IM Canada Training - Week 1

FAIL - okay not a fail but it was not epic, awesome and confidence building!   


It went something like this....


MONDAY
- recovery swim - check all was fine
- Yoga- fired off my foot, which has been "angry" since StG.  Tendons are grumpy and standing on one foot balancing and..... was not ideal. And we all know how much I LOVE yoga anyway. 

TUESDAY
- STRYD run power test- sort of a fail. Ran too slow, (according to coach) "how come you ran slower than you did OTB in a race?"  that tells me too slow and I messed up the test- wrong distances
- Trainer Tuesday which includes V02 Max intervals and let's just say I did just over 1/2 as many as were written and power was 10 watts off and dropping.  fail

WEDNESDAY
- new strength routine that once again shattered me.  I hate love Marilyn, strength coach, but I tell you every time she changes the program I am debilitated for a good week. Boy does she know my weaknesses. 
- LONG ride GWL + Honey Springs and a bit more.  Ride was a success but nothing to record as "impressive"

THURSDAY 
- recovery run and spin- managed that okay

FRIDAY
- EPIC swim- 5k masters that included 20x100 on B-5. Hard and I crushed it - win for the week 
- Strength that was harder than earlier in the week and left me a bit worried

SATURDAY
- 41/2 hr hilly bike- nothing over the top -  4x20min intervals that should have been manageable and while I hit the #'s the PE (perceived effort was high) because my legs were cooked, sore and tired.
- the 8 mile progressive run off the bike was....debilitating and crushing.  I took a longer transition than usual as I had to get my wits about me.  I was tired and sore.  I was fueled well just sore.  I took a few min to check Ironman Lanzarote results and seeing my friend/competitor win the AG and punch her Kona ticket got me out the door.  It was hard.... with each 2 miles as the pace in theory dropped meanwhile my HR was rising too quickly and my PE was high.  But I did it and it was well.... 8 miles

Sums up my Sunday

SUNDAY
- 15 mile run  on the plan 
- woke up sore, (more sore than Sat as often with strength you experience DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness) and tired. 
- Coach checked in to see how I was feeling.... boy did he get a texting earful.  So his advice was go out and run 30 min and if okay make it an hour and come home.  Rest up and finish the run in the PM.  So we ran 30 min and I was not springy but was okay so we continued on the loop.  Around mile 5 the proverbial piano dropped on my back and it was a sludge fest getting home.  I was dragging so much I told John the dog leash was too heavy- drama much?    Refueled, still felt crappy and was angry and disappointed that I cut the run short.   

Hopped in an epsom salt bath and climbed in the Recovery Boots and did a few hours work.  Around 1pm I was feeling like I wanted to get  bowl of Fro Yo and get in bed and watch a movie like I wanted to finish the run.  Or maybe I just could not, not do it.   I was wary of my body and not getting hurt and I promised John I would turn around if necessary. So off I went and it was actually better than the AM run. I did not look at pace and just ran relaxed and tried to not stress.  I finished it!

So was it a  fail...no, but most of the workouts were a struggle. Legs hurt, pace is slow and power is down.  

I will tell you that I am about to curl up with Vanilla Fro Yo covered in tiny peanut butter cups and cocoa nibs.  Let's just say it was over $10 at the weigh in!    I would post a photo but I am bit embarrassed!