What a weekend! On Saturday, we had an intense team workout, and Sunday held a new adventure.
Saturday
I’ve had a slow recovery this past week, getting over my cold. I still have some congestion, and it’s limiting me a bit. Plus, all the time off training has taken its toll, and I can feel how the fitness loss is impacting my workouts. I’m slower, I tire quickly, and just 10 minutes of core wipes me out!
On Saturday, we were scheduled to swim and brick, but there was a problem with the pool, so we just bricked. Let me tell you, the brick was enough! We did 3 1-hour spin workouts on trainers, with a 10-minute run between each. Generally, a 1-hour spin is a good, solid weeknight workout. This was 3 of them, and it was intense. By the third session, my legs were spent. We were using heart rate zones to measure exertion for each interval, and by the third hour, I couldn’t get my heart rate to the highest levels because my legs were too tired.
The runs were also challenging. Bricks are intended to get your legs used to the feeling of using your running muscles after prolonged use of your cycling muscles. Often, the first mile or so off the bike feels very challenging, but you slowly warm up and settle into a good pace for the long haul. The problem with Saturday’s workout was that I only ran 1 mile (9 minutes each), and never got to find that happy, “settled in” place.
Another challenge, by the third spin, my lungs were acting up, my congestion worsened, and I had pain in my throat and chest from coughing. It was a hard, hard day! I got home at 1:30 pm, and lounged in my apartment the rest of the afternoon. Generally, it’s good to make some use of the rest of the day after a workout, but I felt sapped, and thought good use would be to lay on my bed and read. Ahhh!
I’ve had a slow recovery this past week, getting over my cold. I still have some congestion, and it’s limiting me a bit. Plus, all the time off training has taken its toll, and I can feel how the fitness loss is impacting my workouts. I’m slower, I tire quickly, and just 10 minutes of core wipes me out!
On Saturday, we were scheduled to swim and brick, but there was a problem with the pool, so we just bricked. Let me tell you, the brick was enough! We did 3 1-hour spin workouts on trainers, with a 10-minute run between each. Generally, a 1-hour spin is a good, solid weeknight workout. This was 3 of them, and it was intense. By the third session, my legs were spent. We were using heart rate zones to measure exertion for each interval, and by the third hour, I couldn’t get my heart rate to the highest levels because my legs were too tired.
The runs were also challenging. Bricks are intended to get your legs used to the feeling of using your running muscles after prolonged use of your cycling muscles. Often, the first mile or so off the bike feels very challenging, but you slowly warm up and settle into a good pace for the long haul. The problem with Saturday’s workout was that I only ran 1 mile (9 minutes each), and never got to find that happy, “settled in” place.
Another challenge, by the third spin, my lungs were acting up, my congestion worsened, and I had pain in my throat and chest from coughing. It was a hard, hard day! I got home at 1:30 pm, and lounged in my apartment the rest of the afternoon. Generally, it’s good to make some use of the rest of the day after a workout, but I felt sapped, and thought good use would be to lay on my bed and read. Ahhh!
Sunday
Cross-training! Though I’ve been downhill skiing since I was 8 years old, I’ve never done any cross-country skiing. On Sunday, 2 friends and I made the 3.5 hour trek to Bear Valley, a lovely spot in the Sierras off Hwy 4 between Tahoe and Yosemite. Bear Valley is at 7,100 feet, so this was good practice for Ironman Lake Tahoe elevation. I’ve had symptoms from elevation at Tahoe in the past (headaches, shortness of breath), but luckily did not experience any of them while at Bear Valley.
The storms of the last week dumped a wonderful layer of fresh snow throughout the valley, and the groomed trails were in great condition. The crisp sunny day was perfect for learning some new skills.
I felt pretty comfortable right off the mark, perhaps because I’ve been on skis for much of my life. The motions were different than I was used to, and I felt a little wobbly on the narrow skis, but I loved experimenting with gliding along. It’s a meditative sport, encouraged by the quietness of the paths, the snow-covered trees creating a hush and calm. I often found myself staring at the track in front of me, lost in thought, instead of admiring the view.
It was peaceful for my brain, but not for my muscles! My heart rate never got very high, but I definitely found a few new muscles to work. I wore my Garmin (because I’m in training!), and recorded that we skied for 3 hours 40 minutes total (excluding lunch) and managed to cover 10 miles of terrain. I may have used my arms a little more than I was supposed to, and today my shoulders, inner thighs and butt are all fairly sore - in a good way!
It was a great day out on the mountain, an excellent way to cross-train, and you can bet I’ll be cross-country skiing again!
Cross-training! Though I’ve been downhill skiing since I was 8 years old, I’ve never done any cross-country skiing. On Sunday, 2 friends and I made the 3.5 hour trek to Bear Valley, a lovely spot in the Sierras off Hwy 4 between Tahoe and Yosemite. Bear Valley is at 7,100 feet, so this was good practice for Ironman Lake Tahoe elevation. I’ve had symptoms from elevation at Tahoe in the past (headaches, shortness of breath), but luckily did not experience any of them while at Bear Valley.
The storms of the last week dumped a wonderful layer of fresh snow throughout the valley, and the groomed trails were in great condition. The crisp sunny day was perfect for learning some new skills.
I felt pretty comfortable right off the mark, perhaps because I’ve been on skis for much of my life. The motions were different than I was used to, and I felt a little wobbly on the narrow skis, but I loved experimenting with gliding along. It’s a meditative sport, encouraged by the quietness of the paths, the snow-covered trees creating a hush and calm. I often found myself staring at the track in front of me, lost in thought, instead of admiring the view.
It was peaceful for my brain, but not for my muscles! My heart rate never got very high, but I definitely found a few new muscles to work. I wore my Garmin (because I’m in training!), and recorded that we skied for 3 hours 40 minutes total (excluding lunch) and managed to cover 10 miles of terrain. I may have used my arms a little more than I was supposed to, and today my shoulders, inner thighs and butt are all fairly sore - in a good way!
It was a great day out on the mountain, an excellent way to cross-train, and you can bet I’ll be cross-country skiing again!
Week 7 Mileage
Tuesday, December 25 Run - 40 minutes, 4.5 miles Wednesday, December 26 Spin - 40 minutes (light) Thursday, December 27 Run - 60 minutes, 6.5 miles Friday, December 28 Rest Saturday, December 29 Spin - 3 hours Run - 27 minutes, 3 miles Core - 10 minutes Sunday, December 30 Cross-Country Skiing - 3 hours 40 minutes, 10 miles | Totals: Swim - N/A (not with a cold!) Bike - 3 hours 40 minutes Run - 2 hours 10 minutes, 14 miles Core - 10 minutes (oy) Ski - 3 hours 40 minutes, 10 miles Total - 9 hours, 40 minutes |