Happy Tuesday! Who is ready for another training recap? If it is you, this is your lucky day. Especially considering the High Drama that occurred in my training in week 29. I'll give it away all up front with the should have been Academy Award winning scene and memorable quote from Samuel L. Jackson:
Oh yes. That is right. SNAKE IN THE LAKE. SNAKE IN THE LAKE. THE LAKE WHERE I SWIM. I SAW IT. I SAW IT SWIMMING. It looked like this:
So. OK. Wednesday was an open water swim at Marsh Creek State Park near me. I love it there. There is a course set up by a local multi-sport coaching group and it has a 1/4 mile course around buoys with lifeguards on kayaks. It is great and a great way to practice swimming in the open water. I have done it for a couple of years now and love it. The water is fine - not bad but not terrific. Anyway, I was wading in with a handful of people, when the guy next to me says "oh hey buddy!" and his friend was confused and then in slow motion I heard the original guy say, "loook ooooover there .... snnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeee". All very calm-like. And I look and I see the snake swimming along right near me near the banks of the lake with its head above the water LIKE A COBRA (sorry to shout but if snake in a lake isn't good reason for all caps, I don't know what is). I yelled "OH MY GOD" and original guy was all zen about it like "blah blah blah, they're more afraid of you than you are of them blah blah blah, they hang out by the banks blah blah blah you'll be fine in the water blah blah blah" and I was like "I know. I just didn't need to see him swimming. STOP TALKING NOW."
So I had a choice: wimp out and go home or just freaking do it. I did it. I should have lapped my watch when I got closer to shore because I know I hauled butt in that section. I did not see the snake again, and I hope I never do.
And now that I have turned off the entire internet to open water swimming, here's my recap of last week's training.
Week 29: 14:03:18 hours
I have had it with these [expletive] snakes on this [expletive] plane lake
Oh yes. That is right. SNAKE IN THE LAKE. SNAKE IN THE LAKE. THE LAKE WHERE I SWIM. I SAW IT. I SAW IT SWIMMING. It looked like this:
So I had a choice: wimp out and go home or just freaking do it. I did it. I should have lapped my watch when I got closer to shore because I know I hauled butt in that section. I did not see the snake again, and I hope I never do.
And now that I have turned off the entire internet to open water swimming, here's my recap of last week's training.
Week 29: 14:03:18 hours
Swam: 2:19:36 hours (6,444 yards)
Biked: 8:35:02 hours (98 miles outside; rest on trainer)
Ran: 3:05:40 hours (20.1 miles)
Workouts:
Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 50 minute endurance bike + 3 mile shake out run
Wednesday: 2 mile open water swim
Thursday: brick: 50 minute endurance bike/1 mile run
Friday: long run: 16 miles
Saturday: long, hard swim
Sunday: long ride: 100 miles
A 14 hour training week that includes a rest day? Over 6000 yards of swimming? Over 8 hours with my butt in the saddle? Um, yah. Things are absolutely picking up.
Monday's rest day was great. I felt a little like I was cheating, since my "long bike" was only 11 miles long the weekend before. But I did not complain. I enjoyed my rest day.
Tuesday was supposed to be a brick: a 50 minute bike and a 3 mile run. I broke them out into a bike/shake out run because I didn't have time to do them back to back. My coach seemed OK with the switch.
Wednesday was the open water swim. I did 2 miles. I saw the snake. Oh, and after the swim I was, of course, at the food table that the organizers set up. They had cookies again, which was awesome. They also had what appeared to be sourdough pretzel nuggets. I was like OMG I have not had these in so long!! So I popped one in my mouth only to find that they were filled with peanut butter. And I promptly did this:
The guy at the table was a little horrified. Dude: some warning next time if the pretzels have stuff in them.
Thursday was supposed to be a long run, but it was pouring and there were thunderstorm warnings, so Amy and I made the executive decision to switch our long run to Friday. I did my Friday workout on Thursday instead. It was another brick: 50 minute bike and 1 mile run. Easy enough, but the run was soggy. Honestly, I don't know why I am holding my hat.
Friday was a long run: 16 miles long to be exact. It was a gorgeous day - no humidity, sunny and cool. Perfect running weather. I met Amy about 1.5 miles in and we did a similar run to the week before: a few miles of 4 minutes run/1 minute walk, then a bunch more at 9 minutes run/1 minute walk, then 3 miles of tempo pace with no walk break, then a handful of miles of 9 run/1 walk to end it. Here are some before and afters:
Saturday was another glorious day and I lucked out that I had a swim. I did it in the 50 meter outdoor pool at the YMCA. I swam 2700 meters, which is just shy of 3000 yards and it was a good, if hard, swim. I debated sharing the next picture, but if there is ever a time to do it, it's now when I'm in great shape. One of my blog readers emailed and asked if I've lost crazy weight with all the training. The answer is ... I don't think so. I don't get on the scale at all. But my clothes all still fit, but maybe a bit differently. I am noticing changes in my body (in a good way - hello muscles), and while I'm not stick skinny (and never will be stick skinny because I like food and beer too much), I'm pretty pleased with the way I look (except in my Black Bear triathlon pictures that the race took - they should be destroyed). Here I am after my swim in my training bathing suit.
Sunday was a 100 mile (!) bike ride. Amy, Bill and I did the French Creek Iron Tour ride, which offers a bunch of distance routes in our area. We rode from Amy and Bill's house to the start, which was about 20 miles. And then we did the 64 mile route. And then biked 15 miles back home. We ended up clocking in at 98 miles, which was just fine. The sun was so hot on Sunday, so this bike ride wiped me out. Fitness-wise, I felt fine. But energy-wise, it was tough. The ride itself was really great: well supported, well marshalled and just a really pretty ride. It had some tough climbs and some fast descents and a lot of nice flats where I could get aero and stay there. Toward the end, when it was around lunch time, traffic picked up and there were a bunch of scary moments with cars. I really really wish drivers would remember that as annoying as bikers may be (and I get that), we really are just people who have lives and kids and don't intentionally cause problems for people in their cars. And to the green Subaru outback who beeped hard at every biker you passed, that was me: I gave you the middle finger about 25 times and yelled [expletive].
So, yeah. Lots of exciting stuff. Week 30 looks busier than last week: more running, swimming four times and an 88 mile bike on Saturday. Giddy up.
See you swoon,
Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 50 minute endurance bike + 3 mile shake out run
Wednesday: 2 mile open water swim
Thursday: brick: 50 minute endurance bike/1 mile run
Friday: long run: 16 miles
Saturday: long, hard swim
Sunday: long ride: 100 miles
A 14 hour training week that includes a rest day? Over 6000 yards of swimming? Over 8 hours with my butt in the saddle? Um, yah. Things are absolutely picking up.
Monday's rest day was great. I felt a little like I was cheating, since my "long bike" was only 11 miles long the weekend before. But I did not complain. I enjoyed my rest day.
Tuesday was supposed to be a brick: a 50 minute bike and a 3 mile run. I broke them out into a bike/shake out run because I didn't have time to do them back to back. My coach seemed OK with the switch.
Wednesday was the open water swim. I did 2 miles. I saw the snake. Oh, and after the swim I was, of course, at the food table that the organizers set up. They had cookies again, which was awesome. They also had what appeared to be sourdough pretzel nuggets. I was like OMG I have not had these in so long!! So I popped one in my mouth only to find that they were filled with peanut butter. And I promptly did this:
The guy at the table was a little horrified. Dude: some warning next time if the pretzels have stuff in them.
Thursday was supposed to be a long run, but it was pouring and there were thunderstorm warnings, so Amy and I made the executive decision to switch our long run to Friday. I did my Friday workout on Thursday instead. It was another brick: 50 minute bike and 1 mile run. Easy enough, but the run was soggy. Honestly, I don't know why I am holding my hat.
Friday was a long run: 16 miles long to be exact. It was a gorgeous day - no humidity, sunny and cool. Perfect running weather. I met Amy about 1.5 miles in and we did a similar run to the week before: a few miles of 4 minutes run/1 minute walk, then a bunch more at 9 minutes run/1 minute walk, then 3 miles of tempo pace with no walk break, then a handful of miles of 9 run/1 walk to end it. Here are some before and afters:
Before ... look how cute I am in my favorite running shirt!
After ... RAR ... SPRITE. SWEAT. SNAKE IN LAKE PTSD.
Sunday was a 100 mile (!) bike ride. Amy, Bill and I did the French Creek Iron Tour ride, which offers a bunch of distance routes in our area. We rode from Amy and Bill's house to the start, which was about 20 miles. And then we did the 64 mile route. And then biked 15 miles back home. We ended up clocking in at 98 miles, which was just fine. The sun was so hot on Sunday, so this bike ride wiped me out. Fitness-wise, I felt fine. But energy-wise, it was tough. The ride itself was really great: well supported, well marshalled and just a really pretty ride. It had some tough climbs and some fast descents and a lot of nice flats where I could get aero and stay there. Toward the end, when it was around lunch time, traffic picked up and there were a bunch of scary moments with cars. I really really wish drivers would remember that as annoying as bikers may be (and I get that), we really are just people who have lives and kids and don't intentionally cause problems for people in their cars. And to the green Subaru outback who beeped hard at every biker you passed, that was me: I gave you the middle finger about 25 times and yelled [expletive].
So, yeah. Lots of exciting stuff. Week 30 looks busier than last week: more running, swimming four times and an 88 mile bike on Saturday. Giddy up.
See you swoon,
That will keep me out of Marsh Creek! LOL!
ReplyDeleteHappy training! :)
It must be exciting.
ReplyDelete