Once again, I find that it's been a while since I've posted a blog. I'm way past due. The last post was about the off-season. At this time, 15 days from my first race of the season, the off-season seems like so long ago. It's been a great beginning to the training season. I've been working really hard and concentrating on improving my form along with fitness and strength. It's paid off...at least I think so.
Coach has me doing 3-week build sessions with 1 week recoveries in between. The build weeks have been fun as I get to feel how my fitness has increased along with my speed. The recovery weeks are a welcome reprieve from the grueling and long training sessions. Yes, those weeks are painful and the suffering during some of the training days is intense! I chose to do this however, so I'm not complaining. In an odd way though, the suffering and hard training is enjoyable. Sounds a little crazy, I know...but seeing the progress as I strive toward my goals is a great feeling. I'm accomplishing something big...a goal I set for myself some time ago and that feels great.
So, where am I at? Most of my long runs on the weekends have been base building for the endurance needed for the upcoming races. These typically include 90 to 135 minutes of running in heart rate zone 2 (a conversational pace) with occasionally surges of 3 minutes in length to a HR zone 3. On my last run of this type, I was about 15 seconds per mile faster than I was doing the same run several weeks earlier. Okay, so 15 seconds doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up over 13 miles.
My cycling has improved as well. The off-season included many interval sessions increasing leg strength. Once I started heading outside for some longer rides, I was able to realize what a difference those sessions had made. I've had several rides over 20 mph in HR zone 2 and others portions of rides over 23 mph. I've never been able to average these kind of speeds for these durations.
Swimming is a little different story...for now. I've continued to swim an average of 2 times per week and distances are now typically in the 3000 meter range each workout. While I've been feeling more comfortable in the water; I don't think I've had much improvement in speed or efficiency. I've recently decided to go to Swim Labs, which is luckily about a 5 minute drive from our house, to get some additional help with my swim stroke. I think the training was great and made a big difference. The swimming is done in an Endless Pool with fixed cameras and portable cameras so all angles of my swimming can be seen. I can get instant video feedback and see exactly what the instructor is talking about. It's amazing how big of a difference this makes. I also get to take a cd home every week so I can refresh my memory of what I worked on and carry that through to the weekly training sessions.
Bricks - These sessions have become some of my favorite. They've varied from 90 minutes to just over 3 hours so far. I've been amazed at how I've felt during the runs after hard bike rides. The best example I can give is from a session a few weeks ago. My coaches put on a Global 5k/10k challenge to raise money for prostate cancer. The day of this global event was during a planned brick...60 minute ride with a 10k time trial at the end, and a 30 minute run. We decided the run would be my 5k race. I felt great that morning and was excited for the workout. I rode relatively hard for the first part of the ride and then jumped into the 10k time trial. It was a windy morning, but I was still able to average over 23 mph for the interval...including some short but steep hills. I got home and transitioned into my run. I was still feeling good so I pushed as hard as I could, even taking a hilly route around the neighborhood. The results...I ran the fastest 5k I've ever run in my life! I can't explain what a confidence builder it is to run as fast as I ever have for that distance after the bike ride.
So where's that put me now? I'm a 2 weeks away from my first race of the season (a warm-up race) in Tempe, AZ. Warm up? Hmm...going to be hard not to race this one. I'm anxious for the competition and want to see where I'm at. I'll of course follow the Coach's recommendation and do what I'm told. I have to...my first A race of the year is Hawaii 70.3 which is only 3 weeks after Tempe. The last thing I want to do is put the A races at risk. So that's where I'm at now...coming up on real races and feeling good. I'm leaner than last year, meaner than last year and have a competitive drive that I haven't felt in years. Let's get this going!
Thanks for reading!
- Brian
