Team Belladium Skills Practice

I had to swim again today, slightly longer than last week and thankfully slightly faster! I went to MFY again (because I can get in early), which means the 1,500m was really 1,640yds. I think, however, that most races are measured in meters, so it's good for me to get in this pool at least once a week.

• 350 warm up
• 1500 straight (9:47.98, 9:56.63, 9:53.31; 29:37.92 total
• 350 cool down

Times from previous long swims:

• 2-28-10: 10:43.88 [pretty sure I added 50 here], 9:51.10, 9:41.12; 31:16.10 total

Then it was off to run, 55 minutes. It was really nice outside so I started out there, but I just could not last. My legs are so tired and would not cooperate. I did the 55 minutes, 25 outside and 30 inside on the elliptical.

The day's ride was with Team Belladium and probably one of the best rides ever. We left from Todd's studio and rode over to MetroCenter, where very few cars are and there is around 2 miles of flat, stop-sign–less road to practice on. And practice we did! First, Todd, Lisa, Parri, Lisa, Jennifer, Valerie, and I talked a little about cornering during crits. Then we talked about attacking at the right time and hit the road to practice. It was all about being in the chase group, catching the leaders, and then taking off at the right time (about 6-10 bike lengths back). We practiced that quite a bit and got a good little burn in the legs! Especially the first attack—Lisa C was to attack and I led, but we hadn't really warmed up and were facing a head wind. Thankfully Todd gave us a little pull for the next round and we could recover!

After that, we did a few sprints. Just to get used to getting a good jump and making our bikes move a lot and using our upper bodies. We each got 4 or 5 tries, with Todd coaching us and helping us along and showing us how the sprints should look.

The third thing was a little crit. We found a parking lot, met up with the rest of the group (Lee, Cali, Anna, Jonell, Shelly, Kathy, and Ed), talked a little more about cornering, basic crit skills, and clipping in, and then had a 10-lap crit race around the unswept parking lot. I struggled, feeling my quads the entire time, and ended up behind Ed, Lisa, Parri, Cali, and Jennifer. I couldn't catch them but didn't let anyone behind me catch me, so that's one little victory I guess.

Finally, we rode back to the studio and Todd, Lisa, Valerie, Anna, Kathy, Shelly, Cali, Jennifer, and I headed to DaVinci's across the street for a relaxing pizza dinner. It was definitely an exhausting day. Here are some stats from the ride.

• Warm up: 19:41, 4.2 miles
• Attacking: 32:25, 8.85 miles
  
• Sprinting: 7:25, 1.58 miles (+ 4:54, 1.50 miles to ride back to the group)
  
• Racing: 8:31, 2.92 miles
• Cool down: 20:49, 4.12 miles
  
• Total moving time: 1:33:45, 22.72 miles, 14.5 mph avg (32.8 max), 1,272 calories, 113 HR (180 max)

Someone did a pretty good write-up about Todd's studio, too, which you can find here.

Race Day

What it takes to stay warm. Right: run clothes (fleece tights, thermal sweatshirt, under armor, headband, wool socks, gloves, toe warmers, hand warmer). Left: bike clothes (tights, shorts, under armor, sweatshirt, headband, tall wool socks, gloves, toe warmers, hand warmer).

Yesterday I asked Will to pray for me for my race today. My legs were dead and they were moving slowly. He prayed and I raced, finishing as the 4th overall female and 25th overall finisher. I got beat by a 12-year-old girl again, the same one who beat me back in November in Hendersonville. Today was cold, 27* at start, but it really warmed up for my ride later (up to 55*). And it was amazing riding outside, for the first time in 2 months! I did yesterday's ride today, 1:15, so that I can do today's ride tomorrow and ride with Team B.

My legs didn't really warm up at all during the run. My feet were freezing and I wasn't warm until about 20 minutes after the race, when I finally changed into other clothes. Unfortunately This race was not chip-timed and the results won't be up for a few days. I'm glad I started near the front, so my time was probably about 2 seconds off the real time. Also, I forgot to modify my watch to record running stats (it was set on biking), so I missed the first 0.2 miles in the running stats.

• Lap 1: 5:44 (0.79 miles), 7:16 best (6:18 best), 177 HR (Bike lap: 1:09, 0.17 mi, 99 HR (174 max)
  
• Lap 2: 7:12, 0.97 miles, 7:24 pace (6:43 best), 185 HR
• Lap 3: 7:29, 0.98 miles, 7:37 pace (7:01 best), 190 HR
• Lap 4: 1:02, 0.15 miles, 7:10 pace (6:46 best), 191 HR
• Lap 5: 31.92 , 424 feet, 6:38 pace (6:07 best), 195 HR
• (I'm not sure what was with Laps 4 and 5)
• Cumulative: 3.1 miles, 23:09
• Lap 6: 6:50, 0.54 miles, 12:45 pace (7:56 best), 159 HR

I had to keep running/walking a little to get in the required 30 minutes, so I jogged a little and then walked a little. Totals (without the bike lap): 22 minutes, 2.97 miles, 7:24 pace (6:07 best), 357 cal, 185 HR (196 max)

I decided to brace the cold and go out riding. As you saw above, I was well-clothed and kept warm, and it was worth the trouble to get outside for 1:15 (Friday's required ride):

• 1:13.05, 19.62 miles, 16.1 average (29.1 max), 1094 cal (1:15, 19.82 according to my bike computer), 149 HR (173 max)

I changed my route and plan about 5 minutes into my ride because I noticed that I'd be riding into the wind out and against the wind in. I didn't want to do that, so I changed it up. It was a good ride, out toward Brentwood where I passed some high schoolers promoting a car wash; the girl was trying to get me to get my bike washed and told me that there were some cute guys there...she almost convinced me to go but I kept going and finished my ride strong.

Then it was on to church, where I was reminded that God is my ultimate cheerleader, on the side lines of every race cheering me on. I had just been thinking at the race that it was kind of a bummer and depressing not have anyone there to cheer, but now I can remember I have Someone there on the sidelines watching and encouraging...if only I can remember to listen for His voice!

After church I had to do isos, 10 10 10 EDI, no note saying how many sets. Usually Will tells me to do 2, so I started out with 2 sets for arms and went to 1 set for legs:

• Wall push up (hands off wall for reps)
• Curl (20-lb bar)
• Crate crunch
• Wall squat
• Glute ham (reps to arm's length)
• Lunge (regular--not Russian--reps)

I am currently surrounded by a very loud, busy, new family that had been cooped up in a car all day. They are looking for anybody besides their family and it is rather amusing. They are nice, but I'm ready to get out of here!

Tired

Today I was very tired. I did not want to train, but I went to the Y after work and because I was there, I had to work. Will's teaching me that if I'm already there, I'd better do the work and do it well. So I swam what I was supposed to have swum:

• 350 warm up
• 8x25 drills
  
• 6x150@15sec (50 easy/25 hard): 2:21.26, 2:30.03, 2:35.29, 2:27.71, 2:27.97, 2:29.73
• 6x50@20sec sprint: 40.00, 41.01, 41.17, 43.42, 44.28, 44.65, 42.89 (1 extra)
  
• 8x25 kick
• 350 cool down (I did 300 because of the extra sprint)

I did an extra sprint because I totally lost track of time and distance, and I also totally forgot to swim the last 25 of one of the 150 reps hard because I was trying to do math in my head while swimming.

The next thing on the list was isos: 5 on, 5 off thru 40.

• One leg squat
• Glute ham at the bottom
• Squat with stick
• Scap pullup
• Preacher curl
• Pushup on knees (which I ended up doing on the wall)
  

My legs were absolutely not working and I could not do squat. I got up to 15 seconds and couldn't do it. I took a few-minutes break and tried again, unsuccessfully. Then I went home, donned compression tights and socks, put my feet up, and put in a movie. Sweet 2 hours doing nothing!

I postponed my ride so that I can ride on Sunday with Team B. Happy day!

26.26 Miles

Not a marathon morning—that's how far I rode today during our 1:22 Cycling Class. If I could do a marathon that quickly, I might possibly be one of the happiest, fittest girls around :-)

The ride looked like this:

• Warm up: 23 minutes before Todd started the program; 133 HR
  
• Warm up 10 minutes; 155 HR
• Ride 15 minutes, at 95 RPM, at 80% of your threshold (166 HR), then ride 7 minutes, at 110 RPM, at 85% of your threshold (176 HR)
  
• Recover for 5 minutes (155 HR)
  
• Ride 1 minute, at 95 RPM, at 80% of your threshold, then ride 15 minutes, at 95 RPM, at 85% of your threshold (173 HR), then ride 7 minutes, at 110 RPM, at (decreasing) 95–85% of your threshold (179 HR)
  
• Recover for 5 minutes (158 HR)
  
• Ride 10 minutes, at 95 RPM, at (decreasing) 95–80% of your threshold (169 HR)
• Recover for a few minutes (162 HR)
  

The first section was great. I really focused on keeping my cadence where it was supposed to be and had a significantly easier time maintaining 110 than I did the last couple weeks.

The second section was harder. I could barely maintain 95 RPM and was getting really frustrated. My legs just did not want to move fast, and they wouldn't go when I would try to make them. I could get up above 100 RPM, but I absolutely could not stay there.

The third section was brutal. Not only could I not reach 95, I could barely maintain 80. I felt like I was giving everything I had and wasn't going anywhere. Then I was getting even more frustrated because my legs just weren't going fast. I had my HRM recording data, and it's not like it was up that high (159 average; 182 max), so I don't know what the deal was with the sluggish legs.

I weighed myself 2+ hours later and was down 8-10 pounds. I'm going to guess I did not drink enough water before (any? and oatmeal+almonds+honey+an apple), during (20oz), or after (maybe 20oz?). Time to rehydrate!

Today was the second day in a row I got to run (50 minutes) outside. My fingers were freezing for at least an hour after I finished, but it was so worth it!

1. 8:39, 172 HR
2. 8:38, 176 HR
3. 8:50, 172 HR
4. 8:25, 172 HR
5. 8:30, 173 HR
6. 2:07, 167 HR
   
7. Totals: 50:00, 654 cal, 5.54 mi, 9:01 avg (6:38 best), 169 HR (207 max)
   

I was a bit slower today than yesterday, and my legs were toast from the start. But I had to run through it and tried to not slow my pace too much. I barely succeeded, but I ran the whole route, which was hilly, and felt good about that. Plus the last 2 miles got faster, so that's even better.

Averages

I had to finish my 5 on, 5 off thru 60 since tomorrow is 5 on, 5 off thru 40, so I did the following this early morning:

• Push up (after 35 seconds, I had to move to wall push up; I could not hold myself up any more!)
• Preacher curl
• Crate crunch

Then it was a swim at lunch:

• 350 warm up
• 8x25 drills
  
• 11x100@5sec rest (1:37.37, 1:40.21, 1:43.43, 1:42.25, 1:43.72, 1:43.32, 1:44.47, 1:43.91, 1:43.42, 1:40.02, 1:39.76 [19:44 total])
• 350 cool down
  

I knew I was swimming slower, but this felt super slow. It was less than 1.5 seconds slower, on average, compared to last Wednesday's swim. Average today: 1:41.82. Average then: 1:40.55, rounded up. I definitely do better when there aren't other people in my lane who sit at the wall a lot. I get nervous that I'm going to kick someone while I'm flipping and thus either go super slow or nearly miss the wall (or both/and). But it helps to have other people in the lane because it pushes me to swim faster to try to catch them.

2-24-10 times (1:40.55 average): 1:33.62, 1:40.06, 1:41.55, 1:40.57, 1:41.14, 1:41.51, 1:43.43, 1:41.41, 1:42.27, 1:40.62, 1:39.63 [19:27.52 total])
2-23-10 (1:35.57 average): 9×100@5sec (1:27.73, 1:34.50, 1:35.64, 1:36.45, 1:36.45, 1:36.51, 1:38.96, 1:37.63, 1:37.94 [15:12.34 total])
2-17-10 (1:46 average): 10×100@5sec (1:30.88, 1:42.95, 1:48.07, 1:48.92, 1:47.97, 1:46.32, 1:47.42, 1:47.93, 1:52.66, 1:48.92 [18:30.01 total])
2-16-10 (1:39.55 average): 8×100@5sec (1:35, 1:38.38, 1:40.79, 1:41.15, 1:40.96, 1:39.34, 1:39.02, 1:39.92)

The last thing on the list was a 30-minute, moderate aerobic run, which I did outside! It wasn't my fastest run ever, but it was probably my best self-paced run since I'm really trying to not go out to hard and falter at the end.

1. 7:52, 164 HR
2. 7:57, 176 HR
3. 7:57, 178 HR
4. 8:07, 182 HR
5. 7:41, 184 HR (finished 5 miles in 39:42)
   
6. Totals: 46:58, 640 cal, 5.41 mi, 8:41 avg (6:27 best), 170 HR (189 max)
   

5 on, 5 off thru 60!

That was on the schedule for today and was hard. It's nearly 7:30 including rest time, which is nearly 3 minutes longer than thru 40. It was tough!

• Wall squat
• Standing ham
• Lunge R, L
• Push up (do tomorrow)
  
• Preacher curl (do tomorrow)
• Crate crunch (do tomorrow)

I went home to ride 1:25 on the trainer (it was snowing, again) with 9×20sec@2min power/high gear intervals. I wore the HRM just for fun, so here's what my HR looked like (work, rest):

• Warm up: 32 minutes; 148
• 1: 165, 164
  
• 2: 160, 166
• 3: 159, 165
• 4: 160, 165
• 5: 164, 164
• 6: 153, 162
• 7: 155, 164
• 8: 158, 165
• 9: 155, 162
• Cool down: 32 minutes; 151
• Average HR: 152; Max HR: 175

Then it was off to swim. My legs were toast and I forgot my watch, so not only did I not record my times, I was having terrible trouble remembering even 100s and might have swum some short and some long. The 2,200 workout was this:

• 350 warm up
• 8×25 drills
• 10×100@5sec
• 4×25@20sec sprint
• 8×25 kick
• 350 cool down

They probably weren't my fastest times, but I tried to work hard even without the legs cooperating.

Alumni Meeting

For today's rest-day activity, I headed over to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and the National Religious Broadcasters Convention for a Cedarville Alumni meet-and-greet. It was a small showing, likely because we as an alumni leadership team didn't do much promoting of the event. The highlight was Dr. Brown, the current president, being in attendance. He seemed to know everyone there or have done his research on those who were coming—either that or he's really good with names! It really wasn't the most exciting event for a rest day, but it definitely fulfilled my mandate to do something with someone. And there were a few people I talked with who I hadn't seen since either the last alumni event or a few months ago.