Week7 - Call this build phase a wrap!

I think I'm a frog... I'm already doing close to last year's highest volume. I shudder to think what May/June will be like!

Life continues to be swim, bike, run, dogs, rinse and repeat.

18.53 miles running??? How did that happen?
3.35 hours on the bike trainer.
Only 5800 yards in the pool.

Bring on rest week!

Topping off this final week in this training block, was Shelby earning her championship title in CPE.

Picture of the week:

C-ATCH Hall's Canine Shelby Cobra CGC BN RE NA PDI PKII PJII

Week6 - Wrap Up

Started the week out with the worst asthma attack I've ever had and ended the week cough/wheeze/rattle free! All my workouts done and 10 1/2 hours of training in.

Ended the weekend at the local Obedience trial with Shelby. I did all the stuff the "experts" say: 1) I slowed down, 2) I looked at her the whole time, and 3) I dropped my shoulder. Not only did quirky dog got a qualifying leg toward her Obedience Novice A title, she got third place!


Picture of the week:

Shelby and her obedience ribbons.

Week5 wrap up and Valentine's Day Race Report

I am clawing my way back to being fully functional. At the beginning of this week, I was still sniffling and wheezing. I knew it was just going to work its way through but, Grumpy insisted I see the doctor. No fever. No ear infection. No sinus infection. No bronchitis. Doctor made me get a chest X-Ray and voila! No pneumonia. Just my asthma completely out of control. Doctor gave me a stern lecture and I'm back on 2 allergy medicines and 3 asthma medicines. Darn if I don't feel better already!

The early part of this week was pretty easy especially since I skipped the 5:30 am masters swim.

Wednesday, I raced through my workout to get Shelby to the obedience walk through. Thanks to the seminar I attended last week, she was really into the heeling. I won't delude myself into thinking she's fixed. We will probably not qualify next week but, I hope we continue to show improvement.

Thursday I finally got to do a little force work and spent a little time in zone 3+. I felt great afterwards so, I'm really getting back to normal. I braved the 5:30 am masters swim on Friday and while I could feel the wheezing, I did fine. Tazzy joined me for my pre-race run and feet up the rest of the day.

I managed everything on the training schedule with the exception for that first swim. Coughing less and less every day.

Valentine's Day 5k Race Report

Saturday I braved the 34F degrees and headed out to do a local 5K. The course was on a trail that I regularly run. I was pretty nervous about doing much pushing but, I wanted to see how much fitness I'd lost.

I couldn't get my mind straight on how to race. That morning it hit me: it's about pushing through the discomfort NOT about the pace. Whether it's 13:00 or 9:20, this race was about mindset.

I did the 20 minute warm up and thought my pace would be way off. I planned to start at 10:30 for the first 1/2 mile and adjust from there. The second 1/2 of the first mile and each mile after, I was going to try to push a little more. I used my Garmin only for that first 1/2 mile, the rest was blind.

It was my first shotgun start and the course was narrow. I made sure I was behind the fast racers and not near the little kids. The first time I looked at the Garmin, I was going 8:26! The Garmin kept whining that I was going too fast, I kept dialing it back and dodging walkers and slower runners.

I pushed too much during the second half of the first mile and didn't have enough reserve to push the last mile that had slippery bridges, narrow/crowded paths, and a couple of under passes. Around 2 miles, my stomach was burning so, I eased up a bit before going back at it. I sprinted the final turn into the stretch.

I was nervous about my asthma but, I did ok. I think if I'd pushed any more, I would have gotten into trouble. The result is that even being sick for 2 weeks, I have a lot more capability than I've had before and I'm much more confident.

Official time 30:42 which is about 20 seconds slower than December. I'll keep knocking and eventually I'll break through that 30 minute barrier.  I wasn't expecting it today... Then again, I didn't know what to expect today! Good confidence boost.
Picture of the week:

5th AG out of 53!

Week4 - A very needed rest

This was rest week ... and I did!. I finally was able to sleep. I got back to doing some light training and spent some time catching up with work.

My laptop went belly up. I was able to get all the data save but, now I'm reloading software and trying to restore the date -- bother.

Not much to reflect on for this sickly rest week but, I did get 4 hours in the training book.

(These blogs are getting later and later -- and more and more boring. I'll try to be more timely and hopefully, a lot more interesting!)

Picture of the week:

I don't think any one wants this last bit of banana.

Week3 Wrap up

The last week in this phase started out strong with a long swim, a coupl of bike workouts, and a short run. By Thursday, I began to feel the sickness coming on. I pushed through the scheduled short swim and surprised myself with an ok easy run but, that was all the week would bear. I was sick sick sick sick!

That's ok. Life happens. That is why we do the work consistently.

Things of note this week:

• Upload your data and note anything of interest into TP that same day. If you don't, you lose little nuances of the workout. Some times how you FEEL about a work out is more important to coach than just the numbers.

Picture of the week:

All three grrls sharing my sick bed