Top of the Key

Pretty cold out today. And the snow isn’t going anywhere fast, even with the sun shining all day. Got up fairly early, and got to the pool at 7:30. I swam pretty well, but the smooth feeling of gliding through the water hasn’t been there. Sometimes it just happens. I am a bit tired from that brick the other day. I don’t feel the effects of a workout usually until 2-3 days later. That’s been the case the last few years.

Signed up for the first of three running races held this winter called the Winter Distance Series. Planning to do the 10k on Saturday, and then the next two races most likely the 10mile distance. Again, I’m hoping to get the feel of racing and the experience of what it feels like to push it in a race.

Waking up early tomorrow again to get in my big ride.

It’s like last winter all over again. Tons of snow, never has time to melt away, and just keeps coming. Definitely adds another element to training, that is somewhat hard to do as it is, especially on those dark, cold mornings. Today was no different than what I was doing last year.

I woke up at 4am, and got on the bike a little before 5am. I had brick workout which I missed last week while we were away. It included a 29 mile bike, and a 7 mile run, and then a weight session at the gym. When I awoke, it was snowing, and new I wouldn’t be able to do my fast pace run work outdoors. So I planned to run to the gym to get on a treadmill, hopefully. I rode the full 29 miles on the cranks, and the main set was 19 miles of z3. Not the easiest, but you can start to settle into a pace that will work, and turn your mind off. I’m really happy about that effort. Then ran 2 miles in the snow, literally, probably about 8-10 inches. And the sidewalks weren’t cleared yet, and the roads weren’t that much better. But I managed safely to get to the gym…noone was on the treadmills…sweet! Ran pretty hard out of the gate, and then settled down. I ran 4.5 miles of z3 in a little over 31 min., so about a 7 min. pace. And there wasn’t a line for the treadmills, so I did quick cool down for about 1/2 a mile.

I was feeling really good, with the tunes playing loud and blocking out the surroundings. Did a quick weight session that took under 25 minutes. Needed to get back home. And then I bundled up again and started my run home. I ran more miles than I was supposed to, but giving the conditions, it wasn’t a very fast pace. It was a workout I consider a ‘keeper’, something to put in my back pocket and bring out that experience when I’m having an off day or bad race.

Got up really early today, and on the road for my run at 6am. It was still pretty dark, and actually not that cold. But very icy and slippery, so I stuck to the roads I know. I had a lot to get in today: a run, a swim, an acupuncture appointment and then work. I managed to get the run and swim in before 8:30, that’s huge. Then the rest of the day plays itself out. I ran a little over 6 miles and ended up at the gym about a little after 7am. Then jumped in the pool for a quick drill swim of 1500 yards. Really pushed to get it done before 8. Got some good feeling back in my stroke, and ready a bigger swim on Wed.

The acupuncture appointment I have been going to every other week, has been focused on my left knee pain as of late. But today I had to attend to that knot in my back, which first started this past April when I slept wrong to accommodate our big dogs in the bed. With Ironman Arizona a week later, I had to deal with it all day. But today, I needed to readdress it with cupping. Here’s a brief description of it:

Cupping
Cupping is an ancient art found in many cultures to relieve pain. Stagnation in the body is removed by bringing toxins to the surface to be released through the open pores. The increased blood flow into the area of cupping also allows the area to heal more quickly. Cupping has been found to affect the body up to four inches into the tissues, causing these tissues to release toxins, activate the lymphatic system, clear colon blockages, and help activate and clear the veins, arteries and capillaries. Fleshy sites on the body, such as the back and stomach are the preferred sites for treatment. Cupping can cause some swelling and bruising on the skin. As the skin is pulled into the cup, the blood vessels at the surface of the skin expand which may result in small, circular bruises on the areas where the cups were applied. These bruises are usually painless, however, and disappear within a few days of treatment.

So I have been visiting the Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, and they have been extremely helpful with my training load, and managing my aches and pains. So cupping today was a big help. They actually bled me first, then cupped over that area. And what they drew out was crazy…of course there was blood, but a thick mass of blood too came out. Really crazy looking, like a small snail. Weird I know. But it came right from the area on my back where this knot has been brewing. So lots of built of tension. I took a photo to show you my back and the cupping marks…

Hopefully this will help start to ease that tension. We’ll see. I’m planning a brick tomorrow morning. Getting up at 4am, on the bike by 5 at the latest. And it’s snowing again!

It turned out that I took today off. I wasn’t planning on it, but my legs were heavy, and knew that I really wanted to nail this upcoming week. With the travel days last week, and lack of rest on the plane ride home, I’m happy with what I accomplished. So we are still socked in with snow. And it’s freezing out. I’m planning to do my run first thing in the morning, like 5:30, and then end at the gym where I’ll put in a drill swim.

Hoping it won’t be too cold, but what are you going to do. It’s supposed to be around 30 degrees all week.

Got my long ride in today, 45 miles. It’s snowing consistently now here in boulder, so the rides are all on the trainer. I rode the first 23 on the cranks, which included some z5 and z4 works. It’s pretty hard to keep the up and down motion consistent when pushing these levels, but it help build my mental strength to just block out the pain and just pedal. The last 22 miles on my tri bike were pretty easy. Just settle into the aero and get it done.

Ran a quick mile after that, in the snow. Had to run in the untouched areas because the tire tracks were starting to turn icy. I did the regular trip around the block, in under 8 min in z2. Still under 8 min/miles, really happy about that.

Legs are feeling ok. Pushed to get my big workouts in this week. Off to shovel the driveway, does that count towards mileage?

Got my first swim in this morning since getting back from vaca. It’s funny how you don’t lose that much though, when your a middle of the pack swimmer. Not much difference in timing, and the feel was a bit off, but not enough to stop me from finishing the workout. I did a main set of 9×50’s in z4 with 30 sec. rest. I hit :41/:42 each time…pretty consistent. It’s been snowing since last night, and today is cold, wet and slushy. Planning to get out for my long run later this afternoon.

Got the run in this afternoon, around 3:00pm. The snow was letting up, and it wasn’t as cold as it was earlier. I got 2 miles in before i hit the track for some 400’s. The way the snow was falling and blowing, half way around the track i was eating snow, the other half it was behind me. I managed to do the 4 sets and really came close to my times a few months ago. So i’m really happy about where I am in the training right now. I know i pushed it a bit to get my big workouts in over 4 days, but so far so good. Tomorrow I’m planning to do my bid ride, and then Sunday another swim, and my brick.

Received my plan for week 6 from Craig. It’s lined up really well. I like how the swim sets have been changing, but always able to compare previous weeks.

So woke up today to get back into training, our first full day back home in Boulder, and ended up sleeping till 7. Not the norm for me, but well needed. I got out on a run later than expected, but it felt so good to be active again, back into the routine. I ran the south boulder creek trail to the rec center, than back up south boulder road back home. About 6 miles or so. My heart rate was about 10 beats higher than normal, so adjusted that while running.

Just got off the trainer after 24 miles on the cranks. This felt especially good because i’ve been off the bike for about a week now. I plan to get all my rides in this week, long one on Saturday, and possibly my brick on Sunday. But it will come down to how I’m feeling. I haven’t swam in a while, so tomorrow morning, bright and early, is a long swim.

I’ll write more soon about our trip to Kauai. There’s so much to write, and so many good photos captured. It was a great vacation, but makes it so much better to be eager to get back home. That means to me that home is just a great as a vacation. I don’t understand those people that dread going back to work…work should be fun, a passion, something to look forward to and strive to be really good at…at least that’s my take on it.

It’s Monday morning, just returned from a long walk on the beach about 100 yards from our rental unit. It’s a pretty sweet location. We can hear the waves at night, as we go to bed at 8pm…But we’re up at 5 am. I learned to surf on Saturday. Took a 2 hour lesson at the pier and quickly picked it up. I surfed for another hour after that before realizing the chaffing that was occuring on my legs, belly and feet. It’s a pretty cool sport, and feeling that power of the waves is incredible. Today I’m going to rent a board and do some more.

We kayaked on Friday up the Waimei River, then a hike to the waterfall. Pretty neat stuff. Then on Sunday we did a normal day, for us at least. Jess had a 12 mile run which i went along with her on. We ran the Princeville Resort roads because it’s a bit more protected. The main route around the island has a limited shoulder, not the safest for runners. We then received a massage in our unit by this guy Pete, it was needed. We both got beat up a bit.

More to come…