"Wish I hadn't done that workout," said No One. Ever. Here it is, nigh on midnight, and I'm just half hour past finishing dinner. Yes, I ended up doing a 2+ hour workout, finishing up about 11pm. I am carefully easing back into cycling, adding 5 minutes with every session. Tonight was 50 minutes. I got a bit bold and added some higher gearing, keeping a high cadence, but always being mindful of my knee. It was my leg workout that took the bulk of my evening. I added in a few old friends: weighted pendulum squats, and single leg deadlifts. Slowly building the difficulty of my leg work, adding in a bit more quad work now that the knee pain is barely noticeable. Slow and steady wins the race. Or in my case, regains the strength.
Tomorrow morning I will start my day with another cycling session. Doing back to back training lets me get the benefits of longer rides, without the strain. It is a trick I have been using to great advantage for the last year and a half, now I am going to incorporate it, gently, into my rebuilding.
Topped it all off with plenty of protein. Smoothie with banana, almond milk, and 20 grams of brown rice protein. Then cooked up a 3 egg omelet with just a little extra sharp, white cheddar, with a side of Sungold tomatoes. A ripe peach, and small bowl of PB Puffins for dessert.
Just let me say here, I had forgotten how much I like the MLO brand brown rice protein powder. Yes, it is just a little grainy, but it has an easy, neutral flavor, no added sugar, is vegan, and my body digests it well. It is also good bang for the buck. It is about $12 for a 24 oz can. They list it at 24 servings, 14 grams of protein per serving. Most protein powders are more expensive and have half the number of servings. Okay, that is my sales pitch for the evening. Now, it is past midnight, and I need my recovery sleep.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Never Enough Time
It would seem rational that it would be easier to motivate into an after work workout during the summer when the sun is shining. Instead, I feel like I am always in a race with the sun to see how much I can accomplish in the way of home improvements, yard work, or general outdoor chores before darkness falls. Then, I stagger into the house, at 8:30 or later, tired from work, tired from chores, and still facing the knowledge that I need to get in a workout. I tell myself I need to be getting up early so I can get in a good morning training session. But that falls by the wayside since I stay up too late every night, trying to eke out as many minutes as I can from every day. As always, never enough time in the day. Never. So, once again, here it is nearly 8:30, I feel raggedly tired, and yet am sitting here in cycling shorts, planning on getting in a spin and some legwork. I need be consistent with the rehab on the knee, and continue building strength and flexibility. Yes, I will likely be working out until 10:00 or so, as usual. So, why am I wasting time writing? Procrastination, plain and simple. I'm tired, have been on my feet all day, and it feels damned good to sit. I have rejuvenated myself a bit with some strong, black, iced tea. Time to get at it. No rest for the weary.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Hungry. Very, Hungry.
It was a hungry day. All day. Hungry. I'm not training hard enough to justify feeling like a bottomless pit. Last year at this time, I was a bottomless pit, but I was getting in two training sessions a day, and putting in very long weekend rides. I couldn't seem to eat enough. This year, riding the wave of injuries, my training has had to be much more restrained. And it is making me crazy. Seriously. Yes, I am distracting myself with other, equally obsessive past times. My ongoing construction project is absorbing much of the time that would be spent pounding pavement, or in the saddle. Such is life. Anyway, hunger. Prevalent, overpowering hunger today. So, after a hard swim, I made a gigantic dinner. Stuffed to the gills. But, as with all things, I still maintained my "rocket fuel" approach to nutrition:
From scratch griddle cake made with organic spelt and quinoa flours, corn meal, and fresh local corn. Topped with a sprinkle of extra-sharp white cheddar, 2 over easy eggs, fresh organic spinach, and fresh guacamole. A side of just picked, still warm from the sun, home-grown Sungold tomatoes. Dessert was a drippingly ripe Maryhill peach. And finally, to push me over the edge on the gluttony scale, a bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins cereal with almond milk.
I should not be so hungry. Maybe I need to increase my training to keep pace with my appetite. G'damn, I miss the intensity of last season's training regiment. With no race at the end of this summer I have floundered. A knee injury early on made me fall even further behind. I just keep telling myself that I am base building for an early season Ironman next year. The Anvil is in July. It will likely be hotter than a pepper sprout, but I do all right in the heat as long as I stay hydrated. Now, to bed to fall into a food induced coma. Hard swim again tomorrow.
From scratch griddle cake made with organic spelt and quinoa flours, corn meal, and fresh local corn. Topped with a sprinkle of extra-sharp white cheddar, 2 over easy eggs, fresh organic spinach, and fresh guacamole. A side of just picked, still warm from the sun, home-grown Sungold tomatoes. Dessert was a drippingly ripe Maryhill peach. And finally, to push me over the edge on the gluttony scale, a bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins cereal with almond milk.
I should not be so hungry. Maybe I need to increase my training to keep pace with my appetite. G'damn, I miss the intensity of last season's training regiment. With no race at the end of this summer I have floundered. A knee injury early on made me fall even further behind. I just keep telling myself that I am base building for an early season Ironman next year. The Anvil is in July. It will likely be hotter than a pepper sprout, but I do all right in the heat as long as I stay hydrated. Now, to bed to fall into a food induced coma. Hard swim again tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
The Urge To Race
The urge to race is burning in my veins. I sit and stare at events, perusing the registration forms, pondering my fitness level. I haven't run a step since July 4th. I am just beginning my cycling training again, taking it slow and steady. There is a triathlon in The Dalles on September 12th that I would love to do. Olympic distance. The swim is in The Columbia River. How awesome would that be?! I want to race. I am burning to race. It is driving me a bit mad that I have no events scheduled. I want to register for the tri in The Dalles, and a duathlon in Champoeg Park at the end of September.
I do have the Firefighter Stairclimb to look forward to this year. I had to miss it last year, it was the same weekend as the 250K. This year they are allowing districts and stations to have teams. I am hoping to entice a few of my brethren to climb as a unit this year. Last year only one guy from our district did the climb. He called me the night before, asking me to be there for moral support. I had to disappoint him, I was still in Bend, recovering from my race. So I do have one event to look forward to. But it is not quite enough.
I think this Saturday I will try my first run. I can do a quick run after work, before my swim. Just a half mile, maybe a mile. I won't allow myself to run more than a mile. The Coach in my head knows I must take it slow and steady. But g'damn it, I want to race. I want to Swim Smart, Bike Strong, and Run Tough. It is driving me mad.
I do have the Firefighter Stairclimb to look forward to this year. I had to miss it last year, it was the same weekend as the 250K. This year they are allowing districts and stations to have teams. I am hoping to entice a few of my brethren to climb as a unit this year. Last year only one guy from our district did the climb. He called me the night before, asking me to be there for moral support. I had to disappoint him, I was still in Bend, recovering from my race. So I do have one event to look forward to. But it is not quite enough.
I think this Saturday I will try my first run. I can do a quick run after work, before my swim. Just a half mile, maybe a mile. I won't allow myself to run more than a mile. The Coach in my head knows I must take it slow and steady. But g'damn it, I want to race. I want to Swim Smart, Bike Strong, and Run Tough. It is driving me mad.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Self Coaching
Self coaching is a two edged sword. On the one hand, your coach is very likely an asshole that gets inside your head, knows all the buttons to push, and goads you on with all the dirty tricks in the book. On the other hand, your client will often come up with ingenious excuses for skipping a workout here and there, or try to short shrift a set when they are tired and whiny.
Okay, all kidding aside, self coaching is not easy. I don't have anyone waiting for me at the pool, so if I don't show, no one will be the wiser. I run alone, so if I decide to skip the last set of hill repeats it will be my dirty little secret. I cycle alone, so if I decide to just hit cruise control and take a relaxing ride through the countryside, no one is left waiting for me at the first pit stop. This would make it easy enough to slack off. The flip side of this is that I will know.
I was thinking of this last night in the pool, as I did a new, grueling endurance set. It is called a Broken Endurance Countdown. It goes like this: Warm up 5 laps; Then 150 yards each pace - - Cruise, Race Pace, Easy at the Wall Sprint between the Flags (cruise the first and last 4 yards of each length, sprint the middle 16 yards), finish with a Build to 90% for one set; Then each set is reduced by 25 yards i.e. 125 yards of each pace, 100 yards, 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards. Cool down 250 yards mixed strokes, 300 yards kick drills. It totals 58 laps or 2900 yards, or 1.65 miles Halfway though the first, and longest set, I was already thinking, "Oh dear gods, I am never going to be able to do this." It was tough, a real shoulder burner. But I also have the Coach voice in my head, "You're just warming up, it will start to flow once you are warm. Okay now, longest set is done, it gets easier from here." Yeah, that last part was a total lie, and I bought into it. Much like the people cheering you along on a long race course, "You're almost there, it's all downhill from here," they are always lying. Yes, I did get smoother after I was fully warmed up. I also realized that I was pushing a lot harder than the actual drill called for during the entire first set (my "Cruise" was more like Race Pace, and my Race Pace was more like the 90%). Time and time again I thought, "I can't finish this." And time and time again, I goaded myself along, "Just finish this set. You're a third of the way done, you're halfway done. You're down to the last few laps." I talk to myself, encourage myself. And, most of all, I listen to myself. The funny thing was, as I was getting towards the end, I was already thinking of ways to make the set longer, and a little tougher. Self coaching requires a certain level of sado-masochism.
I know it is easy to become complacent with training. I do it to a degree with my strength training, relying on a fairly consistent series of sport specific sets. But I mix it up, increase weight and/or duration. I add in new exercises. I am always on the lookout for ways to tweak my routine, but not to the point that I am all over the map with it. I do know that consistency is vital. But I also know that I need to have some variation or my training will become stagnant, and I will plateau.
For me, one of the hardest aspects of self coaching is not motivation or work ethic, it is forcing myself to rest when I need it. Currently, I'm recovering from a knee injury, and I am having to force myself not to rush back into cycling and running. I am slowly increasing my cycling, adding 5 minutes to each session, and only spinning every other day, instead of nearly every day like I want to. I am up to 45 minutes, as of today, and had to force myself off of the bike. I wanted to keep going, it all felt so good. I have been religious about the leg work I'm doing though, it is basically knee friendly strength training and toning to keep my muscles active and strong, and to help balance my hips and glutes. I'm not sure when I will be running again, but hell, I just bought myself a new pair of trail running shoes (honestly, they are shoes I have been coveting; Vivo Barefoot Neo II, clearance priced at $25, marked down from $120... how could I resist?).
In a few weeks, if all goes well, I will go to the Eco Park for a gentle trail run. It is an easy trail, a half mile loop, well padded with wood chips, that winds through dense woods. Yes it has some short, steep hills. Very short, and I will be careful. I was going there twice a week, using it as a combo trail run/hill repeat workout. Running laps around the loop, taking it easy on my knees even before the current injury. It is a great place on hot days, since it is heavily shaded.
I dream of running. Which seems odd, since I don't consider myself to be a rabid runner. But I dream of running through the woods, nimble and quick. Light on my feet. The dreams are so real I can smell the crushed leaves beneath my feet, and feel the dappled sunlight on my shoulders. I do dream of running, and it is so hard for the Coach inside my head to be the hardass, and keep my on track with the rehab.
Coach says it is a time for base building. Time to reset the training schedule. Take a step back and look at the big picture. If I behave now, heal, keep strong, work on technique, continue to build my base intelligently, then maybe I will be ready for the Ironman next July. I just have to listen to my Coach.
Okay, all kidding aside, self coaching is not easy. I don't have anyone waiting for me at the pool, so if I don't show, no one will be the wiser. I run alone, so if I decide to skip the last set of hill repeats it will be my dirty little secret. I cycle alone, so if I decide to just hit cruise control and take a relaxing ride through the countryside, no one is left waiting for me at the first pit stop. This would make it easy enough to slack off. The flip side of this is that I will know.
I was thinking of this last night in the pool, as I did a new, grueling endurance set. It is called a Broken Endurance Countdown. It goes like this: Warm up 5 laps; Then 150 yards each pace - - Cruise, Race Pace, Easy at the Wall Sprint between the Flags (cruise the first and last 4 yards of each length, sprint the middle 16 yards), finish with a Build to 90% for one set; Then each set is reduced by 25 yards i.e. 125 yards of each pace, 100 yards, 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards. Cool down 250 yards mixed strokes, 300 yards kick drills. It totals 58 laps or 2900 yards, or 1.65 miles Halfway though the first, and longest set, I was already thinking, "Oh dear gods, I am never going to be able to do this." It was tough, a real shoulder burner. But I also have the Coach voice in my head, "You're just warming up, it will start to flow once you are warm. Okay now, longest set is done, it gets easier from here." Yeah, that last part was a total lie, and I bought into it. Much like the people cheering you along on a long race course, "You're almost there, it's all downhill from here," they are always lying. Yes, I did get smoother after I was fully warmed up. I also realized that I was pushing a lot harder than the actual drill called for during the entire first set (my "Cruise" was more like Race Pace, and my Race Pace was more like the 90%). Time and time again I thought, "I can't finish this." And time and time again, I goaded myself along, "Just finish this set. You're a third of the way done, you're halfway done. You're down to the last few laps." I talk to myself, encourage myself. And, most of all, I listen to myself. The funny thing was, as I was getting towards the end, I was already thinking of ways to make the set longer, and a little tougher. Self coaching requires a certain level of sado-masochism.
I know it is easy to become complacent with training. I do it to a degree with my strength training, relying on a fairly consistent series of sport specific sets. But I mix it up, increase weight and/or duration. I add in new exercises. I am always on the lookout for ways to tweak my routine, but not to the point that I am all over the map with it. I do know that consistency is vital. But I also know that I need to have some variation or my training will become stagnant, and I will plateau.
For me, one of the hardest aspects of self coaching is not motivation or work ethic, it is forcing myself to rest when I need it. Currently, I'm recovering from a knee injury, and I am having to force myself not to rush back into cycling and running. I am slowly increasing my cycling, adding 5 minutes to each session, and only spinning every other day, instead of nearly every day like I want to. I am up to 45 minutes, as of today, and had to force myself off of the bike. I wanted to keep going, it all felt so good. I have been religious about the leg work I'm doing though, it is basically knee friendly strength training and toning to keep my muscles active and strong, and to help balance my hips and glutes. I'm not sure when I will be running again, but hell, I just bought myself a new pair of trail running shoes (honestly, they are shoes I have been coveting; Vivo Barefoot Neo II, clearance priced at $25, marked down from $120... how could I resist?).
In a few weeks, if all goes well, I will go to the Eco Park for a gentle trail run. It is an easy trail, a half mile loop, well padded with wood chips, that winds through dense woods. Yes it has some short, steep hills. Very short, and I will be careful. I was going there twice a week, using it as a combo trail run/hill repeat workout. Running laps around the loop, taking it easy on my knees even before the current injury. It is a great place on hot days, since it is heavily shaded.
I dream of running. Which seems odd, since I don't consider myself to be a rabid runner. But I dream of running through the woods, nimble and quick. Light on my feet. The dreams are so real I can smell the crushed leaves beneath my feet, and feel the dappled sunlight on my shoulders. I do dream of running, and it is so hard for the Coach inside my head to be the hardass, and keep my on track with the rehab.
Coach says it is a time for base building. Time to reset the training schedule. Take a step back and look at the big picture. If I behave now, heal, keep strong, work on technique, continue to build my base intelligently, then maybe I will be ready for the Ironman next July. I just have to listen to my Coach.
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