This long distance training is fun. The slower, low intensity effort is quite different from the short and fast efforts to which I have become accustomed. As a result, I am able to remain more relaxed. I am also capable of better recognizing and appreciating the chirping birds, sprinting squirrels, cowering cats, lumbering turtles, bristling leaves, statuesque deer, and gurgling creeks while cruising along. Another inherent advantage of these LSD efforts is the calming, defusing effect from the "in no hurry" attitude. The only drawback is the time commitment.
I can easily, on any given day, squeeze in an 18-minute 3-mile run or 26-minute 10-mile ride. While these efforts are fine for keeping me fit, they do little to prepare me for half iron du's or 50-mile mountain runs. Thus, I am morphing the training to fit the goals. If you have been following this blog lately, you know that my primary training transition has been BS - Big Saturday. Yesterday was pure BS!
Pure BS in that I had little time to do anything other than train and nap. It was cool (60's), mostly cloudy, and very windy. The wind helped to cool me on the run - until it blew against my back and heated me until a substantial quantity of salty water (9 lbs or > 1 gal.!!) poured from my pores. The sweating did not keep me from enjoying the run and, amazingly, it did not cause me to tighten or cramp. Having decided to push it a little more than last week, I passed through the first 13 miles in just over 89 minutes (6:52 ave). Then I eased back to about 7:05 pace. The goal was to keep the HR at or below 140 (about 70%), so I had to slow a bit in order to offset the dehydration drift.
What a great run! I covered 24.1 miles in just under 2:49. I even pulled off the shoes and ran a K's worth of barefoot strides on USI's carpet-like soccer field at the 2:35 mark. The way my legs responded to the fast pace this late in the run was a pleasant surprise. It seems that all of the experts say we should keep our long run at or below 25% of our weekly mileage. That may be true for big mileage machines, but not for little ole me. Those 24 miles gave me 33 for the week. :)
A 1000-Calorie protein/fruit smoothie followed the run. Then I napped a bit before climbing on the bike for a 2:23 48-mile ride. As usual, the wind tormented me much more at the biking speeds. It was still a fantastic ride. I am very happy to be able to cruise along (HR = 125) on what, for me, is a very long ride. It is worth mentioning that a red-tailed fox ran down the road in front of me for about a quarter of a mile. Watching it nonchalantly stride along at my cycling speed made me envy its efficiency. It was a cool way to end a long day of training.
BS #3 was quite fulfilling. I wish I had an "extra" day each week of the year for BS. Yeah, eight days (in) a week! Oh, well. I am a teacher and summer is almost here. . .
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
BS #2 Is Blistfully Split
Some time ago, while researching the richly dramatic and multi-faceted development of the atomic model and atomic bomb, I came across a statement by Niels Bohr that I found both thought-provoking and hilarious. For many years Bohr and Einstein "debated"/disagreed about the perceptions and limitations of the laws governing the physical world. Einstein, still struggling to fully understand and explain classical mechanics while simultaneously propelling and refining the concept of the quantum, refused to find much need for or value in Bohr's complementarity principle and quantum mechanics as the "new" physics without first exhausting the exploration of classical mechanics. Bohr and his Copenhagen lab fell in with a large group of the world's physicists who believed that quantum mechanics was needed because classical mechanics had failed to fully understand or explain the uncertainties and probabilities created by its arbitrary nature.
This gentlemenly and always friendly dispute often produced give and take bantor. Among the many statements these two super-celebrity physicists made to the press was one in which Bohr proved that his wit matched his genius. He stated, "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it is about the future."
The philosophy behind that statement serves as the basis for the development of the training plans I create for both myself and the athletes I work with. Goals are great to have. Plans for reaching those goals are only as good as they are flexible. Put another way, focusing on the end result is important, but no more important than realizing that there is more than one pathway to that goal. After recognizing this truth many years ago, I started writing all of my plans in pencil. Then word/data processing made workout adjustments as easy as holding down a backspace button!
Why am I thinking and writing about this? Well, life got in the way again. I asked my AP/IB chemistry students whether they wanted a help session on Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon. "Yes," they replied. So I agreed to conduct AP/IB chemistry help sessions at school for several hours yesterday and today. The planned Big Saturday could not happen. No problem. Both the long run and long bike would be completed, but not in succession. The "plan" is supposed to maximize my endurance and efficiency before I tackle that week in July. Completing a long run and a long bike with only a short "transition" between them could, conceivably, produce an all-day adventure. BS #2 was supposed to be a stepping stone toward making that a reality. It wasn't.
Again, no problem. I simply did what life let me. I first ran 21 miles in 2:30 (7:09 ave), starting at a conservative 7:15 pace and finishing with a few 6:30ish miles. The legs felt absolutely great throughout this hilly run (1360 vert ft). This run was aided by cool air (50's) and hindered by brutally fast moving air (20-30 mph). What an awesome experience! With my heart rate well below normal, I cruised along while waiting to tighten up and or bonk. The fast closing miles resulted when neither scenario occurred.
Then I went for a ride that fit into the schedule. I covered 22 miles in 61 minutes (21.6 mph ave) in the same cool, fast moving air and under a mostly blue sky. Seated climbs into the wind after that run gave me confidence and happiness!
The long bike ride materialized this morning. Donning long sleeves and gloves in May, I completed a 51.2-mile ride in 2:29 (20.6 mph ave) under a cloudless sky. What a ride! I traveled through the rural farm land of two counties with a moderate breeze (8-10 mph) while the temperature climbed from the upper-40's to the mid-50's. I love spring time in southern Indiana farm country. Honest. I encountered more cows and tractors than cars today. Amazingly, I did not see another cyclist.
So, though this latest BS is really BSS, I am content to report that I have more BS in my life. Experience has taught me that I will, eventually, have enough BS left in my wake to allow me to reach my goal.
This gentlemenly and always friendly dispute often produced give and take bantor. Among the many statements these two super-celebrity physicists made to the press was one in which Bohr proved that his wit matched his genius. He stated, "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it is about the future."
The philosophy behind that statement serves as the basis for the development of the training plans I create for both myself and the athletes I work with. Goals are great to have. Plans for reaching those goals are only as good as they are flexible. Put another way, focusing on the end result is important, but no more important than realizing that there is more than one pathway to that goal. After recognizing this truth many years ago, I started writing all of my plans in pencil. Then word/data processing made workout adjustments as easy as holding down a backspace button!
Why am I thinking and writing about this? Well, life got in the way again. I asked my AP/IB chemistry students whether they wanted a help session on Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon. "Yes," they replied. So I agreed to conduct AP/IB chemistry help sessions at school for several hours yesterday and today. The planned Big Saturday could not happen. No problem. Both the long run and long bike would be completed, but not in succession. The "plan" is supposed to maximize my endurance and efficiency before I tackle that week in July. Completing a long run and a long bike with only a short "transition" between them could, conceivably, produce an all-day adventure. BS #2 was supposed to be a stepping stone toward making that a reality. It wasn't.
Again, no problem. I simply did what life let me. I first ran 21 miles in 2:30 (7:09 ave), starting at a conservative 7:15 pace and finishing with a few 6:30ish miles. The legs felt absolutely great throughout this hilly run (1360 vert ft). This run was aided by cool air (50's) and hindered by brutally fast moving air (20-30 mph). What an awesome experience! With my heart rate well below normal, I cruised along while waiting to tighten up and or bonk. The fast closing miles resulted when neither scenario occurred.
Then I went for a ride that fit into the schedule. I covered 22 miles in 61 minutes (21.6 mph ave) in the same cool, fast moving air and under a mostly blue sky. Seated climbs into the wind after that run gave me confidence and happiness!
The long bike ride materialized this morning. Donning long sleeves and gloves in May, I completed a 51.2-mile ride in 2:29 (20.6 mph ave) under a cloudless sky. What a ride! I traveled through the rural farm land of two counties with a moderate breeze (8-10 mph) while the temperature climbed from the upper-40's to the mid-50's. I love spring time in southern Indiana farm country. Honest. I encountered more cows and tractors than cars today. Amazingly, I did not see another cyclist.
So, though this latest BS is really BSS, I am content to report that I have more BS in my life. Experience has taught me that I will, eventually, have enough BS left in my wake to allow me to reach my goal.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
BS #1 in the RAIN
Well, the Muncie/Silver Rush Big Saturdays got off to a rather soggy start. Oh, there were definitely periods with little or no rain, but the other tasks I needed to take care of demanded my time and kept me from matching schedules with a clear sky.
The run started well and finished great. In lieu of the rain, I opted for the all-road version of my 13.2-mi training loop. This lollipop loop has 5 "climbs" separated by nearly constant rollers with a total of 560 vert ft of climbing. The first couple of miles came in right at 7 min, but I soon had to restrain myself as the next couple of miles came in sub-6:30. Sprinkles turned into a downpour at 50 minutes. The cool rain was refreshing in the muggy conditions, but it soaked my shoes within minutes. I finished the run in 1:30:00 with a 141 HR ave. This was a relaxed and enjoyable run.
The 40-mile bike (1:55 with HR ave 127) was my longest ride of the year. I sweated profusely and miserably, making sight seeing in the surrounding farm country most difficult. Unlike the burning eyes, the legs felt great throughout the ride.
Recovery included a movie, some great (almost no cheese) vegie pizza, and a couple of New Belgian Mothership Wit beers. Then I baked my awesome vegan oatmeal/blueberry cookies. Yummm! Life is good!
Seriously, I hope all of the BS's come this easy. I look forward to getting back into that Ultra mode with 3-5 hr runs followed by rides of equal duration.
Training Log Notes The year has been "normal" so far. Thru April I had run 310 miles (17 mpw @ 6:34 ave) and cycled 1342 miles (84 mpw @ 21.1 mph ave). The plan calls for significant changes as I move toward that tough week in July. ST
The run started well and finished great. In lieu of the rain, I opted for the all-road version of my 13.2-mi training loop. This lollipop loop has 5 "climbs" separated by nearly constant rollers with a total of 560 vert ft of climbing. The first couple of miles came in right at 7 min, but I soon had to restrain myself as the next couple of miles came in sub-6:30. Sprinkles turned into a downpour at 50 minutes. The cool rain was refreshing in the muggy conditions, but it soaked my shoes within minutes. I finished the run in 1:30:00 with a 141 HR ave. This was a relaxed and enjoyable run.
The 40-mile bike (1:55 with HR ave 127) was my longest ride of the year. I sweated profusely and miserably, making sight seeing in the surrounding farm country most difficult. Unlike the burning eyes, the legs felt great throughout the ride.
Recovery included a movie, some great (almost no cheese) vegie pizza, and a couple of New Belgian Mothership Wit beers. Then I baked my awesome vegan oatmeal/blueberry cookies. Yummm! Life is good!
Seriously, I hope all of the BS's come this easy. I look forward to getting back into that Ultra mode with 3-5 hr runs followed by rides of equal duration.
Training Log Notes The year has been "normal" so far. Thru April I had run 310 miles (17 mpw @ 6:34 ave) and cycled 1342 miles (84 mpw @ 21.1 mph ave). The plan calls for significant changes as I move toward that tough week in July. ST
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)