Friday, February 27, 2009

Running in the Rain

Ok, so it ain't like Singing in the Rain. I typically run 2 runs on Friday's as my training plan calls for ridiculous mileage on Friday's, so I break it up. Basically, for a runner, anything beyond 20 miles gets risky for injuries. It appears to be this way for all distance runners. Probably has something to do with how us humans are built. I have been trying to get my legs used to running 21 or 22, but sometimes I experience swelling in the ankles, which is a sign of too much pounding. So I usually break up my Friday runs by running 4-8 miles in the morning, and 20 or so in the evening, depending on the total minutes I need to run for the day, I keep the evening run at 20ish and vary the morning run.

There is some raining cold weather moving into Atlanta for the weekend so I figured I would flip flop my long and short runs so I could get the long one in outside. The long run is a mixture of several different training disciplines which don't lend themselves well for running on a treadmill. I guess it isn't that the discipline doesn't lend itself well to the treadmill, it's more I don't like doing the discipline on the treadmill. I'll tell you why in a moment. For example, Friday's long run typically has a tempo section, an interval section, and what is called strength (not normal strength like lifting weights) section. Tempo means pretty fast. On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being as fast as you can go....being chased by a grizzly bear fast. Tempo would be a 7 or maybe 8. Intervals are sometime called "track work". I wear a GPS devise which keeps track of my distance, which reads out on my watch so I don't specifically need to go to a track as I can tell my distance traveled on my watch. As an example my interval section today was 47 minutes of 1/3 mile all out (as in 10 on the scale) followed by 1/3 mile easy recovery (2-3 on the scale). You don't actually ever stop running just slow down. I find it easier this way as my legs tend to tighten up when I stop after a hard interval. The Strength section is a little faster than normal, but not as fast as the tempo, about a 5-6 on the scale.

Today's workout was 40 min Tempo, 47 min of intervals, 55 min of strength (will do another 50 mins of strength this evening at the gym). This week I actually pulled an additional 40 mins and tacked in onto the end of my long bike. The true plan called for 3:57 running today, which would have been something like 34 miles, which obviously is just too much.

So back to the treadmill thing. As described above most of the long run part of Friday's run is pretty fast stuff. When I try to do this on a treadmill I get looked at like I am some sort of freak. First of all some treadmills won't go fast enough for my interval work. I need one which will go up to 12 mph (some top out at 11 or even 10). The fast - slow - fast thing about intervals I guess is something most don't understand with interval work. I usually will get someone trying to tell me I'm going to hurt myself if I keep changing my speed back and forth. The tempo section is pretty aggressive and I usually get very hot, so sweat is dripping off of my pretty good, which gets lots of strange looks. Basically, I don't like having to deal with all of this, so I prefer doing this part of the run outside....let alone running on a treadmill for 2 1/2 hours is not something that interests me.

Boy that was a long explanation as to why I was running "outside" and "in the morning"...so I am about 10.5 miles or so from home and it started raining. Drizzle at first which actually was really nice and peaceful. There really wasn't anyone else out and it seemed I had the world to myself. After awhile it started raining a little harder and the wind kicked up. Ok, not so peaceful now and I am actually starting to get really cold. Water is starting to run...not drip off the visor of my running hat and my legs are starting to get really tight from the cold rain on them. After about 5 miles of this I am finally back home where I sat in the hot shower for about 20 mins to get the chill out. Brrrrr!!!!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Some Might Get This, Some Might Not

Ok, I was laughing to tears when I read this.....too funny not to share.

TRANSLATION OF A TRIATHLETE'S VOCABULARY:
"I am an outdoors type of person." Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.
"I enjoy riding my bike." Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler then you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later.
"I enjoy jogging." Really means: Lets run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.
"I enjoy dining out." Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, Mid Morning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.
"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach." Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way youre going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.
"I find fulfillment in charitable work." Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 mph. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.
"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together." Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.
"I enjoy site seeing." Really means: Lets grab a bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.
"I like stimulating conversation. " Really means: while we are running, we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.
"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives." Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and New York, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.
"I am an active person." Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so lets make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed massage therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Oh my goodness it's been awhile since my last post, sorry. I'll improve, promise. Training has progressed pretty well thus far. I little touch of illness at the beginning of Jan. but no big deal. Run is coming along, but I am concerned my plan has be running too much too early. I am at about 55 miles per week already on 4 runs per week (that's over 13 miles average per run and one of the runs is only 6-8 miles so lot's of long runs). Bike hasn't come along as well as the weather has been so cold out and I went over a month without being able to get on my bike (still did spin classes 3-4 times a week, but it's not the same). Still in "maintenance mode" on the swim, which means swimming just enough to maintain strock and shoulder strength.

Numbers for Jan closed at:

January's totals:
Bike: 25h 45m - 469.79 Mi
Run: 23h 08m 10s - 196.02 Mi
Swim: 5h 07m - 15951 Yd
Strength: 7h 30m

2008 totals closed at:

Bike: 350h 43m 48s - 6518.86 Mi
Run: 238h 57m 21s - 1955.55 Mi
Swim: 62h 42m 14s - 227068 Yd
Strength: 108h 20m

Here is something I read on the site where I blog my daily training and laughed my rear end off because it is all sooo true. It's labeled the vocabulary of a Triathlete...

TRANSLATION OF A TRIATHLETE'S VOCABULARY:
"I am an outdoors type of person." Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.

"I enjoy riding my bike." Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler then you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later.

"I enjoy jogging." Really means: Lets run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.

"I enjoy dining out." Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, Mid Morning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.

"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach." Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way youre going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.

"I find fulfillment in charitable work." Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 mph. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.

"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together." Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.

"I enjoy site seeing." Really means: Lets grab a bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.

"I like stimulating conversation. " Really means: while we are running, we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.

"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives." Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and New York, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.

"I am an active person." Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so lets make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed massage therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.