IRONMAN TRAINING 2021

Week beginning Sunday, November 1, 2020

47 weeks until IRONMAN Canada.

WEEKLY GOAL

The scheduled volume is lower for this first week of November. After the workout yesterday, I will be focusing on remaining consistent and recovery.

This will be the first time back in the pool for me since March.

SUMMARY

I feel like was STAYING CONSISTENT.

The programming this week was a little shorter and I finished with about 8 hours of training time. Even so, I had some good efforts this week, in particular I felt noticeably stronger during the ride on Sunday and had a solid hill workout at Mt. Tolmie on Wednesday.

Outside of training, life continues. I still experience moments of missing my dad which I except as perfectly normal, perfectly healthy.

SUNDAY NOV 01 ☀️

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 2 | Soreness 5
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Mobility: 23 minutes.
Ride 1:45-2:00 on road bike. Flat to rolling. Keep the effort easy.

NOTES

Total Moving Time: 135 minutes
Distance: 58 km

Posterior from the lumbar to my calves feels worked over (in a good way) but my left glute and hamstring is tender.

For the ride, I figured a loop out to YYJ gets me the time and route profile needed for today. There was a light breeze from the north, it was sunny and I felt really good all ride long. I took a bit of time at Patricia Bay before heading south. I also had a tube decided to stop holding air on the way back that broke up the flow of my ride.

Seahawks thumped the 49ers too; great day!

MONDAY NOV 02 ☀️

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 4 | Stress 3 | Soreness 3
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PLANNED WORKOUT

25 minutes of mobility.

NOTES

Total Time: 0 minutes

I was up earlier than expected but I was able to get an extra hour of before the start of the day.

I had a productive day at work too.

I did have more than a passing sad moment, thinking about my dad.

All in a typical Monday.

TUESDAY NOV 03 ☁️

Sleep 4 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 2 | Soreness 3
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Rollers 60 minutes: 30 minutes easy to start. 4 rounds (:10, :20, :30, :40, :50 high cadence on 1:00) 10 minutes easy to finish up.
Run 30 minutes easy and flat.

NOTES

Total Time: 90 minutes

I looked at the weather and decided to do the easy run first while I had a tiny bit of daylight and a pocket of no rain. As far as the trend of Tuesday run's sucking, this sucked less than last week but had the same common aches in my soleus'/ankles. I was not in a rush and did finish the last 5 minutes feeling ok.

I had a small pasta dinner and a 45 minute period of digestion before heading out to the garage for a session on the rollers. The cadence work on the bike was fun; the live stream of the US Presidential Election was unexpected.

WEDNESDAY NOV 04 🌧

Sleep 4 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 3 | Soreness 3
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Mobility: 24 minutes.
Run 70 minutes. Hilly route. Easy effort

NOTES

Total Time: 70 minutes   Elevation: 420 m

Another night where I wish I could have slept just a bit longer. Glutes were a bit sore this morning too (in a good way); it's a positive sign whenever that group shows activation IMHO.

Mount Tolmie was integrated into today's plan for a hilly route. I thought I had a weather window but that collapsed rather quickly; I jogged the trails of the park under rain showers, heavy at times. Although I was soaked, the temperature was around 13°C so I was comfortable. In fact, I felt pretty good and worked through moments when the hills added a challenge.

I finished with a solid runner's high.

MY MOUNT TOLMIE TRAIL MAP

ELEVATION PROFILE

^{Cedar Hill X Road to the top gains roughly 50m (165ft).}

THURSDAY NOV 05 🌦

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 3 | Soreness 4
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Mobility: 17 minutes.
Rollers ~ 60 minutes. Easy riding.

NOTES

Total Time: 60 minutes

I was awake at 0350 and stayed in bed until 0700; frustrating but what can you do?

Thanks to yesterday, my posterior, specifically both glute meds, have been sore all day.

After dinner, I jumped on the TT bike a rode the rollers; steady and easy effort for an hour. I took a much-needed break from the American new cycle and watched the 2020 UCI Elite Women's XC Championship that was held in Austria; pretty cool race.

Odd creaking noise developed (in the frame perhaps?). I will need to look at this at some point.

FRIDAY NOV 06 ☀️

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 2 | Soreness 3
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Run 30 minutes easy to start. 10x :25 strides, :35 WALK after each. 5 minute jog to cool down.

NOTES

Total Time: 50 minutes

Awake earlier that I would have liked but I felt somewhat refreshed this morning. Last night's ride helped with any soreness.

This evening's run started slow with a funky soreness in my left foot; not the navicular but in the area. About a minute in, I pressed pause on the watch and walked for a bit. Once I was confident that I was going to complete the full 60 minutes, I restarted the recording and got on with my old age aches. I kept things slow (real slow) and as has been typical of late, things warm up after 20ish minutes.

Along with any aches, my legs felt heavy too.

I did the strides closer to home on Crease Ave because the road is pretty flat and unlike the bike paths, free of fallen leaves. Running fast is fun and I kept things to no more than 90%. The first rep was slow (4:28/km) then each one after that became easier and faster (average 4:03/km).

I miss read the workout and jogged a 10 minute cool down instead of the allotted 5; unlike the start of the run, I felt comfortable and could have gone forever at the easy pace.

The run wrapped up after sunset and on a clear night, the season has definitely changed; the temperatures are now noticeably cooler.

EASY PACE - STRIDES CONTRAST

SATURDAY NOV 07 🇺🇸

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 2 | Soreness 3
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PLANNED WORKOUT

Mobility: 21 minutes.
Run 30 minutes flat and easy 2:30pm: Swim 1900: 10x 50 easy to warm up and find your stroke. R :20-:30 after each. 4x 50 steady kick w/ board r :15. 100 easy swimming. 6x 50 swim w/ buoy r :20. 100 easy swimming. 3x 200 steady/continuous swim. R :40-:50 after each. 4x 25 easy to cool down.

NOTES

Total Time: 75 minutes

Attended for my first pool swim @Esquimalt since COVID closed things in March! The workout went ok as I go into the water without expectations. I shared two lanes with someone that was at my level and two that were slower. This led to a few moments of congestion but nothing to get bent about.

There isn't much to write specific to the workout itself except that I paced it on the easier side and enjoyed the fact that I was in a pool. If I wasn't challenging myself aerobically, I was focusing on swim lessons received the last time I was in the pool.

Before heading home, I decided to do the flat easy run on the flat parts of Esquimalt. I left the pool on Lyall Street and jogged to Saxe Point Park. The sky was setting up for a nice sunset. Continuing on, I made my way up to McCauley Point Park and had to stop and just soak in the incredible golden light that made a south-westerly view of the ocean come alive.

I am not spiritual but standing on a hillside at sunset, looking across the water to Albert Head drawing a line to Race Rocks and toward the Olympic Mountains, made for a powerful moment of gratitude. Thankful for my health, for everything in my life, and thankful for my father who is still with me in spirit.