SOCIALLY PROFILED
IRONMAN TRAINING 2021
Week beginning Sunday, May 2, 2021
21 weeks until IRONMAN Canada.
WEEKLY GOAL
I am keeping an eye on stress, fatigue and my left piriformis. Looks like nice weather is back this week too.
SUMMARY
I feel I like was ENCROACHED UPON (by work)
I missed a full day of training and a 30 minute run because of work commitments this week. That has driven my stress levels higher. The weather wasn't that pleasant either with cold winds coming off the ocean. It certainly has not felt like the first week of a typical May.
3 good days in the pool an unconventional 3:30 ride on Saturday are the training highlights of this +10 hour week.
My piriformis did ok through to Friday but was still pretty lit up after that.
SUNDAY MAY 2 ☀️
Sleep 2 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 2 | Soreness 4
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Day 2 TAC Routine.
Run 1:20. Easy effort. Maybe on some dirt on flatter trails at Thetis. Elk lake or the dirt section of the Goose would also be nice. Or just cruising Panama Flats area.
NOTES
Total Time: 83 minutes Distance: 13.5 km
Good sleep last night.
I took most of the day as a personal reset day. I worked on getting this training log caught back up to date, gave my self a haircut at chilled out on the deck.
For the run, it was easy effort for the entire duration. I noticed that I left my footpod at home. While I was close enough to go back and get it, I decided otherwise. I did not need an accurate pace to accomplish this run's objective.
It was close to dinner when I left too. Before heading out the door, I had a gel and I packed a 500ml bottle of Maurten 320 with me.
I drank every 10 minutes and was empty at the 60 minute mark. There was little intensity and zero GI. I did notice the residual lemonade was setting off the Maurten; the consistency was getting thicker as the bottle emptied.
Piriformis held up; tomorrow will be a better tell.
Tour de Esquimalt
MONDAY MAY 3 🌧
Sleep 4 | Fatigue 4 | Stress 3 | Soreness 5
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
5:30am:
Swim 2100: 4 rounds (50 easy free, 50 w/ 2x Picking head up to sight per 25 r :20, 50 steady kick r :15) 50, 100, 150, 200, 150, 100, 50 steady and aerobic swimming. r :40 after each rep. 8x 50 Kick Build easy to strong on each. r :20. 100 easy swimming to cool down.
Bike commute. Easy spin to/from the pool. 10 minutes easy way.
NOTES
Total Time: 80 minutes Swim: 2100m
2 bananas and I was out the door, pedalling into a cold headwind to the pool.
I felt just okay in the pool this morning. On the sighting lengths, I practiced almost exclusively picking my head up when breathing on my left; it is just a bit more awkward on that side for me.
The ladder was swam with consistency; the kicking was a thigh-burner and probably the best medicine for a sketchy piriformis.
I finished strong getting the last 100m in 1:36.8; pretty close to my best "rested" time in a 25m pool.
I woke up with the 1975 song "Slow Ride" by the British rock band Foghat in a perpetual loop in my head. How awesome is that?
I'm in the mood
The rhythm is right
Move to the music
We can roll all night, yeah
Slow ride, take it easy...
TUESDAY MAY THE 4TH be with you, always. ⛅️
Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 6 | Soreness 4
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Day 1 TAC Routine. Ride 75 minutes. Spin 20-25 minutes easy. (Towards Mill hill) 5x 3:00 #1: Steady climbing to warm up. #2-5 @ a touch easier than 20k effort, 2-3 minutes easy after each. 20-25 minutes easy riding to cool down. Run 30 minutes easy. This can be off the bike, but it can also be to start/end the day.
NOTES
Total Time: 0 minutes
My right ankle is experiencing some lingering soreness (run on Sunday) and my piriformis (left) continues to hint that it still needs consideration, even though it felt good yesterday after the swim and short ride home.
This day went from good to bad at 11am. Work is trying to remove me from technical support duties but... I worked late and missed another training day.
WEDNESDAY CINCO DE MAYO ⛅️
Sleep 5 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 5 | Soreness 2
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
5:30am: Swim 2200: 2x 50 easy free. 2x 50 steady w/ buoy. 2x 50 steady kick. R :15. 4x 50 as 20 meters strong/30 meters easy/relaxed. r :20. 8x 100 Best effort. Trying to hold the best pace you can for all six reps combined. aka: Total time adds up to the fastest average. Leaving on the 2:15. (You start ever rep 2:15 after the start of the previous rep) 2x 50 super duper easy. 2x 50 steady kick r :20. 2x 50 easy swim w/ buoy. r :20, 2x 50 easy/steady swim. r :20. 400 continuous swim w/ buoy. Trying to finish each stroke well. (That will be hard after the main set!) 2x 50 super easy to cool down.
Bike commute to pool. 10 minutes easy.
Bike commute home. Long way ~ 60 minutes. Easy spinning
NOTES
Total Time: 100 minutes Swim: 2200m
Work was still on my mind at 0300 this morning.
Given that I was awake anyway, I did a bit of extra research and sent off an email before pedalling to the pool.
Once in the water, I calmed down and got to work. The lanes were pretty open this morning compared to recent days and I was able to take advantage of that when it came to the fixed time reps (leaving every 2:15).
Those 8 fixed time reps were paced fairly consistently: 1:51, 1:52, 1:51, 1:49, 1:52, 1:52, 1:48 and finished with a 1:47.6
Garmin thinks I set a PR for the 400m (7:27) but I won't count it because I was using a buoy.
I rode home after the swim and spent 30 minutes on the rollers with the TT Bike.
I wanted to be close to home because we have plumbers scheduled this morning to work on our bathroom project and I have work meetings scheduled.
THURSDAY MAY 6 ☁️
Sleep 3 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 5 | Soreness 4
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Day 2 TAC Routine.
Ride 60 minutes EASY. Whatever bike you like. Inside or outside. Just make sure it's easy.
Run 45 minutes. A few hills. But generally an easy effort.
NOTES
Total Time: 96 minutes Run: 7.8 km
When I woke this morning, the sorest body part was my right ankle; I'll be paying attention on the run later in the day.
Second, I received the email letting me know that vaccine age cohort is up next. I am booked for my shot next Thursday at 1030!
I am re-rating the stress score for today given the type of project that I have been pulled into at work. This was a long day on the phone and a longer day on the computer.
If I knew it was going to be windy this afternoon, I may have put my sneakers on before work instead of after work. On the backside of Craigflower Hill, needed to put effort into the downhill because the headwind was that strong.
I started to feel good after 24 minutes and things felt light and easy until the end.
Late start to getting on the bike, but I did get 50 minutes on the rollers (with the TT bike) starting after 2115. Effort was light on the pedals, low heart rate, just time sitting on the pubic rami bones. — No problem falling asleep tonight.
FRIDAY MAY 7 🌤
Sleep 3 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 4 | Soreness 3
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Run 30 minutes easy and flat.
3:30pm: Swim 2100: 4 rounds (50 easy free, 25 Fist drill r :10) 4 rounds (50 swim w/ lots of rotation/tight kick, 50 stead kick w/ board r :15) 8x 125 Descend 1-4, 5-8 #1/5 @ "good form/relaxed", #4/8 @ Strong but sustainable for at least 500 meters. R :30 12x 25 Odds: FAST, Evens: EASY. r :15. 100 super easy to cool down.
NOTES
Total Time: 53 minutes Swim: 2100m
Slept in to 0645 before my first work call at 0700.
First time in what feels like forever, I have a hint of a sore throat today. Worrisome considering that I am a week away from receiving a vaccine. I am probably overthinking this and it is probably just the added stress from work.
The main 8x125 went off-script a little bit. The first was relaxed at but then I noticed that I touched the wall at 2:19.6 for two and three. The remaining sets I tried to repeat that same feeling and effort. The balance of the set ended with a 2:19.6, 2:18.8, 2:17.8, 2:18.0 and finally 2:20.2.
The work put into the 6 FAST 25m lengths were fun and all came in sub-20 seconds. I seems like just a month ago, 21 seconds was my best effort for the same set.
Before I got home, work got a hold of me. It was by phone call and not a late Friday email that I could have pretended to ignore. Apart from a quick dinner, I was on the computer to well past midnight. Visibility on this effort at work extends all the way to my VP so... No 30 minute run.
SATURDAY MAY 8 🌧
Sleep 4 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 5 | Soreness 5
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Day 1 TAC Routine.
Ride 3:15 on TT bike. Same deal as last week. Flat to rolling route. Spending a bit of time in the bars. Goal: 800-850 calories (a touch more than last week) Easy to steady effort. Stay hydrated! Stop to pee if needed!
NOTES
Total Moving Time: 208 minutes
Piriformis has been ok all week until this morning.
Calories for the bike ride(s) worked out be a total of 242g. 3x54g per bottle and 80g of Maynards (watermelon). —No GI today.
That third bottle needed a home on my bike so I took the time to install the rear hydration system. I rigged up a bungee to help prevent loosing bottles off the back too.
Honestly, I really did not want to ride today.
By the time I was done with work, chores and Saturday, it was almost 1400 and the weather had turned; dark clouds, cold wind and the odd drop rain. Every block ridden further from home was the question, "Should I turn back?"
This feeling continued once out of the neighbourhood and on the bike path. Eventually, the question morphed into a statement like "I will ride outside for only an hour."
Riding along Cordova Bay Road, I got passed by a roadie and by that point, I had all but forgotten about wanting to ditch on this ride.
In Sidney, I made the turn back south. The clouds were getting even darker at this end of the peninsula. Up until this point, I had been blown north with a strong tailwind and it was time to man up and work the headwind south. I was surprised to find that the headwind really wasn't that bad; hooray for aerobars!
Because I was doing well with the headwind, once back at Royal Oak Drive, I decided to continue south and ride the full waterfront with the balance of the time I had. Leaving Mount Doug Park and turning on to Ash Road, I found a spot in some bushes for a quick bio-break.
Descending the hill on Ash Road, I see +70kph on my road bide; today I am going in the opposite direction. I shifted my rear derailleur into the easiest gear and got to work. At the crest of the hill, I caught a glimpse of the shifter on my left aero bar; I had just pedalled up that hill, cross-chaining in the "big ring".
Note to self: Don't do that up Richter Pass.
Luck with the rain began to run out at Cadboro Bay. I rode a couple laps of Ring Road just to see if the precipitation was going to stop or if I was heading for home. I was just over 2 hours into the ride and 2 bottles of lemonade consumed (most of my watermelon sours gone too). I decided to head home.
After another a quick bio-break, I had the TT Bike in the garage to pedal the last 40 minutes or so. Not more than a couple minutes on the rollers and it was apparent that more vaseline was required. Even after more vaseline was applied, it was apparent that I'd need to swap out 2XU for Castelli. That worked wonders.
One last stop for another pee, I ended the day with about 56 minutes of indoor pedalling and a satisfying feeling that I got today's work done (albeit unconventionally).