Rest week “ahhh”s
Now that I’m only writing about once a week, I put pressure on myself to write something really meaningful. Sometimes I feel like I achieve that. Sometimes, like this week, I’m not sure I’m going to get there…
Training’s going well. My back is getting better and better. I actually don’t even think about it all that often. It’s still not totally right and I’m convinced that it probably won’t be so long as I continue training, but it’s much better than it was and I no longer feel that my season is in jeopardy. Once again I’m excited for Boston and I’ve been ramping up my long runs. I won’t be in any kind of shape to run a marathon PR, but I should be able to have a reasonably good showing out there.
After the 15K race, I had a pretty hard-core training week, with an intense indoor bike on Tuesday, a long, hard run on Thursday, a long brick on Saturday and a 2:15 ride on the trainer on Sunday. By the end of the week, I was tired, as tired as I’ve felt in months. But it was that good kind of tired that only comes when I’m in the midst of intense training: heavy legs, tired shoulders, mental fatigue, and a little irritability.
Thankfully, this week is a recovery week. Some short runs and rides and an easy swim. It’s my first “recovery” week since our trip to Mexico in early February. This year is structured a little differently than last year. Last year, I did three or four hard weeks without more than a single day off and then had a recovery week. This year, I’m going longer between recovery weeks, but taking a day off each week. The other difference is that I’m mixing a pretty hard, long run into each week. Doing a 14+ mile mid-week run and then recovering for a long brick on Saturday is no easy task. But if I want to run Boston, that’s what I have to do. Normally on my day “off” I take my yoga class. I see it as a good way to recover from the hard workouts during the prior week and to prepare myself for another week of training.
The best thing about this recovery week though is that I will be spending part of it in Santa Monica. I’m headed out there for work tomorrow morning. My work commitments while I’m out there shouldn’t keep me too busy, so I expect to be able to spend some time in the sun, recharging my batteries through some good old human photosynthesis. I’ll get in a run or two by the beach and maybe Assaf will join me on one of them.
Yoga – March 10
Indoor ride (V02 Max) – March 11
Time: 1:15
Average heart rate: 125
Swim – March 12
Distance: 1,850
Time: 33 minutes
Run – March 12
Distance: 5.75 miles
Time: 47 minutes
Average heart rate: 134
Course: West Side Highway
Conditions: Low 30’s, clear, strong wind
Run – March 13
Distance: 13.5 miles
Time: 1:40
Average heart rate: 145
Course: Central Park
Conditions: Low 30’s, clear, sunny
Strength – March 14
Brick – March 15
Bike
Distance: 60 miles
Time: 3:53
Average heart rate: 121
Course: West Side Highway, GW Bridge, Route 9W
Conditions: Chilly (low 40’s), sun and clouds, some big wind gusts (mostly on way out)
Transition: 7:36 (lazy transition…)
Run
Distance: 5.75 miles
Time: 46 minutes
Average heart rate: 144
Course: West Side Highway
Conditions: High 40’s, sunny, really nice
Indoor ride – March 16
Time: 2:15
Average heart rate: 107
Yoga – March 17
Indoor ride – March 18
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 111