Training Recap Week 2

I survived the second week of training, and added some new workouts to the mix, which meant whole new realms of soreness. The week began with a brick workout early Saturday morning. We were rerouted to the Veloway because of fog, which also meant (blessedly!) a slightly shorter workout than originally planned. 18 miles (6 laps) on the veloway, followed by a 2 mile run, then another 2 laps of the velowaty, and a one mile run. It's been so long since I've done this much endurance training, that I've forgotten the importance of eating during the workout. Thus, it wasn't until I'd finished the last mile of the run that I realized I should've eaten something before the second leg of the bike. Lesson learned.

The Sunday morning run was great - weather was not too cold for shorts, and I surprised myself by finishing the 6.9 mile Mopac to I-35 loop in just under an hour. The drills following were a challenge, though, because I'd worn the wrong socks, and felt a blister developing on my big toe.

Monday night's swim practice, I noticed some improvement on my kick drills on my back, as in, less water up my nose. The lesson there is to relax, one of the biggest challenges for me in the water. By the fourth length, I was actually able to focus on my kick, as opposed to not getting water up my nose. Tuesday morning swim workout involved an incremental mile swim. Swimming just wears me out, but the coaching is helping.

Tuesday's track practice was canceled due to rain, so Gracie & I took to the track on our own Wednesday morning. Six 800's at 5k pace. I have no idea what my 5k pace is, so we guessed. Apparently it was fast enough to wear Gracie out. By number four, she was lagging almost a leash length behind, so I put her in the car to rest while I finished the last two 800's. I don't think there's a marathon in Gracie's future.

Wednesday I checked out the core workout. From the start I thought. this must be what marine basic training is like. I have never been so sore, and so aware of my lack of strength, than I was after this workout. It was by far the most challenging workout I've ever experienced. Will I go back? Probably.

I started coming down with a cold or sinus infection Thursday, and it's no fun to cough and sneeze when you're sore to the core. In an attempt to sweat out the sinus toxins, I went to my first spin class Thursday night. I was pleasantly surprised that we had class on the second story deck overlooking a lake. I'd much rather be out moving, whether running or biking, than on a treadmill or stationary bike, so it helped to have scenery and a breeze. It was also good because I don't usually vary my workout on the bike, and there was a lot of variation to the spin class. On my bike, I tend to shift to an easier gear anytime resistance increases, say on a hill, because I like to keep a high cadence. Biking is a lot like running to me, an aerobic exercise, more about cardiovascular endurance, not strength. So I was "feeling the burn," as Jane Fonda used to say, as we cranked up the resistance and pushed through some "hills" on the spin bikes. Still, I couldn't tell if the cold felt better or worse after the workout

Friday, I rested. I'd planned to bike to work, but thought the better of it since I was under the weather, and still sore from Wednesday.

So, that's week 2. More soreness, some sickness, some newness, and I keep showing up and hoping that my body will adjust to the demands I keep making on it.