Lyon Street Stairs, Boot Camp
It’s time to start ramping up for race day. I’ve been training for 6 months, and working hard at it, too, but now it’s time to put a lot more of myself and my time into the endeavor.
The training calendar has 6 days of workouts each week, but many weeks, I miss a day, and do just 5. Also, the calendar often has 2 activities on multiple weekdays. For example, Tuesdays and Thursdays usually call for an hour-long swim plus another hour or more on the bike, and often a brick run of 10-20 minutes after the bike. I have mostly just done a swim on one day and a spin the other.
We have a 10-month season, where many triathletes training for an Ironman do so in 6-8 months. Because I entered the season with a solid base of fitness, I was afraid of burning out early if I pushed to hard in the first few months of this long season. I knew going in that at some point I would have to ramp up and put more time toward training than I have ever done before. I wasn’t sure when that point would be, though. Apparently, it’s now.
The training calendar has 6 days of workouts each week, but many weeks, I miss a day, and do just 5. Also, the calendar often has 2 activities on multiple weekdays. For example, Tuesdays and Thursdays usually call for an hour-long swim plus another hour or more on the bike, and often a brick run of 10-20 minutes after the bike. I have mostly just done a swim on one day and a spin the other.
We have a 10-month season, where many triathletes training for an Ironman do so in 6-8 months. Because I entered the season with a solid base of fitness, I was afraid of burning out early if I pushed to hard in the first few months of this long season. I knew going in that at some point I would have to ramp up and put more time toward training than I have ever done before. I wasn’t sure when that point would be, though. Apparently, it’s now.
Boot Camp Spin #1
I talked to a coach a week ago and asked this question: when do I have to start doing double-days (morning and evening workouts) or longer 2-sport workouts on weekdays? She said May. Shoot! I had been hoping for June, because this ramp-up will eat into all my other social commitments. Will I have any energy left for dating if I’m in bed at 9:00 pm to get up at 5:30 am for a 2-hour swim/spin session at the gym? What about book club? I’ll need to keep posting photos of myself training so my friends remember what I look like.
And speaking of 2-hour gym sessions, it’s currently not even possible. I like my gym because it’s close to my house and there is one near my office in San Francisco, but it doesn’t have a pool. I usually swim at a public pool in Oakland. It’s too logistically complicated to try to swim there and then drive somewhere else to do the bike. So I’m shopping around for new gyms. I had a brief flirtation with the thought of belonging to 2 gyms, my current one for its convenience and a new one for a pool. (That option would only be slightly more expensive than when I was a member of the lovely JCC!) Then I found out I could get a Bay Area YMCA membership for a reasonable price, and go to both Oakland and SF centers. I think that one might be the winner.
Next week is Wildflower, a 70.3-mile long-course triathlon that is brutally hard. It’s kicked my butt before, but I’m calling this one Wildflower: REDEMPTION, and hoping to improve. This is my marker. I’ve seen people improving around me, and it seems that I haven’t been improving as much. People are catching up with me, or getting farther ahead, and I don’t want to be left in the dust. I need to reset my thinking about training, recalibrate for a more intense summer. After Wildflower, it’s pedal to the metal all the way to September 22.
And speaking of 2-hour gym sessions, it’s currently not even possible. I like my gym because it’s close to my house and there is one near my office in San Francisco, but it doesn’t have a pool. I usually swim at a public pool in Oakland. It’s too logistically complicated to try to swim there and then drive somewhere else to do the bike. So I’m shopping around for new gyms. I had a brief flirtation with the thought of belonging to 2 gyms, my current one for its convenience and a new one for a pool. (That option would only be slightly more expensive than when I was a member of the lovely JCC!) Then I found out I could get a Bay Area YMCA membership for a reasonable price, and go to both Oakland and SF centers. I think that one might be the winner.
Next week is Wildflower, a 70.3-mile long-course triathlon that is brutally hard. It’s kicked my butt before, but I’m calling this one Wildflower: REDEMPTION, and hoping to improve. This is my marker. I’ve seen people improving around me, and it seems that I haven’t been improving as much. People are catching up with me, or getting farther ahead, and I don’t want to be left in the dust. I need to reset my thinking about training, recalibrate for a more intense summer. After Wildflower, it’s pedal to the metal all the way to September 22.
Week 23 Mileage
Tuesday, April 16 Swim - 1 hour 3 minutes, 3000 yards I finally broke 1:05 (barely)!! Wednesday, April 17 Spin - 1 hour Thursday, April 18 Run - 1 hour, 6.25 miles Core - 15 minutes Friday, April 19 Nope. Saturday, April 20 Bike - 1 hour 30 minutes, 28 miles Run - 20 minutes, 2 miles Core - 30 minutes Sunday, April 21 - Primavera Century Ride Bike - 6 hours 20 minutes, 100 miles Total time was 7:50, so still need to work on long stops. I had some serious breathing problems toward the end. I may have exercise-induced asthma or maybe just a sensitivity to allergens while exercising. It's happening frequently, so need to figure this issue out. | Totals: Swim - 1 hour, 3000 yards Bike - 8 hours 50 minutes, 128 miles Run - 1 hour 20 minutes, 8.25 miles Core - 45 minutes Total - 11 hours 55 minutes |
Week 24 Mileage
Tuesday, April 23 Cardio - 1 hour (elliptical) Core - 10 minutes Wednesday, April 24 Run - 45 minutes, 5 miles Core - 35 minutes Thursday, April 25 Spin - 55 minutes Friday, April 26 Swim - 45 minutes, 2000 yards Saturday, April 27 - Boot Camp Swim - 1 hour, about 1.5 miles Spin - 50 minutes Run/Stairs/Core - 1 hour 30 minutes, 4.5 miles Spin - 1 hour Run - 40 minutes, 4.25 miles Sunday, April 28 - Boot Camp Swim - 45 minutes, 1.2 miles Bike - 1 hour 30 minutes, 15 miles (hill repeats) Bike - 1 hour, 17 miles Run - 1 hour 30 minutes, 6.5 miles (brutal hills) | Totals: Swim - 2 hours 30 minutes, about 4 miles Bike - 5 hours 15 minutes, 32 miles Run - 4 hours 25 minutes, 20 miles Cardio/Core - 1 hour 45 minutes Total - 13 hours 55 minutes |