Boy, were there some fun adventures with the weather this week. It is obvious that spring is “trying” to get here, but winter is being a big bully and won’t seem to go away. Bipolar weather is very common in Bend, so you never really know what you are in for on any given day. Because I have been made WELL aware that the weather in Boise can be quite chaotic (wind, scorching sun, freezing rain, etc.) training in these conditions will hopefully be to my benefit.
Monday: See post from Week Four.
Tuesday: Rest day – woot woot!
Wednesday: 2100m swim and a 1 hour 15 minute ride with hill intervals (17 miles). I met up with three friends, Kalie, Bre, and Joanna, to join them for a little lunchtime ride. It was windy. It was rainy. It even hailed and spit snow. But everyone was in great spirits and it was a fun way to climb hills. We definitely added a couple points to our toughness score.
Coach mapped out a route, which took us up and down Awbrey Butte from multiple angles, for a total ascent of 2000ft. Whew – that’ll make the legs burn – in a good way. You know you’ve done a good ride when you look like this at the top of the last hill.
Thursday: 2000m swim and 5.75 mile run with hill intervals. I was really eager to swim today because the aquatic center was finally opening the 50m pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I had never swam in a lap pool longer than 25 meters, so I was excited to see what it would feel like to swim for a longer period of time without thinking about running into a wall. Trust me, it’s happened more than once. Bonk!
At lunch I met my husband at the gym and did a 45-minute run on the treadmill while he swam. I integrated a number of 60-second hill intervals, running these at 5K pace. I started at 7 percent grade and increased it each time until I reached 12 percent grade. It was definitely different running hills on a treadmill versus out on the trails, which is what I am accustomed to.
Friday: This was a BIG hill workout day. I completed 50 minutes of up, then down, up, then down, up, for a total of 5.6 miles and 1,010ft of elevation gain. I was feeling on my game, despite the rain and wind, and had one of the best runs I have had in a while.
There was a strong sense of accomplishment each time I finished my 5-minute uphill interval, and once I reached the top there was a stunning view to reward me. That was the first time I had ever been at the top of Pilot Butte, during the day, alone. It was mine to enjoy.
Saturday: 11 mile run in brisk cold temperatures, but the gorgeous sunrise temporarily made me forget about my numb fingers and toes. I was a bit sore from the two prior days of running hills, but still managed to follow coach’s directions and finish the last 15 minutes at half marathon pace.
Sunday: It was a trainer day. 63 miles and 3 hours and 33 minutes later, I was done. Ugh, I know. It really did happen. Hopefully I will never have to break my own record for time spent on a trainer in one day. I was able to catch up on a couple DVRed shows and watched Frozen at the recommendation of several people.
Week 5 Totals:
Swim: 1hrs 31mins, 4,200 meters
Bike: 4hrs 45mins, 79 miles
Run: 3hrs 07mins, 22.35 miles
Time: 9 hours 23 minutes
This week definitely felt a little lighter than previous weeks, but that is likely due to the rearrangement in my schedule on Monday, which was included in last week’s training log.
Something I have started to think about this week is what I am going to wear on race day. Now, I know Boise is still a couple months away, but I am a planner and like to be prepared. Plus, I want to be able to train in my race outfit a couple times beforehand. Now would be a great time to start putting in orders to see what works and what doesn’t.
I would love to get your input on “must-have” or recommended clothing and accessories for the swim-bike-run. Is there anything you could not live without?
