Weekly totals

I felt pretty good all week. STILL didnt get into the pool, I have no excuse this week, just lazy.... oh, alright, I had a sick kid three of five days, but thats my only excuse. I have good intentions this week. I better get in the pool soon, I have a technique class on the 20th.

Today I got a cheque in the mail. My grant from CAF. I wasnt sure I would get it so I scheduled another event at the same time the event that the grant money was for. The event is Defi Sportif, a disabled games in Montreal PQ. I already have an obligation to a pro cycling team to be in New Mexico for Tour of the Gila bike race that week. Tomorrow I am going to email CAF and see if I can change the terms of the grant and use it to go to another race.

This weeks totals
Swimming: a big goose egg, 0m
Bike: 81 miles, 4.5hr, all on trainer
Run: 9 miles, 2 hr, all on trail

It seems like I ran more than that but it was a long week with the sick kid and sick dog.

Tough week

This week began with Taguen being sick and by Thursday we figured out he had a pretty bad ear infection. Mostly, for me, this just meant I had to train indoors. On Tuesday, Koda, the husky, ate something he shouldnt have and we took him to the vet. She admitted him right away and PRESTO! $350 and he was cured. Stupid husky.....
So, training has been going OK. I still didnt manage to swim this week. I am going to try and go tomorrow but if nothing else, I will get a run in. I have been very happy with my running the past few weeks. I have been stretching a little more than normal and my hip doesnt hurt as much after running. I have also been getting a little faster which is encouraging. I ran without the husky on Wednesday and did a 5K in 32:55 and I did the first mile in 10:05. I wanted to do the Spring Du next weekend but I dont think I can do that again, AFTER I ride my bike at close to LT for 15 miles. Not to mention the ridiculous $65 entry fee that AA sports charges.
I got an email from my contact at TriBC, he is on vacation in Hawaii (so jealous of him right now), but he said he was in touch with the ITU people and would forward his emails when he got back to Vancouver. Im kind of excited but at the same time, I am not sure I deserve the honour of competing for Canada at this time. My training is not where it should be with only two months left before the event. I dont have a coach right now so I am following my HIM program from last year (the one I used for Lake Stevens).
This morning Stacey is going to yoga, then out with a friend for some shopping. This means I will be riding my 2:15 inside today. Its ok though, it has been pouring on/off since yesterday.

Week recap

Had a great run today. I was scheduled for an easy 70 minutes in which I was able to do 5.5 miles. I forgot my HRM on my bike so I just used my old watch which I keep in the truck. The husky was pretty good today, taking care of his business within a half minute walk from the garbage can and he didnt do his usual nutty 1 minute of spinnin donuts around me and sprinting to the end of his leash.

Afterwards, I could feel no pain in my hip, other than the ordinary, and no knee pain which was very nice. I didnt do much different today than usual as far as running, but whatever the reason, I hope it continues to (not) happen.

Totals for the week:
Swimming (get this out of the way first): 0 meters, I try and pick this up next week :)
Running: 10.5 miles
Bike: 68 miles, all trainer

Time Trialing in the garage

Yesterday I did my scheduled TT on the bike. It was snowing in the AM and was very cold in the PM so I just did it on my trainer in the garage. No wind, no turning around, no road conditions to complain about, just my sore butt. I averaged somewhere around 20-21mph for 12.5 miles, finishing in 35:51. I guarantee you I would have done it faster on the road where I did the TT earlier this year because out there, I had no distractions like a movie or my Dad sawing wood with a circular saw 20 feet away but in any event, I did it. My HR ave was 128 and the overall HR for the hour I was on the bike was 122. In the TT in February, I averaged 177 or so if that is any indication that I worked harder then. I was also on my TT bike, not my road bike, and I had a lot of teammates out there so the peer pressure was more. If it ever stops snowing (ITS THE END OF MARCH DAMMIT), I will do another TT to see where Im really at when it counts.

Today is a day off and a little off topic but I got a new gig doing consulting work for a health management company so Im pretty happy that things are looking up work wise.

Snowing in March

It snowed today, not much, but what weird weather we are having. I had an hour ride planned yesterday and should have taken advantage of the beautiful day but instead, I rode inside on my trainer and finished watching "300". All in all, it was a lame movie and I should have hit the road. Having said that, Im trying to keep my HR within the limits set by my coach, so a trainer ride was way easier to keep that in check. I am wishing I had a power meter, or at least, wishing I could try one out to see what all the hubub is about and see if I can get more fit training that way versus the HR. I have heard it is a great way to train but its also a great way to get $1K poorer.

I missed the pool session again today. Even though it is spring break, and my parents are here to watch the kids, I am just not getting down to the pool. Tomorrow I am supposed to do a 20k TT to find my thresholds at this time of the season. Im not supposed to do anything else but I think I will try and give a short swim a go after my TT. It is so difficult not having a coach. I still have my training plan, its not the same. Perhaps that lottery will hit my numbers today.

I did a short run/walk after dinner tonight, 36 minutes. Probably only around 2.2 miles around my neighbourhood on sidewalks etc and since Im used to running on the trail that is marked every quarter mile, I dont know how far I went. Felt pretty good. I was supposed to take it easy, and my HR Ave was 138. I dont know how much I ran versus how much I walked but it was probably 50/50.

A good ride

Even though it was a gorgeous day yesterday, I rode on my trainer. My training plan called for a 60 minute ride, spinning at 90-100 rpm. I usually cant maintain that while riding outside unless I am on a completely flat road like Marine Drive so onto the trainer I went. I was able to average about 92rpm with an average HR of 118. I rode 16.2 miles in that hour while watching "300". It is quite an intense movie during the battle scenes so it was easy to spin a high cadence. Only a couple of times did I notice my rpm dropping below 90.

My plan had swimming too but we are trying to finish the fort my parents are building for the boys so I helped out with that so John and Val didnt kill each other trying to do it on their own. One of the gals at the gym that has done IMC called yesterday and asked if I would swim in the lane next to her while she does her insane 5x400m intervals on the 6:45 mark with ONLY 20 seconds rest between. Her training partner had to have surgery on her foot and cant swim for a while. I am not supposed to make up training sessions that I missed so I will probably just do a short easy swim and be there for moral support.

I have a 40 minute run and another 60 minutes on the bike which I will probably do on the trainer again so I can babysit my parents, love you mom and dad!!

confidence building exercises

Started out my Saturday in 40 degree clear skies. It was a hard first hour. My legs were pretty much useless and I began wondering why I even ride a bike. I have moments like this far too often. I then remembered reading one of my team mates blog entry. He talked a lot about motivation and confidence and stuff. Here, read it for yourself: http://try3sports.blogspot.com/ the March 20 entry. My first hour was slow, then I picked up my pace, effort, and stopped feeling sorry for myself and the last 1:20 was more steady. I got home and felt better. Overall, I only did 34 miles in 2:20 but I had not been on my bike but once this week, an hour on the trainer. I ran twice this week and didnt swim but on Monday, I am starting IMC training.

It has been hard not having a coach this year but budget constraints wont allow for it. I am going to follow my IMF plan but I have to adapt it since I can now run a little and would like to try running at least some of the time. I was thinking about having another coach I know tweak my old plan.

I am having horrible hip pain, usually worse after I run but I havent been dillegent about my stretching and icing/advil etc. As a physician, Im the worst patient. I know what to do but I am not very good at following my own advice. Next week, I will see my favourite massage therapist, Molly, to cash in on my 30 minute Christmas massage gift certificate. I am looking forward to it. I wish I could do it more often but 1) she has moved to SLO, CA, and is only here part time and 2) its not in the budget.

Run: 1:50, 7.5 miles
Bike: 3:20, 50 miles
Swim: 0:00, 0m