three things thursday
1. This is the strangest training cycle I have ever been in. It basically goes like this: "What did I do yesterday? How do I feel today?" Honestly. Sometimes it goes further into "Did I swim yesterday? Did I ride? Hard or easy? What did I lift, top or bottom? Okay, do the other thing today." but in general I'm not even thinking that much about it. I'm not mapping out workouts at the beginning of the week like I usually do. I make some dates with friends for rides/swims/runs, and then kind of fit everything else around it. I've been alternating hard rides with recovery rides for the most part, and I'm trying not to swim two days in a row if I don't have to. I'm allowed to run every other day, but that's essentially the only guide I have. I'm listening hard to my body. And surprisingly enough, I feel like I'm getting in the quality workouts I need and (generally) the recovery time I need. Who knew I could live without the giant colored spreadsheet?
It's also pretty great because focusing on one day at a time is doing a LOT to prevent me from feeling panicky about being massively under-trained for my 70.3 - in particular, the 13.1 leg. I am doing literally everything I can do to show up prepared but not overtrained, and while I'm looking forward to starting to taper, I'm not counting the days and workouts backwards from the race because my plan doesn't extend that far. I wake up, evaluate how I feel, and go from there. I've already had to reevaluate my goals for this race based on being restricted in training for the past 6 weeks, but my biggest goal has got to be to finish. That alone would be a huge achievement so close to a ridiculously debilitating injury. If I decide I like the distance, I've got my whole life to go back and crush each leg of it.
2. I've been starting to wean myself off of doing workouts with music. I don't always work out with music, but I plug in for longer/easier workouts. But there are no pink iPod shuffles allowed in a 70.3. So starting May 1, I'm going cold turkey on the music for all workouts. Who's available May 14 to tell me knock-knock jokes for 70 miles? My 310XT came without that feature. LAME.
3. I noticed yesterday that I can tell the difference between two of my quad muscles for the first time, and I'm starting to get my scary cyclist calves back. When did I become this person? Also, do not google image "scary cyclist calf" unless you want to have nightmares.
Don't forget to go enter my Road ID giveaway (yeah, you forgot about it, go, enter!). Not a lot of bonus entries from twitter so far...! I'll pick a winner tomorrow.
It's also pretty great because focusing on one day at a time is doing a LOT to prevent me from feeling panicky about being massively under-trained for my 70.3 - in particular, the 13.1 leg. I am doing literally everything I can do to show up prepared but not overtrained, and while I'm looking forward to starting to taper, I'm not counting the days and workouts backwards from the race because my plan doesn't extend that far. I wake up, evaluate how I feel, and go from there. I've already had to reevaluate my goals for this race based on being restricted in training for the past 6 weeks, but my biggest goal has got to be to finish. That alone would be a huge achievement so close to a ridiculously debilitating injury. If I decide I like the distance, I've got my whole life to go back and crush each leg of it.
2. I've been starting to wean myself off of doing workouts with music. I don't always work out with music, but I plug in for longer/easier workouts. But there are no pink iPod shuffles allowed in a 70.3. So starting May 1, I'm going cold turkey on the music for all workouts. Who's available May 14 to tell me knock-knock jokes for 70 miles? My 310XT came without that feature. LAME.
3. I noticed yesterday that I can tell the difference between two of my quad muscles for the first time, and I'm starting to get my scary cyclist calves back. When did I become this person? Also, do not google image "scary cyclist calf" unless you want to have nightmares.
Don't forget to go enter my Road ID giveaway (yeah, you forgot about it, go, enter!). Not a lot of bonus entries from twitter so far...! I'll pick a winner tomorrow.