Go Hard and Go Home

Okay so that is not the quote exactly but it is my quote of the week!

I pulled off a great week last week of high volume with one track workout and 2 long rides.  I was tired but in a good way.  Felt strong on my 2nd long ride and was able to do a long run (albeit slow -as prescribed) but it was good.

So this week I knew the volume was not feasible to do a million games this upcoming weekend- Between JD and Riley they are playing in 11 games from her to Rancho Bernardo to Coronado.  I will find time to run a few times but no big rides.

Monday was an OW swim only- I was tempted to ride a recovery ride but really decided to give the legs one day off.   And it was a good thing because heading to track on Tue I was sluggish.  I met MW and C for the tail end of their track work out and it was a disaster.  2 cups of coffee+ hazelnut creamer and then a 10min WU and right into 400's put my stomach in a tail spin.   Nothing like puking up coffee and then returning to the track. But my stomach was good and I was ready to train.   Good w'out and I finished strong and ran back to the pool with the intent of doing masters.

Can we say sluggish...ugh - I kept thinking I would warm up, loosen up- but at 2K I got out-  Another lesson- metabolic efficiency is great for zone 2 training but for intervals in the track - I needed calories to avoid the massive bonk in the showers after swim.  I went straight to Starbucks and ordered up a Venti Iced Mocha- the whole chocolate milk recovery idea + a jolt of caffeine and well 3 bananas.  Honestly- that was too many but I was so avoiding the scone, bagel temptation at Starbucks.   That was my day for Tue.

Foam roller was bust that day!   Wed I rolled with the girls for a ride to Dudley's.  The weather, seriously, was perfect. Other than dense fog up Scripps PP it was warm, clear and not too hot.  Roads were not too busy and JN, LG, BW and I chatted up a storm.  No hammering but a lot of yammering...the reason we love to ride.  My legs did not feel fresh nor too strong.  They are fatigued but oddly enough around 3 hours they felt better- usually it is after an hour, but this was 3 hours -  JN kept saying oh thank goodness my legs stopped hurting after the 1st hour and I was nodding and praying for some of the pain go away to travel to my legs.   No run off the bike- I need to give my ITB a break between runs with this new intensity.

So today I am up at 5 and at UCSD ready to run at 6....first time for me on a Thur.  I ran from the pool, optimistically thinking I would do masters after the run.  Small cup of coffee so still sleepy. Luckily I dropped a 2x caffeine gel in my pocket.  Today was fun- after a long warm up we took off on the trails and  did 2min, 4 min, 6min. 8 min, 6min, 4min,. 2 min of tempo runs with 2 minute of ez run in between.  I am one of the slower ones so the rabbits take off and I found a similar paced friend and tucked in behind her as we went up and down and around the trails.   By the 2nd 4 minute I was tired but stuck it out and then ran back to the pool.

This time I knew....this would not be a 1:15 masters swim- nope, 30 min long course meter swim and out.   Spent, tired and wiped out.    So my Tue and Thur I went hard and track and went home- I am hoping as my body gets used to the higher intensity I can finish masters - okay it's not like I couldn't do the work out I just did not want to. And when my next IM is nearly 4 months away- I gave myself permission to wimp out.

So just when I am starting to figure out the metabolic efficiency I go hard and am at a loss for my fueling options.....hoping to figure this out.  I am eager to be taking Bob Seebohar's class in September so by then I will have a million questions, have tried many ideas and hope to really get good insight on this process.