Got back in the saddle this week after last week's lethargy led me to take a Rest Week. This week wasn't what I'd necessarily call normal, but it gave me time to do my longest workout of the season so far on Saturday, and that worked out nicely.
Swim
I swam twice this week, working mid-distance both times. Wednesday was Tri Club practice, and for once, we had a pretty good turnout. My friend Ben and I swam in the same lane, split down the center, and things got pretty interesting. Ben's a competitive guy, and I like swimming against him. He pushed me, and I really enjoyed it.
Wednesday's Workout:
5 x 100 @ 1:40 warm-up
5 x 200 @ 3:00 tempo
200 kick
5 x 100 @ 1:30 pull
100 cool down
We usually have Tri Club practice on Saturday morning where we either ride or run, but with all the snow still on the roads around Milford, I cancelled practice and made plans just to meet whoever showed up at the pool that morning. I got there about 8:30 and got straight in, doing a long ladder set because, for once, I had time to really focus on my swimming.
Saturday's Workout
3 x 100 @ 1:30 warm-up
Ladder Set @ 1:25/100
-- 100, 200, 300, 400, 400, 300, 200, 100
200 kick
5 x 100 pull @ 1:30
5 x 50 @ :50 (fast)
50 cool-down
Needless to say, that was the best swimming workout I've done all season, and even more than that, I finally managed to push myself up to working on a base 1:25/100.
Swimming Total: Two swims (2300, 3400); 5700 yds total (57 pts).
Bike
It's been so crappy up here lately that I feel like I haven't spent any quality time in the saddle in forever. I did manage to ride my regular commute twice, but even that felt like it took something like divine intervention. Wednesday it was in the mid-20's, and I froze on the ride in, and it sucked. Thursday was a little better, and I actually felt good on the bike, which was nice.
Riding Total: Two commute rides; 22.8-miles (22.8 pts).
I'm off three days this week, and one of my goals is to get out on my actual road bike and put in some real mileage. Riding for my commute is fine, but I need more than just a couple of twenty-minute rides.
Run
I ran twice this week. The first time was at lunch on Tuesday, and while the weather was nice in Central Park--and there were a lot of hotties out!--the fact is that scenery aside, I didn't feel like I had my best stuff out there.
Saturday, however, was a totally different story. My wife Sally and I drove down to Short Beach and ran five miles right after I got back from the pool, and I felt terrific. My motor was already running, and it was easy just to hold the tempo and keep it going. Sally's a better runner than I am, and I usually struggle to keep up with her when we run together, but Saturday, she was the one that was huffing for once, and frankly, it was a nice reversal. Towards the end of the workout, I found myself having to double back for her after pushing up a hill.
Running Total: Two runs (5-miles, 5.5-miles); 10.5-miles total (42 pts).
Total Points for the Week: 121.8.
Final Thoughts
120 points in a week is not a bad total for me. Even in mid-season it's rare for me to push more than about 140 or 150 points, so considering that it's only February, I like where I am. I feel like I've trained up to where I'm ready to do some real work. Granted, it's kind of cheap to do the majority of the work in the pool, but on the other hand, it's freezing in Coastal Connecticut right now, and it's not like I don't need the work in the pool.
Sally and I have a race this weekend, the (rescheduled) Stratford YMCA Sweetheart Race, a hilly 4-mile road race. Sally won her Age Group there last year, but I'm personally planning to work through the race and just take it like it comes.
Beyond that, I'd like to get in a longer run this week, and I'd like to get out on my bike at least once. With three days off, I've no doubt I'll get in the pool.
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