Run Focus Block: Week 1, Day 2 Run

Today is the second day of the 6 week run focused block of my training. I did not need to do the 5K run test as I just tested last week to end my NOS. Instead I had a 2 x 1 workout at Zone 4. My new Zone 4 pace is 6:43.

5k test for vDOT. WU: 15' including 4 x 30" at 5k pace.
MS: Run a 5k Time Trial. Find a relatively flat course (or track) for your test. Goal is to hold a pace you can sustain for the full duration of the test without blowing up and without having a lot left to kick at the end. The ideal course is one you can test on repeatedly. CD: Walking, jogging as needed, etc.

Note: If you don't NEED to test, do 2 x 1 mile (4') as your workout. 

I decided to finally suck it up and run outside. I have not ran outside this year so I thought it was time to get outdoors. IT was not too bad out. I was cold the first 10-15 minutes, but as I continued to run I warmed up just fine. I started off nice and easy running a 8:16 pace to get loose for about 11 minutes. I then moved to a stretch of road perfect to start the mile interval. I was spot on running the mile in 6:42.

I took the four minute rest going nice and easy to recover. My legs were heavy after this point, but it was soon time for the second mile interval. You can see below I ran that one in 6:36 so a bit faster. This was due to being properly warmed up and also probably a bit of small downhill descent to start the run. This helped to set the pace. I felt really good during this mile and actually overran a bit to run 1.17.

I was pretty tired and my legs were fatigued. I decided to run two more miles nice and easy to begin to build up some base and slowly expand my time on my feet. I have not ran long in a long time due to the focus being on speed. It is time to begin to slowly build.

I love my new watch! Look at all this cool data and this is not even all of it! So worth the purchase. Very happy I splurged. I hit my groove and realized I need to to work on my run. I am glad I chose the run focus because it is needed.

6 Week Run Focus Block: Day 1 Swim Test

I decided to get the swim test out of the way first thing this morning. I was not in the mood for the treadmill or the high winds outside. I needed to get a swim test done as I already have my run and bike data from the November Out Season. And I was anxious to test out my new watch. I broke down and despite not having the money for it I purchased the Garmin 910XT.

Today I had to do the following:

T-Pace Swim Test This test will establish your “T-pace," which we will use as a reference for future interval work. This is also your initial swim test, to gauge your improvement across this plan.

WU: Start slow and gradually build pace/effort. 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim.

MS: After the warm-up, swim 1000 yards/meters at a constant pace and good effort—as if racing.

Record your average pace per 100. This pace is your "T-pace," will be used as a reference for future interval work. 

I tested out my watch and it was amazing! It is worth every penny to have a watch monitor my swim stroke count and how far I swim. I no longer have to think about laps, but just technique. That is a game changer right there. I felt pretty good in the pool. I have to back and look at my swim times from last season to see how I compare, but I don't think I was too far off from last season despite only swimming 3-4 times since August.

When I got home I synced up my watch and my brain turned to ooze when I saw all this data recorded. I did not have time to process it all, but being the nerd I am I cannot wait to sift through it all. All the more for me to look at and analyze. I love it!

I swam the 1000 yard test in 17:05 for a T-100 test time of 1:42/100. Not the fastest by any means, but at least it is a start towards a new plan and goal to being faster this year.

Here is more info! Gotta love it!

Out Season: Week 12 Wednesday Night Run

I had to dig deep to get this run done. I really did not think it was going to happen. After getting the kids to bed we had to figure out the next phase in the AdvoCare 24 day challenge and what we can and cannot eat. I finally made it down to the treadmill around 8:30 and took some time to get set up and took off.

My treadmill is struggling lately. It kept jerking as I ran. It hurt my knee by the end of the run, but after about 30 minutes it finally stopped the sudden stop motions. I started off watching the pilot episode of American Horror Story, but had to change because that opening sequence was too much for me handle before bed. I hate scary movies and shows so this was not a wise choice. I went back to Breaking Bad and knocked out the workout.

The workout was a 60 minute run consisting of

MS: 1 x 200, 1 x 400, 3 x 800 all at @ IP/6:39/Very Hard with full recoveries between each.

Tip: Build your pace across each repeat here so that your final set is your strongest.

 My 800's were 6:17, 6:18, 5:58. I was way below my 6:39 pace, but it felt easy and for some reason my watch was not showing these numbers. It kept bouncing around at an above 6:39 pace. This was a blessing to see for me personally to see that numbers this low. I have not seen numbers this low in training ever!

I felt good to get this workout done. I know this weekend will be tough to get both workouts in as I am out of town with my robotics team competing at state. Trying to manage and coach ten 5th - 8th graders is a workout itself.

My knee was sore and I hope a rest day will do it some good.

Out Season: Week 11 - Rest Day Turns Into Run Workout Makeup

I know that today is a rest day. I know that rest days are vital to training. I know that we are not to make up workouts.....

BUT

For my own sake of mind I had to get a run in today. I felt like crap after the bike Sunday and knew that I had done perhaps too much too soon. So I did not run. I have been slacking in the run department lately. This frustrates me as this was my key event at one point in time. I have come to loathe running, but need to get my passion for it back.

This morning I started my AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. I did my weigh in and all the goodies that come with trying to knock off this excessive weight. I felt good. I felt really good after a good night sleep. So I ran. I had to do it. I had to bring peace of mind back to my brain.

I went for the Sunday run workout. I did not go 60 minutes, but did enough to get the intervals done.

MS: 2 x 1/2 mile (3'), 1 x 1 mile (3'), 2 x 1/2 mile (3') all @ TP/Z4/Hard. Remainder of run is how you feel, but try to accumulate more HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard time.

Creating a 75 to 90 minute run from this run, where personal and physical bandwidth allows, is recommended. Simply settle into a pace between LRP/Zone 1/Easy and MP/Zone 2/Steady.

I hit my strides. I felt good running and was so happy I did. I need to start to get back to doing all the run workouts and then get back to building up some endurance. I know it is only January, but I know how my mind operates. I cannot afford to slack or it all goes away quickly.

Here is to not listening to my coach and others and running. I don't think it was too much, but just enough to get me back to where I belong mentally.

OS Week 9: After Christmas Workout Begins! Bike FTP Ride

I took 4 days off. I did not do any training from the 23rd to the 26th. I had plans to train, but while in Indiana the time never really presented itself to slip away for a bit. On the 26th I had total intentions of getting back on track with my training, but I was hit with the flu or something as I felt terrible.

Finally on the 27th I started from the beginning of the week to get all the workouts done. I refused to miss out on anymore workouts. Being on holiday break there is no excuses.

Here is my TR data = Rides - TrainerRoad http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/137552

I made two new goals on both my 30 minute and 60 minute power zones

The plan called for

MS: 2 x 18' (4') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard.

Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

I could tell that I was not feeling 100% yet because this was a struggle of a workout. My legs did not have it in them. Also, the binge eating of the three prior days did not help. It will be amazing when I get back to healthy eating and the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. This was a good start to getting back on track.

Info on the 24 DC

http://www.advocare.com/canyou24/

Check it out! We have a team ready to change lives starting on January 7th.

Go to this website and contact me if you have any questions about getting started. Simply Google Advocare 24 Day Challenge to see results from all over the world.

DM if you have questions and to get you started.

We have over 10 people on our GETTING IT DONE! team and would love to have more join us as we all work towards our personal goals.

Here is our team page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/304516902982290/

Out Season: Week 8 VO2 Bike Workout with new numbers

Yesterday morning I just could not get out of bed. I was not mentally or physically ready to tackle a VO2 max workout with the new numbers from the bike test. So, I planned to just use Thursday as the rest day and do the workout Friday. Well, due to the snowstorm that arrived school was cancelled and I realized that I really had no excuse to not train.

Later in the morning when Ava fell asleep I jumped on the bike and took off. I had to use my new numbers from the recent bike test which you can see off to the side. I was nervous!

My training plan called for

MS: 3 x (4 x 45/45) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 5 x 45/45's. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

You can see from the data below that I nailed it. I rode pretty well and stayed above the 259 for the 45 second intervals. I felt good about this.

I was going to run right after, but life got in the way with three children home for  a snow day and a to do list a mile long before leaving for holiday travels. The plan was to run outside later in the day when the wind died down.

I was supposed to get in the following run as well

MS: 40' @ EP/Z1/Easy + 5 x uphill 20 Strides

Well, the run never got done. Perhaps it is okay. I don't know. My body was tired from the tests this week and this workout so maybe the weather was an indication to not run. I refuse to run 40 minutes on a treadmill. I planned on going outside, but when I drove out in the storm to pick up a pizza I realized that this was not a smart choice.

After shoveling the driveway, have a snowball fight with my children, eating Christmas cookies, calling my daughter crazy for walking home barefoot in the snow, and cleaning up bath water that my youngest decided to poop in, I called it a day and laid in bed to watch Charlie Brown.

Today is a rest day. Tomorrow is another day back at it and I will hit the roads Sunday before driving to Indiana.

Out Season: Week 7 - Wednesday Ride

This post is a bit late coming, but I have not had time to get everything recorded like I wanted. I had to do this Tuesday workout on Wednesday after a rough start to the week. I was not feeling the greatest this morning at all not sure if I was going to barf, or something else, or both. I opted to skip the outdoor run and say indoors close to a bathroom. I had the hot sweats with the chills and knew I had to battle through and sweat it out. I felt much better afterwards, but boy I did not lose the hot sweats all day.

Here is the workout

MS: 2 x 15' (4') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

Tip: reflect on the changes you've seen in your physical and mental fitness and maybe share those with the teams? Have you learned and observed that work WORKS?

Rides - TrainerRoad http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/124962

I was pretty tired the rest of the day, but at least I go this workout in.

Out Season: Week 7 - Friday VO2 Bike Workout

This week has been a bad week in terms of training, eating, stress, and just life of teaching and parenting. I am not going into all the details because nobody cares except my own family, but needless to say I feel out of sorts and working my way back. It is that time of year when there are a million things going on with multiple deadlines.

I missed the run workout on Wednesday as I did the Tuesday bike workout that day. I opted to skip the run because I was feeling a little under the weather and run outside I felt would send me over the edge and I needed to be close to a bathroom in case of an emergency. I had planned on doing this workout on Thursday with the run workout today, but after a long day yesterday I skipped the workout and chose just to let the run workout go.

This morning I got up and took care of business and completed this VO2 workout from yesterday. I felt good on the bike. I pushed hard and actually recovered very easily with not even feeling like I worked out. I always feel better after a good workout.

The plan today was

MS: 3 x (4 x 45/45) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 5 x 45/45's.

Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

These are Vo2 sets, as equal parts "ON" and "OFF" time, where ON is done at your Vo2 power, Z5 heart rate, or Very Hard effort, and OFF is at 65% power, Z1 heart rate, or Easy effort. For example, for the 45/45's, you will do 45" ON, then 45" OFF, repeating this for the specificied set.

Rides - TrainerRoad http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/126724

My Zone 5 is 243 or above and you can see I hit those spot on today with 244 being my lowest and even having a couple in the 250 range. I am feeling much stronger on the bike each week.

Tomorrow I will get up super early for the bike workout and brick run as I have a full day of robotics competition with my robotics team. By the time I get home from that long 10 hour day I know I will not want to do anything.

Here is to a good Friday and weekend.

Out Season: Week 6 - Sunday Interval Long Run....BLAH!

Once again did not get a chance to run in the darkness(I prefer early runs in the dark). All my kids were up super early so I ran this afternoon in the rain. At first I thought I would hate it, but I enjoyed the weather and running today. Unfortunately, my legs were just not feeling it as they were tired from the brick workout yesterday.

Here is the plan for the run today

MS: 2 x 1/2 mile (3'), 2 x 1 mile (5') all @ TP/Z4/Hard. Remainder of run is how you feel, but try to accumulate more HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard time.

Creating a 75 to 90 minute run from this run, where personal and physical bandwidth allows, is recommended. Simply settle into a pace between LRP/Zone 1/Easy and MP/Zone 2/Steady.

I have been building up these runs the last few weeks getting up to about 80 minutes of running. I will be honest and state that I had missed a workout here or there leading up to these runs.

This week I was spot on with my training and I could feel it in the run today.

I ran a new course today and it felt like I was running a long slow uphill battle the whole time. I will have to run this course in the opposite direction next time to make it easier. I started off with a 2 mile warm up to get on the bike path where it was fairly flat for the first .5 interval. I hit that with a 7:09 pace. My pace for all intervals is 7:12 so I was good with that pace, but I knew it was not going to feel easy like the previous runs. Set 2 of the .5 interval I was stronger at 7:02. I must have felt good, but I don't remember.

From there I moved on to the two mile intervals. The first one I fell short at 7:13, but you can see my HR was pumping. I had some serious hills to tackle. About the halfway point I had a .25 hill climb that just wiped me clean. But it was a good mental challenge. I made it to the top of the hill and saw my mile pace past 7:20 and thought I could make an excuse for the hill or challenge myself. I challenged myself and got it down to 7:13. I felt really good about that. From there I took a longer break to get to a stretch of road that was not hilly so I had to run easy a bit longer which maybe was a good thing from the hills I just tackled. I finished up the last mile interval in 7:07. I finished strong which is good. I then was going to cut it at 60 minutes, but I knew I would be mad at myself for doing this so I ran a tad longer getting in three more miles to work on endurance a bit.

Overall, I was pleased to get the run done and accomplished. Rest day tomorrow is much needed.

I just signed up for a triathlon in January so I need to figure out how to get some swimming involved in my workouts. I was also looking at Crossfit and seeing if that is something I could add throughout the winter as well. I don't want to overdo it and risk injury, but I always like trying something new and have never done Crossfit. Maybe for now I won't do anything, but it is capturing my interest.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! Another great week of training in the books.

Out Season: Week 6 - Bike 4 x (3 x 45) Intervals

Another morning that I was just not feeling it. I was very tired this morning and did not get out of bed until 4:35. I forced my way to my pain cave, took my AdvoCare to get the body ready and started my workout. I knew I would be upset all day if I did not get this done. It took a little bit to get going, but watching a documentary on Bob Hurley coaching at St. Anthony High School motivated me to get going and I did just that.

I cued up the same workout I programmed on TR last week and took off.

I had the following workout

MS: 4 x (3 x 45/45) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 3 x 45/45's. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

Rides - TrainerRoad http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/120008

My Zone 5 is 243+ and I am happy to report I was above that or right at it on all of them. I had a few where I was at 242 and one I was low at 234. I don't know what happened there. I think the major difference is getting power built up close to this right before the timer starts. I think that a few seconds at the beginning of the interval is enough to not meet the goal power due to a lag in communication. Overall, I am happy with my work this morning. I got it done despite not feeling it at all today. I look forward to a rest day tomorrow.

On a separate note I have created a group on Facebook for the GETTING IT DONE! team. This group is for those interested in taking the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge starting January 1st. Check out the link http://www.facebook.com/groups/304516902982290/

Basically, this is going to be a group effort to help everyone meet their personal goals. I will be posting more soon on the group and so forth. If interested make sure you join and be sure to order the AdvoCare 24 Challenge bundle. It is worth every penny even if it seems like a bit much at first. It is a game changer and will get you right on track to success. If you need help with ordering or have any questions be sure to let me know. I just want to help others as I help myself.

You can always check out the AdvoCare tab on this blog to learn more.

Have a great day!

Out Season: Week 6 - Tuesday Bike Workout

Today I had up the following workout to get done

WU: 5’ easy, 3’ standing @ big gear/low cadence, 2’ easy, then 12’ at Z3/80-85%/Mod Hard, then 3’ easy.

MS: 2 x 15' (4') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard. 

I won't lie I had to get my mind in the right frame of mind. I put on 30/30 Winning Time about Pacers vs. Knicks back in the day. This was all the motivation I needed. Today was good workout. I was sweating like a hog.

My Bike Zones

Here is my workout for the day

My Garmin Data

I met my goals and I had to mentally fight through the last 5 minutes of each 15 minute block. I had to keep on riding when my brain started to doubt. My legs were tired, but this workout showed me that I could push longer than what I think. These workouts are great to help me mentally understand what this body is capable of achieving.

After the workout I felt great. I always feel so much better after a good workout. I wake up feeling a little blah and once I finish my workout I feel great!

My goal tonight is to actually do the 20 minute run. I have yet to do this run, but will do so tonight. I wont' let myself skip this tonight. No EXCUSES!

Out Season: Week 5 - 4 x (3 x 45) Workout, AdvoCaare, and TR

Today was tough for me mentally. I woke up at 3:30 when my daughter decided it was time to start the day. My legs were very sore and tired and I was just not ready to get going. I had to force myself out of bed and was ever so glad I did so.

Today was a tough bike workout. I started with the typical warm up that I have to get me going at 5 am i the morning.

5’ easy, 3’ standing @ big gear/low cadence, 2’ easy, then 12’ at Z3/80-85%/Mod Hard, then 3’ easy.

I then got into the workout which called for

MS: 4 x (3 x 45/45) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 3 x 45/45's. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

If you have been following my blog and training log, then you know I am working on converting to Virtual Power using TrainerRoad. I did the test on Tuesday to establish my zones. I plugged them into Endurance Nation, but not sure why my stuff did not load properly.

Here are my power zones















I don't know why the zones did not show up as 1,2,3,4,5, but I can still figure it out. Today as I rode I paid attention to TR and hitting my Power Zones as opposed to HR on my watch. I still recorded the workout on my Garmin and you can see that below.

During my 45 second intervals I had to hit at least 243 power. You can get a better visual of my workout at Rides - TrainerRoad http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/114527

This was a good workout and actually it knocked out the soreness in my legs. I was able to hit all marks except I think two intervals. I then finished riding in Zone 3 to wrap things up.

Name	Time	kJ/Cal	TSS	NP	Power	Target	Heart	Cadence
Workout	01:01:01	599	79	176	163	239	126	77
Sweet Spot 1	00:03:00	25	2	136	138	179	116	63
Anaerobic Capacity 1	00:12:05	121	14	167	167	329	117	78
Anaerobic Capacity 2	00:00:45	11	1	215	242	391	126	97
Anaerobic Capacity 3	00:00:45	11	2	219	243	389	131	97
Anaerobic Capacity 4	00:00:45	11	2	221	241	387	132	96
Anaerobic Capacity 5	00:00:45	10	1	205	233	389	129	95
Anaerobic Capacity 6	00:00:45	11	2	224	248	389	136	98
Anaerobic Capacity 7	00:00:45	11	2	224	250	389	139	99
Anaerobic Capacity 8	00:00:45	11	1	216	243	391	130	97
Anaerobic Capacity 9	00:00:45	11	2	226	250	391	140	99
Anaerobic Capacity 10	00:00:45	11	2	220	246	389	139	98
Anaerobic Capacity 11	00:00:45	11	1	214	242	389	134	96
Anaerobic Capacity 12	00:00:45	11	2	223	245	389	143	97
Anaerobic Capacity 13	00:00:45	11	2	220	245	389	143	98
Anaerobic Capacity 14	00:14:00	142	17	168	168	325	136	79

This was a great workout once I got done. I had to muster up the mojo to get going. Like I tell my girls that I coach sometimes you just don't feel like practicing, but you have to do it anyway. I had to live by my words this morning and was quite happy that I did so.

I still need to work on creating better workouts. For some reason I thought I had the intervals dialed in to my  power levels, but when I started the workout the power goals were super high like 300. But at least I had the intervals put in correctly so I could see each one individually and not massed together like my bike test.

Looking forward to a day off tomorrow!

What I have found to be the hardest thing so far is still eating. I cannot stay mentally focused to stay away from junk food. Tis the season I guess. I did buy everything I need to do the AdvoCare 24 day challenge to work on weight loss. I have this ready to go after Christmas. No need to do it now when I know I will be eating good over the holidays again. If you are interested in the 24 day challenge or any AdvoCare product please let me know and I would love to help. I am training this season with AdvoCare and I can tell such a huge difference in how I feel during training and afterwards and am so glad I took the plunge to this company after avoiding it the last few years.

Have a great day!

Out Season: Week 4 - Sunday Long Run Wa-HOO!!!

Today I made sure that I got my long run in. I missed out on two run workouts last week and one this week. I knew that I could not let another slip away. Especially with the monster eating workout I took a whole new level this Thanksgiving.

My plan was to get up early and run, but I woke up around 5 am and decided not go run because if my kids woke up early(which they always do) then my wife would have to get up early. If mamma is not happy, then nobody is happy. I just had to ensure that I stayed focus all morning to get the run in. Ava finally went down for a nap late morning I headed outdoors. It was a warm 32 degrees which was perfect running weather.

The plan for today called for

MS: 2 x 800 (3'), 1 x 1600 all @ TP/Z4/Hard. Remainder of run is how you feel, but try to accumulate more HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard time.

Creating a 75 to 90 minute run from this run, where personal and physical bandwidth allows, is recommended. Simply settle into a pace between LRP/Zone 1/Easy and MP/Zone 2/Steady.

I decided from the start to aim for a 65-75 minute run. I have not run this long in a super long time. Two weeks ago I ran 60 minutes and that felt like eternity.

Today I loved running. Once I get out on the roads I just love it. I can turn my mind off and just run. I find the time to be a great stress release and an opportunity to clear my mind. I love it that I don't overheat in this weather so that always helps.

I also decided to avoid the track today. I warmed up and when I hit a somewhat flat road I took off for the 800's. This is they key. The track makes it feel like work. Running without the track is the key.

You can see I started off with a 12 minute warmup.

I hit my first 800 at a 6:51 pace which is way faster than  my Z4 zone of 7:12. This pace felt easy. I need to retest for sure. Maybe I was just feeling good today, but 6:51 did not feel tough at all.

My second 800 I was at 6:58 so a bit slower, but still felt quite easy in terms of pushing myself.

Next was the mile which is what I feared a bit. I ran the mile in 7:06 and this included a few little hills to challenge myself a bit. I held on strong and found a good groove.

The remainder of the run I just found a nice groove of around 8:30 - 8:40 and just cruised. I felt good and it felt good to be out running. At one point I did have my left foot feel like I stepped on lava. A burning sensation and my foot hurt the last few miles. Being a few miles out I had no choice but to continue running. I need to keep an eye on my foot. It is quite tender even now when I do anything besides walking. This foot is the same one that has dealt me stress fractures in the past.

All in all I felt great. I feel good afterwards and knowing that I can run for 75 minutes and not feel terrible is a great sign that I am not as out of shape as I think. I just need to be smart and allow the small bones, ligaments and joints to catch up to the training to avoid injury. A day of rest tomorrow might be best for my foot. I have to be smart so I don't end up in a boot again.

I also have been battling with a toe issue. The last few weeks my toe has been red and swollen. It hurts to the touch, but while training it has not been an issue. As time has gone on it continues to get more red and bruised. I thought it might be a blood blister and tried popping it, but nothing happened. Yesterday after my brick workout my toe felt weird and I checked it out to find it had popped or busted open.

I know pretty gross right? It has opened up even more and this weird stuff oozes out from it. Probably time to get it check out. The good news is that as long as I don't touch or squeeze my toe there is no pain so maybe the worst is over.

The joys of training. Time to get things ready for the real world tomorrow. I am planning on staying off my foot and hope that the pain goes away. In the meantime I will stay positive and happy with my run. It was a great mental boost.

And yes, I fear the weigh in tomorrow. It could be scary!

CNN Fit Nation Application: Help Me Be Part Of This Team!

I came across this awesome team that CNN put together in 2012 where they select a team of people to work on their fitness. The people of all different backgrounds, obstacles, and challenges, trained and worked hard to complete triathlons with the help of Dr. Gupta.

I was so inspired after checking the videos, news articles, and updates that I have decided to apply for the 2013 team. This morning I submitted my video and application. I don't know exactly how they choose their teams, but I am asking a favor. A favor to check out my application, watch the video, and give me a Recommend to help me possibly be part of this amazing team.

One of the things I have learned through training in 2012 is how important it is to be part of a team and have others help you along the way. I would not have been able to push myself without the help of so many people this year. I still have a long way to goal in terms of becoming a better athlete, race performance, and simply leading a healthier lifestyle. I hope that I can be part of this team and that it will help me take my fitness levels to the next level so that I can further inspire and motivate my family and friends and students.

Here is the link to my application: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-885969

Here is the link to what the team is all about:  http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/fit.nation/

Here is the link to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CNNFitNation

I hope you find inspiration among these pages and I hope that I can further inspire you to GETTING IT DONE! and don't forget to recommend me if you feel it is needed.

Even more important if you could share this and spread the word I would love it even more. I hope that I can be a role model in helping others set goals and meeting obstacles head on.

Thanks

Out Season: Week 4 - Saturday Brick Workout

Okay, I hate to admit it, but I failed to get my run workout in yesterday. I told myself not to let myself skip the workout as I did not do it on Wednesday, but I just did not have it in me. I was mad at myself for not getting it done, but to be honest I think it was best. After a long day of cleaning and cooking all day Thursday, my body was worn out. I did some damage to the food prepared.

This makes for the 3rd workout I have missed in four weeks. I cannot get into this habit. I already skip the short little run on Tuesdays as I always have a game and don't feel like running after a long day. I don't feel bad about that, but I hate it when I miss the key workouts.

Today I jumped on the back this afternoon after mustering up the motivation to get going again.

The workout on the bike called for

Warm-Up
5’ easy, 3’ standing @ big gear/low cadence, 2’ easy, then 12’ at Z3/80-85%/Mod Hard, then 3’ easy.

MS: 8' (2'), 10' (2), 10'(2') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard.

I need to retest myself on the bike. Staying in my HR zones of 143-148 don't challenge me that way I think they should during a Z4 ride. Now that I have TrainerRoad set up I am thinking of doing a bike test tomorrow and start using virtual power. I feel like I have come a long way on the bike in the four weeks of training and the Z4 area is not much of a challenge. I constantly find myself slowing down to stay in the zone.

 During the first 8 minute session I was at 26.5 mph with 144 HR
The first 10 minute sessions I was at  25.3 at 146 HR
The second 10 minute session I was at 25.7 at 145 HR

The numbers tell me that perhaps I could have cranked a bit more on the bike as my HR could have gone up to 148.

As soon as I finished the bike I jumped off and put my shoes and socks on. I jumped on the dreadmill and started running. I know the plan calls for a 20 minute run when bricking, but I needed to run a bit more since I missed my Wednesday workout. I did not want to be stupid so I just decided to go for 3 miles.

The run workout called for

MS: Steady run as MP/Z2/Steady out and back. If bricking, do 20' only.

I ran for about 26 minutes. My Zone 2 pace is 136 - 144 HR for a 7:40 pace. I could not run at this pace and keep my HR this low. I ran a 8:27 pace and was over at a 150 HR. This did not feel tough at all. I felt pretty good.

I did not use any fuel during either workout. I stuck to just water. I figured I packed away plenty of energy from all my eating the last two days.

Tonight I will eat somewhat healthy finishing up leftovers and cheer on my Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tomorrow morning I will wake up early and get my run done so there are no excuses to be had. I need to ensure I get these run workouts done.

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!

Out Season: Week 4 - Thursday 30/30 Bike Workout

I got up early this morning to get this bike workout in. I did not do the run workout yesterday. My body just felt worn out from traveling and a two very long days of teaching and coaching. Getting ready for Thanksgiving all day yesterday did not help matters. So I chose to skip the run and move it to Friday instead of a rest day. With the holiday I have not been able to get into Dr. Walden for ART to help my knee which is killing me. I know he will fix me right up, but I have not been able to get in to see him.

Anyways, I got up at 4:30 and took in my AdvoCare and got my mind ready. I tested out creating a custom workout on TR. I know nothing of my power levels or any of the data streams in provides so I just created a workout based on the intervals of my planned workout. I am hoping this weekend to do the power test to get things aligned and then spend time studying and reading up on what all the abbreviations mean.

The workout today called for

Warm Up
5’ easy, 3’ standing @ big gear/low cadence, 2’ easy, then 12’ at Z3/80-85%/Mod Hard, then 3’ easy.

Main Set
MS: 2 x (5 x 30/30) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 5 x 30/30's. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

Here is my data

I felt good on the bike today. My numbers are not near as high as last week, but I felt good.

This week my 30 splits were
 Set 1: 31.8 @ 120
Set 2: 32.2 @ 137
Set 3: 32.8 @ 131
Set 4: 32.2 @ 135
Set 5: 34 @ 138


My HR did not quite get up to the Zone 4 range as planned. Even during the rest as I know HR lags a bit behind I never got above 143. I don't know if I am getting in better shape and need to crank harder or what. I felt like I was pushing hard, but obviously not hard enough. It is hard to gauge with HR when it does lag behind. I look forward to converting to virtual power so I can stay better aligned.

Set 6: 32.5 @ 128
Set 7: 34.5 @ 143
Set 8: 35.1 @ 150
Set 9: 35.8 @ 150
Set 10: 36.3  @155 - This last one I did for  a minute. I did not get the beep on TR so I just kept riding and thought it was past 30 seconds. I realized it was and just held on for one minute.

I wrapped up with some Z3 riding.

I feel so much better with a workout in. Yesterday I felt so blah and no motivated. Had I got up and ran like I was supposed to I know I would not have felt that way.

Time to clean, drink some coffee, and get ready for a great day with family. Thanksgiving is all about being around loved ones. Have a great day and don't forget to be thankful for the simple things in life. It is easy to get wrapped up in trivial things. Today is a great reminder to take a step back and just laugh and relax and remember what is really important in life.

Week 3 were the following

My speeds were
Set 1: 35.9 @ 127
Set 2: 35.5 @ 139
Set 3: 36.1 @ 141
Set 4: 37.2 @ 144
Set 5: 37.8 @ 146

Set 6: 34.4 @ 124
Set 7: 36.3 @ 142
Set 8: 36.4 @ 147
Set 9: 36.2 @ 146
Set 10: 37  @ 149

Out Season: Week 3 - 30/30 Bike Workout

Here is the workout for today:

MS: 2 x (5 x 30/30) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. Take 2' easy between each set of 5 x 30/30's. Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

I felt good on the bike despite not wanting to get out of bed this morning. My legs feel good and strong despite not having a rest day since last Friday.

My speeds were
Set 1: 35.9 @ 127
Set 2: 35.5 @ 139
Set 3: 36.1 @ 141
Set 4: 37.2 @ 144
Set 5: 37.8 @ 146

Set 6: 34.4 @ 124
Set 7: 36.3 @ 142
Set 8: 36.4 @ 147
Set 9: 36.2 @ 146
Set 10: 37  @ 149

Here was the training from last week

Here was the training from last week

My 30's at Zone 5 were at the following
1. 33.3 mph @ 130
2. 33.9 mph @ 140
2. 32.8 mph @139
3. 33.8 mph @ 140
4. 33.7 mph @ 141


Round 2
1.33.2 mph @ 125
2. 33.7 mph @ 142
3. 34.4 mph @ 146
4. 34.1 mph @ 146
5. 34.1 mph @ 147


I love seeing the speed increase since a week ago. I am also recovering much more quickly. Last week I was sore all the time. This week I am not sure and am rebouding back quite well.

I have three workouts left. I will probably do the bike ride for Saturday tomorrow morning before flying out to Denver and then rely on getting my runs in while out of town. Not perfect with the schedule, but at least I will get the workouts all completed.

Have a great day and continue to push yourselves.

Out Season: Week 3: Run Workout - 800's BLAH!!!

I can tell I did not get my day off of rest on Monday. I have a super busy week and it was hard to get out of bed today. It was a warm 18 degrees outside and I just did not want to run because I knew what was coming. The workout today called for

MS: 6 x 800 (3') @ TP/Z4/Hard.

I loathe 800's. I don't know why, but I just do. It is a mental thing I need to get over. At first when I got up I was a few minutes behind schedule as I fell back asleep. I have been having some stomach issues as of late and I knew that getting my AdvoCare in my system before training was vital. I had about 25 minutes to get my drink and product in before training. I was also just going to run on the treadmill in my house, but I knew myself better and knew I would find an excuse.

So I made myself drive to the Y. I knew running outside was not my thing today. At the Y I knew I would be around people and that would help me stay focused. This also meant running on the dreadmill. Two treadmill runs in the last days! What is going on?

For some reason I could not find the setting on my Garmin that showed my running pace. I swear this option was not showing up. I don't know what was going on. I had to rely on the treadmill for pace. I ran at a slightly fast pace on the treadmill as I know they are typically not correct. I ran at 8.4 mph which was showing up as a 7:08 running pace. My 800 pace was 7:12 so I thought I was good. However, looking at the data below the treadmill was even slower than I realized.

My 800 paces were between 7:09 - 7:14. It was all over and I am not sure why. I now know that when running on the treadmill I need to go a few paces faster in the 8.6 mph range and I should be good. With that being said I was tired. I was not wiped out, but my legs were tired by the 5th and 6th set. What really surprised me was how high my HR was during the runs. The numbers seem awfully high. I did not feel like I was breathing that hard during any of the run to warrant such high numbers. I need to keep an eye on this as well. Not sure what it all means, but these are the highest numbers I have had to date.

I got it and got it done this morning. I will knock out the bike workout tomorrow and then figure out how to get the rest down while out of town.

Out Season: Week 2 - Bike Workout #2

Today was the third straight day of training as part of the virtual brick workout. I had a great night of sleep after a terrible night the night before(wow, I just night a lot in one sentence). I wanted to get my Garmin watch all dialed in with TR as my Garmin USB stick arrived, but I did not have time. My goal tonight is to figure out how to make it all work(that shall prove interesting).

After getting in my AdvoCare Spark, Arginine, and Rehydrate consumed I was ready to go. The workout this morning called for:

MS: 2 x (5 x 30/30) @ Vo2/Zone5/Very Hard. 

Take 2' easy between each set of 5 x 30/30's. 

Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

My legs were tired, but after a good warm-up of doing the following I was ready

25 minutes

5’ easy, 3’ standing @ big gear/low cadence, 2’ easy, then 15’ at Z3/80-85%/Mod Hard

My 30's at Zone 5 were at the following
1. 33.3 mph @ 130
2. 33.9 mph @ 140
2. 32.8 mph @139
3. 33.8 mph @ 140
4. 33.7 mph @ 141


Round 2
1.33.2 mph @ 125
2. 33.7 mph @ 142
3. 34.4 mph @ 146
4. 34.1 mph @ 146
5. 34.1 mph @ 147

The HR are all lower, but if you check the data, my HR is always higher on the rest period as the watch lags behind with HR. I felt like I was riding harder during the 30 intervals compared to last week, but looking at the data I was not. However, my legs were fresh last week as opposed to this week where I am feeling the effects of this training(a good feeling). I finished up with 23 minutes in Zone 3 and here I was able to see some improvement compared to last week.

My legs were jelly after this ride. I feel more fit in only a week and a half. My focus is back and I am enjoying the training so far. I look forward to watching the data and seeing how I improve.

My focus now will be to figure out how to convert from HR to the TR power data. I need to read up on how to convert properly. I have never used power at all so this is all new territory.

I look forward to a day of rest tomorrow and ready to get it after it this weekend.

Out Season: Week 2: Run Workout a.k.a Virtual Brick

This morning was tough. I am struggling as I type this right now. Yesterday I did not make time to eat enough. I was super busy and did not get in enough food. After coaching my 8th grade girls and getting home after 7 pm I ate a sandwich and proceeded to eat a bunch of garbage food.

Last night I fell asleep watching the election for about 90 minutes. When I woke up I could not fall back asleep. I was up from 10:00 - 1:30 last night night. I could not stop my minding from going a million miles an hour thinking about the game, coaching, school work, life, etc. You name it I thought about it.

Needless to say that my alarm at 4:13 went off and I was super tired. I forced myself up and did get my run in. I did not however get my 15 minute easy run with strides in last night. I hope that I will be okay with missing that little workout.

I ran to the track as my warm up and proceeded to do the following workout:

MS: 5 x 800 (4') @ TP/Z4/Hard.

Tip: The Wednesday run is the "virtual" brick of the OS program, where you run on tired legs after Tuesday but before Thursday. These are quality sessions, so do your best to stack them 24 hours apart (tues/wed/thurs)

 

I was pretty dialed in this morning. My legs were tired. My cardio felt fine. The first two I was a little fast, but my HR was below Z4 so I felt that this was okay. It all caught up to me at the third set where I hit my time perfectly with good HR. My legs were tired at this point. The next two I picked up the pace, but they did not feel any harder than the third set. My HR was only above Z4 for the last one, but with the first two below I think it all balances out :)

Set 1: 6:52 @ 134 HR
Set 2: 7:01 @ 148 HR
Set 3: 7:12 @ 154 HR
Set 4: 7:00 @ 156 HR
Set 5: 6:46 @ 161 HR

I then ran home as a cool down and have continued my day. I am very tired and having a hard time staying awake. I hope for a good night sleep tonight and back to proper eating so I can get another good bike workout in tomorrow morning. Thank goodness for my AdvoCare product to help me get my body fueled and primed.