Monday, March 21, 2011

Getting the Hang of It

Another week is in the books!  My body is finally coming out of hibernation and eager to get with the program.  Instead of feeling completely wiped out, I'm excited to do the next workout.  And sometimes I want to go further or faster than is on the schedule.  Okay, okay, I'm totally wiped out too.  But I'm adapting to the training load and enjoying the work.  Yeah!

And now...it's time to focus on nutrition.  Ironman Coeur d'Alene is not a flat course, and hauling an extra 30 pounds up the hills is not a good use of my energy reserves.  I've struggled with weight my entire adult life.  Even when I make good food choices, I have a very difficult time shedding pounds.  My metabolism has been on vacation since I turned 17.  So I just have to work harder.  It's not fair, but it's what I've got.  Which means that I really have to make those good choices.  And here's the thing: I'm an intelligent person.  I know what "good choices" looks like.  I'm plenty educated in calories, glycemic index, and carb/protein/fat ratios.  But I still make bad decisions more often than I make good ones.  I don't know what the solution to this is, but I'm working on it.  Thankfully I have some good resources to help me figure it out.

Back to this past week.  Recall that I recently completed test week, where we determined my swim pace, my LTHR on the bike, and LTHR on the run.  We discovered that my HR doesn't recover as nicely as it should while I'm running.  So I've been relegated to purely zone 1-2 work for the next few weeks.  I understand the philosophy behind this and am trying to be patient.  It's tough to be even slower then normal right now, but I know that I'll come out the other side healthier and faster.  In the meantime, the miles just won't rack up as fast.  Eye on the bigger prize, right?

The highlight of this week was a 3 hour ride OUTSIDE on Saturday.  The weather was weird and I couldn't decide between shorts/leg warmers or tights.   So I compromised and went with capris and long socks (compression socks, actually).  The end result?
I know, I'm quite aware of the awesomeness of this getup.  It also garnered quite a few hollers from the yocals.  Hey, at least I was visible.

Do you want to know the best mid-ride espresso stop in Vancouver?  River Maiden Coffee House.  Mmmm...Stumptown coffee.  Go there.
And no week would be complete without some Sunday Morning Solitude.

Weekly Stats:
Swim - 5700 meters (I messed up a workout and forgot to do 250 meters)
Bike - 72.68 miles
Run - 16.75 miles
Total - 10.68 hours