition
Less precise as usual, but it was a shorter ride and I had enough calories from breakfast, so I didn’t much.
First 5:00 recovery: 4 sips Cytomax, washed down with water
Second 5:00 recovery: 3 sips Cytomax, washed down with water, 1 endurolyte
Third 5:00 recovery: 4 sips Cytomax, washed down with water
End of ride: Finished bottle of Cyto.
I also drank most of my aero bottle of water. While it wasn’t sunny, it was still quite humid, so hydration was important. I probably should have had more.
My coach generally has me try and do my last interval as close to the end of my workout as possible in attempts to simulate a real transition and practice running on tired legs… but because I live downtown, holding an interval pace/effort by my apartment is nearly impossible with all the stop signs, lights and traffic. So, I stayed on Beach Drive (closed to traffic on weekends) until I finished my intervals and cooled down on the way home.
I got home did the quick change of shoes and made my way back out the door. I’m pretty sure the concierge of my building thinks I’m insane. We’ve never exchanged more than the polite hellos and he sees me constantly coming and going in some state of pre/post workout, usually multiple times per day. He always gives me a puzzled look, it’s pretty funny.
Today’s run was pretty straight forward: hold race pace. I got outside, started moving and felt great. Even though my monitor isn’t completely calibrated correctly, i kept it on the pace screenview and made sure I stayed below 7:45. I was able to do so without a terribly hard effort. The only time I went above 8:00 pace was going back up the hill on 14th. I tried to imagine it was race day and keep quick cadence and high speed. I was glad to not have to do 2 more miles at this pace, but I’m pretty sure I could have.
Race Pace Transition Run
30:00; 4.02mi; 7:27 pace; HR Avg- 167, Max- 185
Today was a great brick… now i just gotta do it again on raceday! :)
I spent most of the run thinking about what I’d do for lunch. I created a fantas7tic sandwich in my head and it got me to power through and push to the end. Whatever motivates ya, right? Food always motivates me :) I got home, showered quickly, and crafted a beautifully delicious (and healthy) meal. I toasted a whole wheat pita, spread it with hummus and filled it with veggies (spinach, romaine, cucumber, avocado, carrots, portabello mushrooms, heirloom tomato), chicken, and apple slices. I also put together my typical lunch salad with most of the same ingredients, some sunflower seeds for crunch, and dressed with a little bit of lemon infused flax seed oil. Exactly what I wanted and far better (and economical) than anything I could have ordered out. I finished my lunch with a nice, hot soy latte and spent the rest of the afternoon giving my apartment a deep clean and utilizing my organization skills.
Sunday
Woke up very aware of my legs: tired, sore, and heavy. The thought of running was not appealing but I threw on my running gear anyway and forced myself to go. While I was not going for speed today, I ended up feeling pretty good! I was supposed to keep myself mostly in zone 2 (and avoid zone 3-5). My HR monitor was acting up again and spiking some crazy numbers, so I based my efforts on PE (Perceived Exertion). Looking back at the numbers, I’m really surprised. I was by no means running fast, but I find it hard to believe I was averaging such a slow pace. Seems wrong, but maybe my legs were more fatigued than I realized. It was really hot and humid, so it was a good taste of what racing conditions could be like. I’m crossin my fingers for a nice day but it’s good to be prepared. I know the heat really affects my performances and I tend to get dehydrated pretty easily (and I really don’t want a repeat of my Gulf Coast race).
Zone 2 Run
5.2mi; 49:00; 09:25 pace; HR Avg- 156, Max- 186
All in all, it was a decent run. I ran from my house to the race start/finish (to help visualize) and then went along the mall and monuments. My right knee bothered me a bit again and when i finished the joints behind my right knee/quad were “crunching” and hard to stand on. It went away after a minute or two and feels ok now, but I was just slightly worried at the time. Hopefully it was just tight muscles and nothing to worry about…
Got home, jumped in the shower, scarfed down my breakfast and within half an hour my friend was waiting out front in his bmw convertible ready to take on the GORGEOUS day. We got coffee and meandered around the local Farmer’s market for a while. I love all the fresh produce and locally grown stuff. They usually have lots of samples and their peaches are always to die for. So fun.
We then hopped back in the car and decided to take a drive out to Leesburg to go shopping at the outlets… really, we just wanted an excuse to drive somewhere and soak up the sun and wind in the hair. Amazing. I totally needed that. I found a few good deals on some clothes (what is it with me and dresses?) and we had some good, meaningful conversations that really uplifted my mood… not to mention we jammed out to some fun music the whole way home.
I love Sunday-Funday.
