Still chugging along at training.

My coach is pushing me more and more during Sunday morning swim workouts. I should be doing 1:35 per 100 yards. I can do a few at that but 15! 15 x 100 at 1:35. My face was bright red when I was done with that set. She told me to just wait until I have a 40 x 100 at 1:30 on my training plan. I came home and napped for two hours. I'm not sure how I'm going to break my napping habit after masters. I swim, water jog, have lunch and nap. I'm pretty sure there isn't any napping after the swim during IM. Rats! The other thing I noticed since my swim workouts are getting longer/more intense is my shoulder is bothering me quite bit. It feels great after running though.

My beautiful chlorine rash is back. It seems to coincide with days that the pool feels a little warm. It's all part of the journey!

Workouts are getting noticeably longer. A Tuesday run is 8 miles, the weekends are hours biking (45 miles now). Even my once short swim workouts are about 1 1/2 hours at the pool during the week. I cannot wait to get outside and bike to friends' houses or Olaf's work as my training rides. I have realized there's no more time for home improvements anymore (I bet O is relieved as he reads this...but Sept 14 I'm ordering new counter tops!)

This weekend I have my first tri of the year - Tri at the Y. It's indoor but it will give me a sense of where I am this year and I can compare my numbers from last year.

When the prices drops I have to get myself a CompuTrainer...

This morning I went to the new Tri Fitness Training in White Bear. They have several CompuTrainers there. I was able to demo them and they are pretty cool. They are about 1600 dollars for a trainer that adjusts for resistance, wind and the course as you are biking. I promised the other two people there that if I win the Powerball tonight that I will buy them CompuTrainers. (fingers crossed!) You can ride different IM courses and watch a video of where you are riding. It's like watching a movie. The videos of the courses were taped just on event day so there are people cheering for you and walking around in town, etc. In a few weeks they are going to let people sign up to come in and use them. I think it would be great once a month to see how you are progressing.

A few things I learned was that my RPM's are just right at about 90. My pedaling is almost 50/50 power between left and right. It seems my left leg is a tad bit stronger which is the opposite of what I thought would be, my left knee/hip is usually the problem one. Weird! For a while I couldn't even get on my horse with my left leg. I'm kind of opposite of most people with more of my force when I pull my pedals up and less when I go down. I have tried hard to not mash my pedals but apparently I should. AND of course, my Softride was kind of weird to hook things onto it. The frame is so wide. BUT as always, I did get some compliments on my bike. I don't go anywhere with it when someone does say something about it. Even at the store they said "You're the one with the yellow SoftRide right?" Yep, I ride a beam!

I also decided to join their Tri club so I could find people to do long bike rides with. One guy there said he lives in Lindstrom so we could go on some long rides since we live so close. That's cool!

It's 2009!!

Last week I learned that my heart rate monitor was not reading correctly. It seemed to be 20 - 30 BPM lower then what it should be. I sent it in about a week ago to have the battery changed. I was hoping to get it back already because I paid for priority mail. I have really been working hard the last three weeks thinking that the low heart rate is just me. I think some of it is just me, but not all. Even if I add 30 to my 95 HR while sprinting it's still not in the zone it should be.

Just to be safe I actually took the entire last week off. SIX whole days just incase my lower heart rate was due to being overtrained. I felt great going back into my daily workouts. I also did the resting heart rate test at the end of my week (with a heart rate monitor that works) and took the reading which was 52 laying down. I stood up and 15 second later it was 92, then I took it at 60 and it was 62 and 90 seconds was 66. If it's not in the 90's then you should be OK according to what I read.

In January, as promised, my training was taken up a notch. The daily workouts are getting much longer. Yesterday I had a three hour workout and that was Wed. Today I'm supposed to have another long swim day but my banana boat shoulder is bothering me from yesterdays workout. I will just skip that one and just bike. I figure it's probably good not to do more harm right now.

This Saturday I'm going to try my bike out on some new fangled biking trainer/computer thing. It will tell me how much power I have when cycling. I just need enough for 112 miles and at least a 15 MPH speed so I can make the cut off and no wind. It would also be nice if they re-worked the road and removed half the hills!

A Chlorine Rash for the Holidays

You name it - I'll get it. While swimming today I remember feeling a burning pain kind of like jelly fish are stinging you over and over. Don't ask but I know what that feels like...anyway. After swimming I ran to Menards and Home Depot and noticed my neck burning. I got home and Olaf said "Who'd you get the hickeys from?" Hmmm - I was circle swimming with a guy at Masters this morning. I figured it's just another allergy to add to my long list of things I love that I'm allergic to. (horses, hay, wood, grass, mold, dust, cats, dogs...the sun, moon, air OK maybe not those last three but it sure seems that way some days.) I took Benedryll because I'm use to allergic reactions but that hasn't helped me. It's rare to be allergic to chlorine because allergens are proteins and chlorine isn't. Phew! I was ready to wear a garbage bag in the pool and duck tape it on me so I could still swim. Apparently I have a chlorine rash and from what I read it can take a while for them to go away. It will be interesting to see what happens after tomorrow because I have another swim day. I have 4 large 'hickeys' on my neck and some spots on my back. The worst part is that I have to go to work tomorrow and wearing anything that rubs on my neck really bothers it. So what sounds better when people ask what's on my neck - a hickey or a rash?

Frustration and Confusion

I was so frustrated last week with training. I have been biking REALLY hard and my heart rate is at 91 - 95 and I should be at 135 - 145 just for base. I have even cranked up the resistance on my trainer.

Running I'm at a 8.5 MPH pace and my heart rate is at 110 and I need to be 120 - 130 for base. When I started I had to run/walk to keep my heart rate 120 - 130 and usually it was over pushing 140. I went to swimming and brought my info to my coach and she said this is great, my body is rebuilding itself and my heart is stronger so I can work harder and my heart works less. She said I need to run harder/faster and get my heart rate back into 120. I just can't keep that up for 30 - 45 minutes or better yet for 2 hours biking! I would have to be running 9 - 10 MPH to get it there. 10 miles per hour...so six minute miles for an hour. I'm no longer confused but still frustrated at how hard I have to work and I'm still not working hard enough yet giving it all I have.

This is a great article that explains it all, one that is rarely written about low heart rate training and the benefits it gives your body.

http://www.counterpartcoaching.com/hadd.pdf

Suffer-O-Rama

I ordered a cycling DVD called 3.0 Suffer-O-Rama. What a name for a DVD! The warning on the back says that "This exercise program may result in injury". Ya think?

I registered for the IronGirl the end of Sept today. It will be cool to see how I do compared to last year without training and this year after the IronMan. It's on the 27th...so not too much rest time after IM. Maybe I'll have to have Olaf wear a wig & pink racing skort and race as Bridget. Oh wait, look, he did run the Iron Girl in 2008. Go IronGirl Olaf!

Warning - this is gross!

I was in the middle of my swim workout yesterday and threw up!! I had vomit in my mouth but didn't want to have to stop my workout or even worse have the lap pool shut down due to toxic fluid in the pool. I ate my own CHUNKY banana tasting vomit! Woo hoo!! That right there should make me an IronMan. I really wish I had a toothbrush or mouthwash. Nasty! I'm learning why training starts so far in advance. As you go through this process you find yourself doing things you wouldn't normally do just so you can get your daily workout in. It's an obsession now.

Now if I could just figure out how to pee off my bike seat during the bike portion. I heard that's what the elites do. I'm not that graceful so I think I'll stop and use a port-a-potty.