Training with Anna

Today's one workout was a good one. I met Anna S at MFY to run. We did at least 2.72 miles, probably 3 (the garmin didn't locate satellites right away). Also, we ran 3 minutes, walked 1, and repeated that 6 times. The extra 2 minutes came somewhere around mile 1, when my Garmin auto-lapped and I missed it.

• Totals: 26:22, 2.72 mi (2.94 at an 8:58 pace) according to mapmyrun), 9:42 pace (5:27 best), 163 HR (184 max)
• Lap 1: 1 mile, 10:19
• Lap 2: 0.86 mi, 8min, 9:20 pace
• Lap 3: 0.86 mi, 8min, 9:20 pace

Then we did the same iso workout I'd done yesterday but added some planks. It's so much fun to have a friend to train with!

• Push up: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Curl: 1 minute rebound w/12lb
• Push up: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Curl: 1 minute rebound w/12lb
• Wall squat: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Lunge R, L: 1 minute rebound
• Wall squat: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Lunge L, R: 1 minute rebound

Fun, Hard Workout

Last time I did this workout was November 14, 2009, with Will. I needed a good workout today and from my options, this one looked the most fun and most manageable time-wise for lunchtime. I'm glad I did it. The amount of time it took me was perfect, and it was hard in a good way.

• Push up: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Curl: 1 minute rebound w/12lb
• Push up: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Curl: 1 minute rebound w/12lb
• Wall squat: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Lunge R, L: 1 minute rebound
• Wall squat: 5 on, 5 off thru 30
• Lunge L, R: 1 minute rebound

I headed out for a ride when I got home from work. It took me 16 minutes to get ready, and it rained on me for about 20 at the end. Too bad I'm not quicker at getting ready!

• 1:49:07, 31.56 miles, 17.4 avg (31.9 max), 1829 cal, 159 HR (182 max)
• Main part of ride (sprint sign back to same): 1:38:33, 29mi, 17.6 avg, 163 HR

I talked to Will right before the ride and had a ton to work on and think about while riding. Attitude is so key!

There were some good sales at Publix and I had a few good Qs, so I took advantage of them. Spent $20.02, saved $52.33 (72%). This was my second time at Publix this week; the first was for lots of veggies.

• Purdue chicken: $8.53. On sale for $5.11, used $5 Q. Paid $0.11
• Peter Pan Peanut butter (3): $2.23 each. On sale for $1.12, used 3x$1/1 MQ and 1x$1/3 PQ. Made $0.65.
• Larabar (2): $1.25 each. Used 1x$1/2 MQ and 1x$1/2 PQ. Paid $0.50. (I didn't want to buy these today because I know they are going on sale Saturday. However, one of my Qs would expire Friday, and it was a better deal to use both Qs than wait for the sale. I just wish I could've waited for the sale and used both Qs!)
• Clif/Luna bars (2): $0.99 each. Used 2x$0.50/1 PQ. Paid $0.98.
• Kraft cheese (2): $3.39 each. On sale for $2, used 2x$1/1 MQ. Paid $2.
• Mt Dew 2-liter: $1.69. On sale for and paid $0.85. (not pictured)
• Hershey's Big Bags/Party Bags (40oz) (4): $9.99 each. On sale for $5.00, used 4x$2/1 MQ. Paid $11.98. (not pictured)
• Paid $2.97 in tax.

Recovery Swim

Today's workout was a short recovery swim. I might get on the bike for a short recovery ride this afternoon, but I'm feeling more like napping than riding right now!

Tour de Tuscaloosa: First Races of the Season

The team headed to Tuscaloosa, AL, this weekend, for a criterium on Saturday and a road race on Sunday. Eight of us raced this weekend: Anna, Kat, Lisa S, Lisa C, Parri, Shelly, Valerie, and me.

Saturday's Crit Course

Sunday's Road Race Course

We must have ridden the crit loop 13 laps, and we rode the road loop 4 times. The hill in the crit course got just a little harder every time, but it was nice to have ridden a hill 13 times one day and then know that whatever challenge we had on Sunday, we had to tackle only 4 times.

As a team, we rode well, capturing 5-6-7 in the Cat 1/2/3 crit and 2^nd in the Cat 1/2/3 RR. None of those are my results, but I'll get there or help my teammates stay there. Neither was by any means my best race, but neither was by any means my worst race. I loved having teammates on the courses with me, and I loved having the opportunity to work with others to try to help us all get better results. Overall, the weekend was great.

Crit: 45:32, 15.16 miles, 20.0 avg (34.4 max), 190 HR (200 max). I got dropped 2 laps in but kept the right race attitude. I knew there were people in front of me I could catch, and I did my best to catch them and not think about anyone behind me. It didn't take me long to catch one girl, and she and I worked together the entire rest of the race. We got lapped by the eventual winner with 4 (3) laps to go but didn't lose much ground to the main pack. We caught 2 other riders right at the end and had a good little sprint finish. I remembered how much I love racing. 13/16, OK for a first race but leaves me a lot to work on.

Road Race: 2:04:13, 38.97 miles, 18.8 avg (35.9 max), 160 HR (191 max).

I got dropped by the lead group somewhere around 8 miles into the first lap. Someone attacked up a hill and split up everyone. Val, Lisa, Shelly, and I got together and worked hard to catch a group of 8 or so that included Lisa S and Anna.

Anna was ready to roll, and as soon as she realized that she had 5 teammates with her, she wanted to pick up the pace and split up the group. She did, and the 4 of us who had just caught her fell off again, not being able to pick up the pace after the hard work we'd done to catch them. Shelly and I thought after the race maybe we should have kept going—that is, passed/attacked that group as soon as we got there—rather than staying on the back and we could've had a chance to split up the group a little and then be able to relax for a minute or two. Alas, we have a lot to learn and remember about strategy. Val, Lisa, and I ended up riding the last lap together, and when we realized there was a girl ahead of us and Valerie was still climbing so well, we sent her on ahead to try to catch that girl. 19/22, not so good even for a first race. And on second thought, maybe we should've pulled Val up to that girl and let them duke it out at the finish instead of making Valerie do all the work and then have to think about beating her across the line too. Need to remember that it's OK to hurt for a few minutes and recover after the race. Go big or go home!

Weekend: I forgot only 2 things: sunglasses (Shelly lent me a pair) and Team B clothing (which I have a bit of and will have to remember next time!). I was happy to have brought along my own food; it made pre-race and post-race eating much easier since I had good food easily accessible. Loved traveling with my team. They are a group of strong women that will make me stronger. I hope I have as positive impact on them as they have on me!

Short Pre-Race Workout

Today's workout was short and sweet, just what i need to be ready for tomorrow's and Sunday's races. 5 on, 10 off thru 20, lunge R, lunge L, wall squat, GHR, push up, curl with 24lb, plate front delt with 10lb, crate crunch. Tomorrow: racing. I can't wait!!

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training III

Today was a good day for a tempo ride. That's about all I have to say about this morning.

Thursday (3-24); Tuesday (3-22); Thursday (3-17); Tuesday (3-15); Thursday (3-10); Tuesday (3-08):

• 1:25:00, 165 HR, 188 max
  1:47:00, 162 HR, 190 max
  1:40:00, 172 HR, 190 max
  1:23:30, 161 HR, 191 max
  1:08:00, 154 HR, 181 max
  1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 14:14 warmup to warm up the trainer, 140 HR
  18:46 warmup to warm up the trainer, 118 HR
  8:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 137 HR
  11:10 warmup to warm up the trainer, 107 HR
  13:55 warmup to warm up the trainer, 120 HR
  16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 10:50 warmup, 160 HR; 10-second sprint, 2:20 active recovery, 166 HR
  12:39 warmup, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2:30 active recovery, 165 HR
  12:40 warmup, 167 HR; 10-second sprint, 2:20 active recovery, 170 HR
  12:49 warmup, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 162 HR
  14:45 warmup, 153 HR; 10-second sprint
  13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 5:38 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:31 tempo, 168 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:41 tempo, 173 HR; 10-second sprint
  6:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint
  8:00 tempo, 165 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 163 HR
  5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 5:37 tempo, 179 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:36 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  6:05 tempo, 178 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:30 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  4:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 172 HR
  3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 6:02 tempo, 176 HR
  5:53 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:54 tempo, 179 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  3:49 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 163 HR
  3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 6:00 tempo, 174 HR; 4:41 active recovery, 168 HR
  5:58 tempo, 179 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:51 recovery, 174 HR
  6:33 tempo, 180 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 166 HR
  6:00 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:40 recovery, 161 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 175 HR
  2 min at 110%, 178 HR; 2 min active recovery, 177 HR
  2 min at 110%, 176 HR; 2 min active recovery, 177 HR
  2 min at 110%, 172 HR; 2 min active recovery, 174 HR
  2 min at 110%, 166 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 27:34 tempo, 170 HR
  4 min at 105%, 182 HR; 3 min active recovery, 175 HR
  4 min at 105%, 182 HR; 3 min active recovery, 178 HR
  4 min at 105%, 177 HR; 3 min active recovery, 172 HR
  2:18 at 110%, 165 HR
  4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 178 HR; 4 min active recovery, 167 HR
  4:50 at 100%, 182 HR; 1:10 tempo, 186 HR; 4 min active recovery, 175 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 4 min active recovery, 170 HR
  12:40 tempo (~85%), 164 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min tempo, 176 HR; 2 min active recovery, 170 HR
  2:17 at 100%, 180 HR; 3:43 tempo, 185 HR; 4 min active recovery, 174 HR
  1:33 at 100%, 170 HR; 4:30 tempo, 176 HR; 2:20 cooldown, 168 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 2 min tempo, 171 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  4 min tempo, 179 HR; 2 min active recovery, 175 HR
  4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min tempo, 177 HR; 2 min active recovery, 176 HR
  2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR
• 13:12 tempo, 172 HR
  6 min tempo, 181 HR; 1:30 cooldown, 177 HR

Dry Ride--Just in time!

Wednesday's Ride. I managed to make it home in good time and get in and out on my bike in 8 minutes. i think that might be my new record! I was glad, too, because if I'd have left any later or ridden any longer I'd have gotten rained on. I'm definitely appreciating the nice weather!

• Totals: 1:18, 22.14mi, 17mph (thank you, 10mph winds!) 41.2 (max), 1308 cal, 152 hr (175 max).
• My climb up Lynnwood: 8:14, 1.18mi, 8.6mph, 168 HR

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training III

Today's class was fantastic. My goal for the day was to make it through the entire class, since last week I was sick and didn't do so hot. I made it through the class, but since we're racing this weekend, we lowered the intensity a little for the last 20–30 minutes. There was an additional sprint today, and the first and last work itnervals were slightly higher than they had been. There was only one 6-minute block, but there were two blocks of tempo at the end. It was not easy, but it turned out great.

Besides aiming to make it through the entire class, my goal was to beat my 600 watts that I achieved last Tuesday during one of the sprints. My history has been excelling and improving through the third sprint, attaining my peak then, and then not being able to improve on that through the last two (or three in today's case). I wanted to do better at each one, and I did. Not only that, I hit 664 watts during the 5^th sprint, a new best for girls in Todd's classes during this session. Hooray!

Having Parri and Cali in my class is so good for me. I know how strong they are and how strong I want to be, and their presence pushes me to be even stronger!

The efforts at 110%, 107%, and 105% were at a very slow cadence—70–75 RPM. Tuesday (3-22); Thursday (3-17); Tuesday (3-15); Thursday (3-10); Tuesday (3-08):

• 1:47:00, 162 HR, 190 max
  1:40:00, 172 HR, 190 max
  1:23:30, 161 HR, 191 max
  1:08:00, 154 HR, 181 max
  1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 18:46 warmup to warm up the trainer, 118 HR
  8:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 137 HR
  11:10 warmup to warm up the trainer, 107 HR
  13:55 warmup to warm up the trainer, 120 HR
  16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 12:39 warm up, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2:30 active recovery, 165 HR
  12:40 warm up, 167 HR; 10-second sprint, 2:20 active recovery, 170 HR
  12:49 warm up, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 162 HR
  14:45 warm up, 153 HR; 10-second sprint
  13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 5:31 tempo, 168 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:41 tempo, 173 HR; 10-second sprint
  6:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint
  8:00 tempo, 165 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 163 HR
  5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 5:36 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  6:05 tempo, 178 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:30 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  4:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 172 HR
  3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 5:53 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:54 tempo, 179 HR; 10-second sprint
  5:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  3:49 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 163 HR
  3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 5:58 tempo, 179 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:51 recovery, 174 HR
  6:33 tempo, 180 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 166 HR
  6:00 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:40 recovery, 161 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 178 HR; 2 min active recovery, 177 HR
  2 min at 110%, 176 HR; 2 min active recovery, 177 HR
  2 min at 110%, 172 HR; 2 min active recovery, 174 HR
  2 min at 110%, 166 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 4 min at 105%, 182 HR; 3 min active recovery, 175 HR
  4 min at 105%, 182 HR; 3 min active recovery, 178 HR
  4 min at 105%, 177 HR; 3 min active recovery, 172 HR
  2:18 at 110%, 165 HR
  4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 178 HR; 4 min active recovery, 167 HR
  4:50 at 100%, 182 HR; 1:10 tempo, 186 HR; 4 min active recovery, 175 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 4 min active recovery, 170 HR
  12:40 tempo (~85%), 164 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min tempo, 176 HR; 2 min active recovery, 170 HR
  2:17 at 100%, 180 HR; 3:43 tempo, 185 HR; 4 min active recovery, 174 HR
  1:33 at 100%, 170 HR; 4:30 tempo, 176 HR; 2:20 cooldown, 168 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 2 min tempo, 171 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  4 min tempo, 179 HR; 2 min active recovery, 175 HR
  4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min tempo, 177 HR; 2 min active recovery, 176 HR
  2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR
• 13:12 tempo, 172 HR
  6 min tempo, 181 HR; 1:30 cooldown, 177 HR

I spent 38 minutes on the step mill after work, after taking some time to say hello to my old racquetball friends. I used to play every Thursday afternoon but haven't in at least a year because I haven't made it a priority. It was fun to see everyone again, and there were more than normal downstairs playing—it looked like a competitive crowd!

5 Minutes of Work

I decided to do a little work today since I'm a bit sore from softball. Hello, lateral movement, causing my muscles to be sore! Running and riding don't use those muscles that much! Curl w/10-lb dumbbells, lunge R, lunge L, front delt w/1.5-lb dumbbells, standing ham, lateral delt w/1.5-lb dumbbells. That was it. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow!

Weekend Rides

I did get outside this weekend to ride and play some softball. It was beautiful and I enjoyed it. Though you can tell by the stats below that I was not on my best game. I am so over being sick!

Friday: 1:59, 33.35 mi, 16.8 avg (36.9 max), 1,965 cal, 159 HR (177 max)
Saturday: 1:23, 22.5 mi, 16.2 avg (30.1 max), 1,296 cal, 146 HR (172 max)
Sunday: 1:20, 19.15 mi, 14.9 avg (27.7 max), 1,298 cal, 147 HR (171 max)

Sunday we rode as a team and did some drills and skills—my favorite! We warmed up for about 45, then did 20 minutes of a crit simulation/cornering, and 15 minutes of cooldown. City riding is always fun and exciting.

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training II

I rode in the afternoon again today, with Valerie, and I felt slightly better than I'd felt Tuesday. My goal was to make it through the second 6-minute block, but my real goal was to make it through the entire class and better my 600 from Tuesday. I hit the middle goal but not the first or last. I made it through 2:20 of the second 6-minute block, up 50 seconds from Tuesday. and I hit 591 watts on the sprints, which wasn't quite the 600 I was aiming for. Well, the 660 that is really my goal. That's just above what Parri hit, and it's a challenging yet attainable goal.

We did 5 sprints, which were at 120% for the first and 150% for the last 4. Then we did 2 minutes at 107%, 4min at 105%, 6min at 100%, 6min at 100%, 4 minutes at 105%, 2 minutes at 107%, and 6 minutes at 85%. From 2:20 into the second 6min through the last 2min interval, I lowered my watts enough to simulate tempo riding rather than hill climbing, but I went back up to normal for the final effort. I did not want to lower my watts, but I absolutely couldn't continue where I was at.

The efforts at 110%, 105%, and 100% were at a very slow cadence—70–75 RPM. Thursday (3-17) (stats to come—I don't have my watch with me); Tuesday (3-15); Thursday (3-10); Tuesday (3-08):

• 1:23:30, 161 HR, 191 max
  1:08:00, 154 HR, 181 max
  1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 11:10 warmup to warm up the trainer, 107 HR
  13:55 warmup to warm up the trainer, 120 HR
  16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 12:49 warm up, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 162 HR
  14:45 warm up, 153 HR; 10-second sprint
  13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 6:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint
  8:00 tempo, 165 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 163 HR
  5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 5:30 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  4:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 172 HR
  3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 5:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  3:49 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 163 HR
  3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 6:00 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:40 recovery, 161 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 172 HR; 2 min active recovery, 174 HR
  2 min at 110%, 166 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 4 min at 105%, 177 HR; 3 min active recovery, 172 HR
  2:18 at 110%, 165 HR
  4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 4 min active recovery, 170 HR
  12:40 tempo (~85%), 164 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 1:33 at 100%, 170 HR; 4:30 tempo, 176 HR; 2:20 cooldown, 168 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR
• 6 min at 85%

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training II

I did not sleep well last night and skipped class this morning. However, Todd had openings in the evening class, so I signed up. It was a blast. Slightly harder than last week, but I felt strong and like I did well for as long as I was able to stay on the bike. It was nice to be able to ride with Lisa S and Lee & David. We did one more sprint this week, and the sprints were at 120% for the first and 150% for the last 4. We could see our peak watts, and I got up to 600 on the second one. I couldn't improve that at all on the next 3, but I want to get up to 635 at least (to beat Shelly), so now I have something to work toward on Thursday.

The efforts at 110%, 105%, and 100% were at a very slow cadence—70–75 RPM. Tuesday (3-15); Thursday (3-10); Tuesday (3-08):

• 1:23:30, 161 HR, 191 max
  1:08:00, 154 HR, 181 max
  1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 11:10 warmup to warm up the trainer, 107 HR
  13:55 warmup to warm up the trainer, 120 HR
  16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 12:49 warm up, 157 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 162 HR
  14:45 warm up, 153 HR; 10-second sprint
  13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 6:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint
  8:00 tempo, 165 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 163 HR
  5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 5:30 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint
  4:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 172 HR
  3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 5:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint
  3:49 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 163 HR
  3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 6:00 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 4:40 recovery, 161 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 172 HR; 2 min active recovery, 174 HR
  2 min at 110%, 166 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 4 min at 105%, 177 HR; 3 min active recovery, 172 HR
  2:18 at 110%, 165 HR
  4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 4 min active recovery, 170 HR
  12:40 tempo (~85%), 164 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 1:33 at 100%, 170 HR; 4:30 tempo, 176 HR; 2:20 cooldown, 168 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR

I did get a quick (and by quick, I mean super short) swim in at lunch. It was short because it's the first time I've been in the pool since January 17. I didn't want to overdo it, but I can't say it bodes too well for my one triathlon this season! On a positive note, though, I have DEFINITELY been improving at cycling, so I'll skip swims if I can continue seeing improvement elsewhere.

Altitude Drops

Today's workout was a good one. Somehow I managed to pull a series of workouts that mostly all include altitude drops, which make me feel like I'm working hard and fast. Thus I like them. So it's been fun to head to the Y lately. Today I did 24 minutes on the step mill early, and then 100 altitude drop bench (30lb), lunge R, lunge L, standing curl (10ish-lb), and standing ham. I know that what's coming this week in terms of riding at Endeavor is going to be brutal, so I opted for standing ham rather than glute ham. I don't think I'll regret it.

Unfortunately I am not feeling well and anticipate sleeping very poorly tonight. We'll see whether I get up to go ride in the morning or whether I wait until the afternoon to get the workout in.

Team B This Weekend

We had a couple different things going on this weekend, and that made for a fun weekend. Friday I rode solo and it was nice to get outside. It was a little chilly, but everything but my feet stayed warm.

Then I got a new phone and played with it all afternoon. Saturday was way nicer, up to 70*, and though I wanted to ride with some of my teammates, they were all riding earlier when it was not going to be as warm. I had to run a few errands and decided to actually run them, so I ran a good 5 mi and then cooled down. This was a good route, and since I am not running more than twice a week, it felt great to do a slightly longer run than what I can do at lunch.

For my ride, I waited until after noon and headed out solo again. I lasted 1:57 in a 13–15-mph wind and did the following route:

My initial plan had been to add another shorter loop, but after having dealt with the wind for so long already, I'd had enough.

After church, we all headed to RB's Cyclery in Franklin, which Jay, Kat's husband, opened recently. They had dinner brought in, a few people brought desserts, and we hung out and shopped. It was fantastic!

Sunday morning I did 3 minutes extreme slow (push up, push up, lunge R, lunge L, curl w/10lb dumbbells, curl w/10lb dumbbells, and standing ham. Then, in the afternoon, Team B headed to the stadium, out to Shelby Park, and back to the stadium to practice starts, pace lining, and cornering. If I mapped it out it would look like a crit, so I won't. But we rode 18 miles, most fast but some slow, and all did so much better today than a couple weeks ago. The more we ride together, the better we get, and I am looking forward to racing with these strong women!

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training I

I fell apart during today's ride. I went out determined to do my best, which I did, but it wasn't enough to get me through the entire class. That was a bummer, because I really wanted to do well from a numbers standpoint. I rode as much of a workout as I could before I just couldn't pedal: 2 minutes into the first 4-minute block. Then I rode for another 12:40 at a tempo pace before not having the energy to continue. Super frustrating. But I did my best, rode as well as I could for as long as I could.

The efforts at 110% and 100% were at a very slow cadence—70–75 RPM. Thursday (3-10); Tuesday (3-08):

• 1:08:00, 154 HR, 181 max
  1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 13:55 warmup to warm up the trainer, 120 HR
  16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 14:45 warm up, 153 HR; 10-second sprint
  13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 8:00 tempo, 165 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 163 HR
  5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 4:00 tempo, 169 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 172 HR
  3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 3:49 tempo, 172 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 163 HR
  3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 166 HR; 3 min active recovery, 166 HR
  2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 2:18 at 110%, 165 HR
  4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 12:40 tempo (~85%), 164 HR
  6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR

The workout looked somewhat like this (I skipped the last 4 blocks):

Easy Rainy Run

I've limited myself to 1 run a week, and today was the day. It was raining and 60*, pretty much perfect for a run. I went to the Brentwood Y for my 20-minute-limit run and enjoyed it. That's about all I did today (except for 20 minutes in the steam room at lunch!), and it was just enough. Yesterday's ride was brutal, and tomorrow's ride will be more of the same, which means no lifting for the legs.

CompuTrainer Class: Strength Training I

Today's ride was tough. In a good way. We tested last week and thus many of us had to work harder today than we have in the past. Not only that, we rode on a course unlike any we'd done in the past sessions. As tough as it was, it was fun to work on the perseverance aspect of the ride.

The efforts at 110% and 100% were at a very slow cadence—70–75 RPM

• 1:36:00, 160 HR, 185 max
• 16:33 warmup to warm up the trainer, 122 HR
• 13:00 warm up, 152 HR; 10-second sprint, 2 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 5:40 tempo, 170 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 181 HR
• 3:54 tempo, 176 HR; 10-second sprint, 30-second recovery, 183 HR
• 3:45 tempo, 177 HR; 10-second sprint, 3:40 recovery, 169 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 173 HR; 3 min active recovery, 169 HR
• 4 min at 110%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 168 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 6 min at 100%, 177 HR; 5 min active recovery, 167 HR
• 4 min at 110%, 176 HR; 3 min active recovery, 170 HR
• 2 min at 110%, 171 HR; 1:30 active recovery, 167 HR

The workout looked somewhat like this (I skipped the final 5-minute tempo effort):

My afternoon workout, after 30 minutes on the step mill, was quick and not too hard; I was ready for a nap all day after this morning's ride! Altitude drops: 20 sec work, 20 sec rest, 5 times, wall squat; 100 push up; 100 standing ham; 50 curl; 20 sec work, 20 sec rest, 5 times, quick-style crate crunch.

WSM 5K Race: Postponed

Sadly, I drove all the way out to Opryland this morning only to find out that the race I was supposed to have done was postponed due to the threat of bad weather. Nevermind that the race director had sent us a reassuring email earlier this week saying that the race will run even if it rains. But alas, that wasted hour+ pretty much took the wind out of my sails and I did only 100 rebound standing ham and 50 rebound front delt with a 3-lb weight and called it a day. My hammies are still sore from yesterday, and I just wanted a rest. So rest I did. It was nice that it was rainy all day and my bike is conveniently getting tuned up so I couldn't even ride it if I wanted to.

I Make War

We watched this video the last two weeks at Inversion, and although I enjoyed it last week, I appreciated it much more this week after watching the lyrical version and actually being able to understand what he was saying.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and remember that we can be prepared for any spiritual battle by wearing the armor of God and fight those battles with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Lyrics:

[Intro:] ~John Piper~
I hear so many Christians, murmuring about their imperfections, and their failures, and their addiction, and their shortcomings. And I see so little war! Murmur, murmur, murmur. Why am I this way? Make War!

[Verse 1:] ~Tedashii~
Bang with me/ba-bang bang, ba-bang with me
No more playing games mane/cause this thang can get risky
So mane if you in Christ/TAKE UP!!/your cross quickly
Stand fearless on the frontline/time to come with it
Do the right thing/WAKE UP!!/and lets get it
I ain't even in the ring/they throwing bows like Riddick
Persistently attacking me/they're even in the back of me
It's either fight or loose my life and I can't take this passively
So what you think I'm bout to do/I'm bout to do what I can do
Trust the ONE who got me through/and fight like it was after school
Never giving up/steady, standing on the battle field
Feet firm to the ground like I stepped on Chappel Hill
Flesh feeling frisky, sin persuades and tempts me/
Satan cheers me on/guilt followed by conviction
It's the same ol' trap/and we fall like we defenseless/
Work your senses/grow in wisdom/stand firm and be relentless/

Hook:
I MAKE WAR!/Cause sin never sleeps/
It's got me in a trance/you can see it in my dreams/
I MAKE WAR!/Man I beat my flesh/
To the death/every breath/like I beat my chest/
I MAKE WAR/sun up/
I MAKE WAR/sun down/
I MAKE WAR/time in/
I MAKE WAR/time out/
I MAKE WAR/against lust/
Against pride/against me/until I die/

[Verse 2:] ~Flame~
Do you even have a clue
What happened to you when He died
When that tomb got rolled when He rose in the sky
I think we emphasis sin so much
That it makes us paralyzed
And glorify struggle so much
That it makes us terrified
And deemphasize the fact that we have been sterilized from our own lives and thus
We gotta snap out of it
We ain't in no straight-jacket
We free
When Jesus died in our lives something strange happened
He gave us power
Yeah I know that we sinners but since He rose He's renewing the image of God in us
Now, we gotta start making war
Now we can start saying no
To them fleshy impulses that Jesus Christ is paying for
Now we can start taking the lead
Just like the Dalai Lama and start going all out like a suicide bomber
Whatever the sin is we gotta go go go harder
By His grace no time to waste and just just just like there's no tomorrow

[Hook:]

[Verse 3:] ~Tedashii~
I'm a Christ representer, fin to stand and deliver/
Cause a lot of my believers struggle with their agenda/
So I dropped this on an ADAT/just so you could come play back/
A hit to be encouraged that rocks you with truth from, way back/
So listen up to it ASAP/like you do a Lecrae track/
I'm spittin' written visions to put on heads like a wave cap/
Sinning, nawl we don't play that/cause that's the way that a slave acts/
I'm filled with the Spirit so tell them dog this is pay back/
As you begin to copy the carbon copies of Christ/
And conform to His written image you should be shinning a light/
If you not, why is that?/
Is it fear that's been grippin' you/cause you scared they'll be dissin' you/
Flipping birds while that spit at you/
If you not, why is that?/
it don't matter so bump it/perfect love cast out fear and He ain't save us for nothing/
his is a privilege (privilege)/your life to give to Him (give to Him)/
so stand firm for Him dawg and lets get it in/

I made it to the Y for 100 altitude drops, scap pull up, GHR (arm's length), wall squat, and bench (50 with 30lb and 50 with 20lb) followed by 5×40 quick-style crate crunch. It was a good hard workout, and my hamstrings will be feeling it tomorrow!

Then Lauren and I hung out for the evening, enjoying CozyMels and some good conversation, shopping at Target, and working on a school project. I love having family nearby!

CompuTrainer Class: Torture Test IV Part II

Since I did the real test and am super happy with how I did on Tuesday, I decided to ride the 5 miles at an easier pace today. I was aiming for somewhere around 15 minutes and wanted to keep my HR below 180. I managed to stay there until 9 minutes, brought it back down, and then forgot to keep it down after minute 11. But I felt great and just decided to ride. In fact, I'm actually pretty happy with this ride today especially considering I wasn't trying to work super hard. It wasn't my best result, but I wasn't aiming for results. It was, however, significantly better than January 6, the last time I did but didn't do the test.

March 3, 2011, Torture Test 4 Part 2: 14:26, 202 watts (high-tempo ride)
March 1, 2011, Torture Test 4: 13:48, 229 watts
January 6, 2011, Torture Test 3 Part 2: 14:58, 185 watts (tempo ride)
January 4, 2011, Torture Test 3: 14:06, 217 watts
March 25, 2010, Torture Test 2: 13:56, 223 watts
January 28, 2010, Torture Test 1: 14:22, 208 watts

Today was so nice that I couldn't stay inside. And since I'm trying to be good by running only once or twice a week, I went out on my bike for a hilly ride. This was a slightly different route from what I've done on my past hill rides because I decided to warm up a little (30:22 with some strong headwind and tailwind). The 15+ miles took me exactly an hour. I climbed Lynnwood from west to east, and it took me 8:23 to get from South Berrys Chapel to Sawyer Road—a benchmark number to try to improve all season. From there it was 2 minutes of descent followed by 3 minutes of climbing up North Berrys Chapel. Another 6 minutes of descent and recovery before climbing up Holly Tree Gap; I didn't time that climb because there were too many cars and I forgot to look back at my watch. The more hills I ride outside now, the better I'll be all season, so I'm looking forward to lots of similar, better rides throughout the weeks!

The first sprint marker is pretty accurately placed. The second is questionably placed; I know there are at least two city limit signs on this route but can't remember where the second is. The elevation doesn't look right, because I know the climb up North Berrys Chapel is the steepest but also the second climb (around mile 11). Mapped separately, the three steep (short or long) climbs on this route look like this:

Lynnwood Way west to east: 1.2 miles

North Berrys Chapel: 0.3 miles

Holly Tree Gap: 0.4 miles

5-Minute Lunge: Accomplished!

One of my goals for the year was to accomplish a 5-minute lunge with both legs. I started by focusing mainly on having my right leg forward but still working on both legs, and once I had that one accomplished I'd focus on having my left leg forward. Well, I have now accomplished holding a 5-minute lunge, without my knee touching the ground and without standing up, with both legs! I met the first goal of my right leg on Jan. 3 and then took some time to rest, which meant that instead of trying every day like I had from Dec. 6 through Jan. 3, I'd try only every couple days. My hip flexors needed the days off in between. And finally, today, I met the second goal of my left leg! This took about everything I had so I didn't do the workout I'd actually had with me, but I had run a little at lunch and knew I'd just worked as hard as I could have (if only for 5 + 2.5 + 5 minutes; L leg + R leg + standing ham). I left it at that and felt great. I'm thinking also that I will ride tomorrow morning easy, not worry about testing again.

CompuTrainer Class: Torture Test IV

Today's was my best test yet. We rode a good hour-plus for a warm up and then got right into the real workout: a 5-mile time trial. My previous best had been 13:56, 223 watts, and my goal for today was to beat that time for sure and possibly the watts; I succeeded at both! The first list below is the workout from today. The second list is all my test results.

• 1:22:22, 149 HR (192 max)
• 1:05:20 warmup, 142 HR
• 13:48 test result, 187 HR, 229 watts, 21.7 mph
• 3:12 cooldown, 153 HR

March 1, 2011, Torture Test 4: 13:48, 229 watts
January 6, 2011, Torture Test 3 Part 2: 14:58, 185 watts (tempo ride)
January 4, 2011, Torture Test 3: 14:06, 217 watts
March 25, 2010, Torture Test 2: 13:56, 223 watts
January 28, 2010, Torture Test 1: 14:22, 208 watts

My HR for today's test was a little lower than it's been for previous tests, and I know that's because I was in an easier gear than I normally would've been riding in for the test. But I knew it was a gear I could stay in and that would push me to work hard and keep a faster cadence, so that's what I did. I could've kept a slower cadence and pushed a harder gear, but I think I would've lost my legs about 3.5 miles in.

I'm most impressed with the results that Cali and Parri posted: 13:07, 258 watts; and 13:01, 260 watts respectively. Those are results I aspire to achieve...hopefully sooner down the road rather than later!

The rest of my workout, which I did in the afternoon with half of with half the enthusiasm I should've had, was 3×30sec heavy.