Ladies and Gentlemen…I am finding myself again and seeing in green! I love to see green in Training Peaks! It gives me a sense of accomplishment, it gives me consistency, it gives me a stress release, it gives me joy! It means I am finding my rhythm again! I am making my heart happy, and I am less of a bear to be around. Just ask the Iron Hippie…or maybe don’t 😉
It feels good to be combatting the post Ironman blues! How do you combat the post Ironman blues?!
The theme this week was focus…It took all I had to remain focused every day at work so that I wasn’t thinking about Ironman Wisconsin! This race is definitely occupying most of my mental energy 😉
Monday:
We woke up early to ride and decided we would benefit from 2 extra hours of sleep, so we went back to bed. After the extra sleep, we got ready for our day and set off for a full day of work. After work was 30 minutes of core and an easy hour ride.
Tuesday:
We woke up, got ready for work, and headed out the door. After a full day of work, we went to the pool for an easy swim. It was a beautiful evening for a swim!
Wednesday:
We woke up early to do a short (30 minute) run before work. It was a great morning for a run! After a full day of work, we hopped on the trainer for a 90 minute trainer ride with 2×20 minutes in zone 3 to test ourselves for race day. I was also super pumped to have my new Coeur Sports gear show up in the mail…WAHOO!!
Thursday:
Today was a rest day due to a crazy schedule. After a full day of work, I met with a personal training client before quickly eating dinner and heading back to school for “back to school night.” By the time I got home, I caught up with the Iron Hippie…we have big changes coming our way that we needed to discuss (more on this to come).
Friday:
Today was another rest day. This one wasn’t planned. I had an EXHAUSTING day at school. It was picture day, and all students get their pictures taken during science class, so I walked every class (6 of them) down to the auditorium for their pictures. I probably easily walked 2 miles within the building, but the management of students (most of which was 6th graders) was mentally taxing. I was supposed to swim after work, but my body said “eat and sleep,” so that is exactly what I did.
Saturday:
We woke up to swim for the last time on the 50 meter long course this summer. What a sad day! After our swim, we hopped on the trainer for an easy hour ride and followed this up with 30 minutes of core work. Basil thought I needed some “coaching” while I did my core work!! After eating lunch, we did dishes, laundry, grocery shopping (I really miss doing this during the week like I do all summer long), vacuumed the house, and then relaxed while watching the Ironman 70.3 World Championships!
Sunday:
WOW!! Race day is only 1 week away!! How did it get here so quick?!?!?! We woke up to do our last brick before race day. After cleaning up and eating, it was time to get our bikes cleaned and race tires on. Unfortunately while cleaning Mojo, the wind blew my bike and the stand over. This caused my derailleur to shift into my wheel, so we had to make an unexpected trip to Kyle’s Bikes. Kyle was out of the shop today, but I am grateful that Anthony was able to fix my bike up and send us on our way! After finishing with both bikes, it was time to eat dinner, clean up the garage, and get ready for bed.
Weekly Totals: 9 hours & 25 minutes
Swim: 4577 yards
Bike: 70.6 miles
Run: 10.3 miles
Strength Training: 1 hour
Quote of the Week:
“The sky is not my limit…I am.” ~T.F. Hodge
After lots of resistance last week, I was determined get my train back on its tracks this week…life, stress, work, training…everything fell together wonderfully!! By the middle of the week, we finally had BEAUTIFUL weather for outdoor activities. I was so excited to be outside in shorts and tanks!! Thank you Mother Nature!!
Monday:
We woke up at 4 am, planted our feet on the floor, and then crawled back in bed. The Iron Hippie needed more sleep. We did agree we would complete both of our workouts after work to get 2 more hours of shut eye. After a full day of work, I met a personal training client, buzzed home for an easy 1 hour ride, and ended the day with 1 hour of strength work at the gym. We were in bed a little later than normal, but we made it work.
Tuesday:
We woke up at 4:30 am and headed to the pool to get in 3000 yards before work. After a full day of work, I met with another personal training client before going to campus for an hour run. We were supposed to do a track workout, but all of the local tracks were occupied with track practice so we opted to run fartleks instead.
Wednesday:
We woke up at 4 am and had a great 90 minute bike session before work. I love waking up to intervals on the bike! It usually means lots of sweat 🙂 After a full day of work, I headed to the pool for a VERY challenging 2800 yard swim. I completed the 8x150s and 8x50s, but I seriously struggled with every stroke. It was at this point that I was SO hungry I didn’t know if I could finish the swim. Thankfully my dark chocolate covered Barnanas saved me. As I sat on the edge of the pool eating these delicious bites, I began to cry in my goggles. Why have my swims been so hard lately? Why am I not getting faster? I think I’m doing what Coach Hansen told me to. I got back in the water and completed my swim. It wasn’t pretty, but it was done. When I got home, I texted Coach Hansen and told him about my meltdown on the edge of the pool. He responded with, “We WILL get this down. Don’t get frustrated. It will all be good!”
Thursday:
Thursday mornings we typically get to sleep in, which is AWESOME! After a full day of work, I met a personal training client, before heading home for a quick easy hour on the bike before teaching TRX. It was a beautiful day…one where I wish we could have ridden on the open roads, but we took advantage of the weather as best we could by riding on the trainer in the backyard.
Friday:
Typically we do our Friday recovery swim after work, but I had a massage scheduled for after work, so it was another early morning swim today. I decided not to fight the water this morning, not focus on my times, and just swim. It was the best swim I had all week, but that isn’t saying much 😉 I was really looking forward to my massage after work, but unfortunately my massage therapist came down with the flu and had to cancel 😦 I used this time to run errands that we typically do on Saturday, Friday after work instead. The Iron Hippie and I enjoyed a yummy meal out at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and hit the hay early. We even commented that most of the college students probably weren’t going to get to the bars for another hour or two, and here we were going to bed. Ha!! Ha!!
Saturday:
It felt amazing to sleep in on a Saturday morning! When we finally did get up, we did some food prep for the week, cleaned up the house, did some laundry, and changed our bike tires for outdoor riding before heading to the pool at 11 am. We were supposed to have another swim analysis with Coach Hansen, but we had a miscommunication on the time, so it has been rescheduled for this coming week. It was just enough time for the Iron Hippie and me to get a short swim in and play in the water. We headed home, refueled, changed and headed out on the open roads for an awesome 50 mile ride! We fought the 26 mph headwinds for the first 23 miles, but when we turned around, it was totally worth the hard effort at the beginning of the ride! When we wheeled into the driveway, I quickly transitioned to a 30 minute run. I had a lot of motivating thoughts running through my head on this run, and knocked out one of my fastest runs so far this year…I was super stoked about this!! This also made my first “triathlon” of the season, even if there were some REALLY long transition times between swimming and cycling 😉
Sunday:
We woke up early to complete 30 minutes of core strengthening before our brick workout. We had a tough 90 minutes of climbing in and out of the saddle before transitioning to a 13 mile run. My legs were trashed by the end of this workout. Thankfully we had all afternoon to recover…refueling, epsom salt bath, compression sleeves, legs up a wall, a little shut eye, and then some froyo 😉
Weekly Totals: 17 hours and 15 minutes…YES!! My train is back on its tracks!!
Swim: 8400 yards
Bike: 117 miles
Run: 23.2 miles
Strength Training: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Quote of the week:
“Follow your heart and don’t get influenced by external factors.” ~unknown
How was your week? Has Mother Nature blessed you with good weather for outdoor activities?
After posting the Best of 2013 and the Best of 2014, I decided it would be fun to look back through 2015 and reminisce my faves 🙂
Best race experience?
Hands down…Ironman Boulder was my best race experience in 2015!! I set a bike PR with a time of 6:46:12 and an overall Ironman race PR with a time of 14:04:37. I came very close to meeting my time goal of breaking 14 hours and had a blast!! I absolutely love this course and definitely plan to do it again 🙂
Best run?
I had multiple runs that were great throughout the year, but I think the most fun I had was running up Mt. Diablo in Walnut Creek, CA. This was a very challenging run, but so much fun to run some place new and different!
Best bike?
The Peak to Peak Highway rides, Day 1 and Day 2, in Colorado with the Iron Hippie and Allen were very challenging, but oh so much fun!! It was #bikelove like no other!! I can’t wait to get back to Colorado and ride more roads like these 🙂
Best swim?
Swimming with my father kayaking next to me around Lake Okoboji. I LOVE swimming in the lake where I grew up and am so lucky that my father likes to join me on my long swims 🙂
Best team race?
The Des Moines Triathlon that we did as a team was probably the most fun group workout I had this year. The Iron Hippie swam, I cycled and Allen ran in this Olympic-distance event. I pushed myself to limits on the bike that I didn’t know I had…especially only 5 weeks post Ironman Boulder.
Best recovery technique?
#recoveryisimportant and that is why I invest in the best recovery possible! Dr. Chris at Team Chiropractic uses ART to help keep me healthy and Nick massages my tight muscles regularly! The two work well together…I like to refer to myself as their insurance policy since Ironman racing looks to be in our future for the next few years 😉
Best hike in Colorado?
When we were staying in Estes Park, we went on a hike up to Loch Vale Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a great adventure!!
Best offseason adventure?
Snowshoeing…this is by far one of my favorite offseason activities! The Iron Hippie and our girls always have just as much fun as I do! It is good cross training, full of fresh air and fun 🙂
Best new piece of gear?
This is SUPER easy…Coeur Sports has the best women’s tri kits and running apparel on the market!!  L.O.V.E. LOVE all my Coeur gear…no chafing, seamless chamois, perfect fit, fun colors, #stylishspeed and #noangrykitty…simply AMAZING!!  This year I found new love in my run capris! Not only are they unbelievably comfortable, but they fit like a glove! I love them so much that I have them in every pattern they offer and can’t wait for more design options 🙂 I love what Coeur Sports stands for, that they encourage, inspire, and promote women in sport and they represent #heartandcourage.  ALL women who SBR (swim, bike, run) and/or do triathlon should wear Coeur Sports apparel…it is da BOMB!!
Best way to log my workouts?
This is another SUPER easy one…my #believetrainingjournal!! While I like to see green in Training Peaks, I much prefer writing things down by hand. I love looking back through my workouts and it is so much easier to do when they are written down. I don’t particularly like having to open up every box in Training Peaks to review my workouts, so the Believe Training Journal has been an absolute favorite this year! I love it so much that I ordered the lavender one for 2016!!
Best way to stay healthy?
This was also SUPER easy…Sound Probiotics has been keeping me healthy since March! As endurance athletes, we put ourselves at risk for a dysfunctional immune system because of the intensity and duration of our workouts. When stress, inadequate sleep, poor diet choices, cold weather, alcohol or travel are thrown into the mix, our immune system is even further suppressed. How has Sound Probiotics helped me? Sound Probiotics helps in nutrient production and absorption, helps fend off viruses, promotes the production of cytokines and mucin, and limits bad bacteria in the gut. I have experienced less fatigue and fewer sick days, which as a middle school teacher who is an endurance athlete speaks volumes! This has provided me with the opportunity for more training and better performance. I would highly recommend all endurance athletes use Sound Probiotics to stay healthy!! #soundathlete = #soundlife
Best piece of racing advice you received?
“Be calm; focus on what you are going to do. Don’t get distracted, don’t get overwhelmed, take it all as it comes. You are ready for this; you’ve prepared for years. This is it, your time to shine. Go forth with all your powers. Go forth with everything in you. Make it work.” ~Lynne Cox, “Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer”
Most inspirational athlete?
I can’t pick just one…so many of my Coeur Sports teammates have inspired me this year!! Kristin, Erin and Jen fought hard to qualify for their first Ironman World Championships. Can you say inspirational? Amy won Ironman Lake Placid and Sonja won Ironman Lake Tahoe…first women overall at each of their races. Hello inspiration?!?! There were many Coeur women who raced in Kona at the Ironman World Championships, others had podium finishes at various races they competed in, many met goals and all are working hard to achieve their dreams. My inspiration cup runneth over!! I am so pumped to be a part of this amazing team again in 2016!! #heartandcourage
If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
Fun, Believe, Dream Big
Tell me about your 2015 year!! What are your “bests” from 2015?
“It is amazing how incredible the human body is that it can do so much. That it can go beyond the everydayness of life; that it can be extraordinary and powerful, and harbor a spirit of hope and pure will.” ~Lynne Cox
Hello taper time…it is SO nice for you to bless us with your presence!! We have been working so hard to see you!! We have finally reached the point in our training were we taper. Typically we would have another week of hard training before the taper, but we are leaving on Saturday to head to Colorado for 3 weeks to acclimate to the altitude, do some training and relax before race day. Some coaches suggested that we not go to altitude after having just completed our last big build, but to go out after a recovery/rest week. This would set us up for a quicker adjustment to the altitude and hopefully prevent us from getting sick.
Swim: 9405 yards
My best swim this week was Tuesday morning’s Ladder to 400 swim. This workout was written to be completed in the 25 yard pool, but I ended up swimming in the 50 meter pool, which gave me more distance than planned. It was an amazing morning for a swim and I felt really strong throughout this workout. True #swimlove Tuesday morning 🙂
Bike: 170 miles
We had a lot #bikelove this week, with some of them being followed up with some running. Monday was a great trainer workout that produced a lot of sweat and hard efforts.
Run: 39 miles
We had a couple of really good runs this week, but the shortest run was 9 miles (with the exception of our shorter brick on Wednesday). Oof…
Brick:Â
Friday was our LAST LONG brick…WAHOO!! We rode 115 miles at an average pace of 17.2 mph and then ran 9 miles off the bike with an average pace of 10:18. Our run pace was a little slower than we had hoped for, but we felt like we definitely could have kept running, so that was a huge confidence builder. 🙂 It felt really good to complete that workout knowing we only had two more hard workouts before the taper.
Strength Training: 1 hour & 45 minutes
Weekly Totals: 22 hours and 23 minutes
Weekly Highlights:
Getting a new Coeur Sports tri kit just in time for our last big run on Sunday…
Thank you Osmo Nutrition for keeping us properly hydrated and recovered…
Feeling the love and support from Sound Probiotics…
Finally reaching the taper…
Unexpected Setbacks:
I was exposed to a neighbor fogging his yard this week, which for most people isn’t an issue, but my body responds VERY similarly to that of an insect when exposed to insecticides, which means no bug spray, no ant traps, no flea collars, and no yard fog. 😦 Thankfully I didn’t have any seizures, but I was in a VERY delusional state on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Because of this, I had to cut Wednesday’s brick short and skip our speed work on the trainer on Thursday. After sleeping a LOT on Wednesday and Thursday, I was feeling much better on Friday and ready to knock out our last big brick 🙂
4th of July Celebrations:
We started the day with a swim in the 50 meter pool…
Spent time with friends for breakfast and at the small town parade before taking a long nap, eating some yummy food and then going to bed early for one more long run on Sunday.
This week’s focus:
Pack for our 3+ week trip to Colorado and make sure everything is in order on the home front for house/puppy sitter.
How was your week? How did you celebrate the 4th of July? What were the highlights of your week?
This was a big week of training…18+ hours. Thankfully this coming week is a recovery week.
Swim: 7400 yards
I had three swims this week; none of them were overly spectacular. My favorite part of this week’s swimming was definitely getting my new Roka Sports F2 goggles. I am in love with these goggles!! They have amazing peripheral vision and are very comfortable.
Bike: 134 miles
We finally got outside to ride on the open roads and trails this week and it.was.AWESOME!! Wednesday’s ride was my #FaveWorkout this week since it was the first time out. I had two trainer sessions (both outside in the driveway) and a long ride on the weekend as part of our brick. I felt a LOT of #bikelove this week!!
Run: 31.0 miles
WOW!! That is the most run miles I’ve seen in one week in quite a while. It was a good week of running and full of #runlove. My body feels strong, for which I am very grateful 🙂
Brick:
Our longest brick this week was 81 miles of #bikelove and 5 miles of #runlove. It was a lot hotter outside than we’ve been use to, but I guess it is time to acclimate to summer weather 🙂
Strength Training: 2 hours & 15 minutes
I had good variety in strength training this week
Weekly Totals:Â 18 hours and 10 minutes
Weekly Highlights:
Dry needling on Monday…OUCHIE
Barnana delivery on Thursday
Massage on Friday
How was your week? What was the highlight of your week?
It is hard to believe we are only 16 weeks away from Ironman Boulder. This was the last big week before a much needed recovery week. It was full of rainy weather, lots of bike bottle washing, lots of technical fabric laundry and preparing lots of food to put in the freezer that we can pull out for a quick, healthy meal.
Swim:Â 7300 yards in 2 hours & 45 minutes
Overall, my swimming this week were very positive. Tuesday’s swim was even my #FaveWorkout of the week. I felt like I had good form in the pool and was able to maintain a solid pace when not working on drills.
Bike:Â 46.9Â miles in 3 hours & 30 minutes
This week’s rides involved some #intervals, some Zone 2 work, lots of sweat and even more #bikelove.
Run:Â 25.2 miles in 3 hours & 53 minutes
I had some AMAZING runs this week that included LOTS of #runlove. Tuesday’s run taught me to #NeverGiveUp and persevere. After this run, I felt on top of the world!! Saturday’s 16 mile run was also a really good run. I felt strong, I felt energized, I felt amazing, I felt happy during the longest run of the season.
Brick:Â 51.8 miles in 4 hours
Sunday was our only brick workout this week…3:30:00 on the trainer followed by a 30 minute run. I actually felt like I could have gone longer and faster on the run, but decided not to push things and take advantage of a slower run where I’m just logging the miles after Saturday’s LONG run.
Strength Training:Â 2:15:00
I had a good strength session on Monday, an awesome TRX workout on Thursday and a solid core work session on Saturday.
Recovery:
There was LOTS of compression, LOTS of Osmo Nutrition Recovery, LOTS of Pure Clean Powder beet juice powder, LOTS of healthy whole foods for refueling, a massage, many salt baths and a couple of naps this week.
Weekly Totals:Â 16 hours and 23 minutes
How was your week?
I can’t believe it is already the end of March…time sure does fly by!! Not to mention we are only 18 weeks out from Ironman Boulder and 10 weeks out from Legend 100 Triathlon…eek!! So this is what my week post spring break consisted of…
Monday:
I was so tired that I slept in Monday morning and completed both my trainer ride and strength routine after work. The trainer ride was one that I LOVE…3 x ladder (10 minute warm up, 3×3 min Z4 (with 2 min recovery between), Spin 4 minutes, 3×2 min Z4-5 (with 90 sec recovery between), Spin 4 minutes, 3×1 min Z5 (with 60 sec recovery between), Spin 4 minutes, 4×30 sec sprint (with 30 sec recovery between), 7 minute cool down). It is a good physical challenge 🙂 #bikelove #progress
Tuesday:
I got up Tuesday morning to run my “Lucky 7s” treadmill run. I was dreading this run, but it turned out to be my #FaveWorkout this week and gave me lots of #runlove. This workout was all about overcoming mental challenges. Ok…I’ll admit, it is full of physical challenges as well. After work I headed to the pool for some #swimlove. Typically I don’t enjoy swimming at this particular pool, but today was much better…they were refilling the pool and the water was cool. 2400 yards later, I was wishing my workout were a bit longer instead of shorter for a change 🙂
Wednesday:
I was so tired this morning! I didn’t want to get out of bed to ride, but I did and I’m very glad I did.
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Â ~Anthony Robbins
After a long day of school, I made my way back to the pool for some more #swimlove. I was hoping the pool would be the same temperature as yesterday, but alas the heater was working and the water was back up to the 85F range…UGH. Despite the warmer water, I still managed to enjoy my 2400 yard workout 🙂
Thursday:
I was really tired today…this was turning out to be a very long first week back at school post spring break. I decided to sleep in and skip my morning run. Sometimes listening to one’s body is really important and mine was telling me I needed sleep. After work, I had some #bikelove with a 10 x all out workout. I was super happy with this workout since I am making #progress and getting stronger with every workout. I followed this up with a full body TRX session, where we did a lot of leg work.
Friday:
Friday was a rest day for everyone in our house…
Saturday:
I started my day with some core work…I finally reached 5 minutes of holding plank…WAHOO!! Then it was time to hop on the bike for a 3 hour ride followed by a 30 minute run. I love brick workouts, but this ride was a bit boring…mostly Z2 ride with only 2 x 15 minutes in Z3. The run was awesome…cold, but fun. My sister and twin nieces came down to visit us and stay with us for the weekend. They arrived at about 12:30 pm. After lunch we walked to the park and enjoyed some time in the sunshine…playing on the playground, throwing the frisbee for the dogs and playing tag. We made homemade pizza for dinner and then went to get some froyo for dessert 😉
Sunday:
I got up early to run some long miles, but it was raining and COLD…there is nothing worse than being cold and wet, so I went back to bed. I knew the rain was suppose to quit by 8 am, so I decided to run later in the day…it would have to be way later in the day, since my sister and I were participating in a 5K race at 11 am in Des Moines. I asked Sarah what her goal time was for the 5K and she though 45 minutes was doable. Now that I knew her goal, I decided to try and push her just a little bit. We finished in just under 42 minutes. Congratulations Sarah!! I know you can break 40 minutes next time 🙂 We met my aunts and cousin for some lunch in Des Moines before heading home. This meant the Iron Hippie and I went out for our long run at 3 pm. It was about 57F, which was nice, but the winds were sustained at 28 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Can you say WINDY?!?!?! I was just grateful to be running outside in the sunshine and in a tank top and shorts.
Weekly Totals:
Swim: 4800 yards
Bike: 91.7 miles
Run: 22.2 miles
Strength Training: 2:15:00
Total Time: 14 hours & 15 minutes
How was your week of training? What were the highlights of your week?
WHAT?!?!?!?! Next week is going to have a 1 in front of it…eek!! I can’t believe how time flies!! Last week was full of workouts, fun and pushing through the final week before spring break…OH…and it was my birthday week 🙂 Warmer temperatures have blessed us, which means outdoor activities where we don’t have to bundle up in down parkas to go outside. Finally…spring is here!!
Monday:
My day started with a 1 hour strength training session where I held plank for 4 minutes for the first time ever. I am excited…a 5 minute plank by the end of March might actually happen. #progress 🙂 It was a long day at work with students who were all starting to mentally check out and go on spring break…UGH!! I was ready to burn off some steam after work, so it was a good thing I had some #bikelove coming my way with the 1-2-3-2-1 bike #interval workout. I thought about taking the bike and trainer to the front yard, but decided 54F might be a bit chilly and opted for leaving the bike in the basement for a few more days.
Tuesday:
Thankfully “early bird lap swim” has started at the high school pool and it has temperatures more conducive for lap swimming…less than 86F. YIPPEE!! While the time of day could be earlier for the Iron Hippie and me, we’ve adjusted our schedule just a bit on Tuesday mornings to get the opportunity to swim at a different location. Soooo, this is how I started my Tuesday…3100 yards of #swimlove swimming. I was really excited about swimming at the high school, but I could not get my swim form to fall together, so I didn’t feel the #swimlove that I was hoping for. I followed this up with another REALLY long day with the students even more checked out than Monday. They were even starting to get mouthy. One student said, “Mrs. Fencl, you’re trippin’!” to which I responded, “I certainly hope I’m not “trippin’ since I have to run after school.” I was so excited to get outside after school and run!! It was a BEAUTIFUL, sunny, warm afternoon. It doesn’t get better than this in March in Iowa!! Can you say #runlove…I had a lot of love on this run!!
Wednesday:
I started my day with an easy 75 minute trainer ride just to spin out the legs. This was followed up with an even longer day than the previous days this week. It wasn’t just the students that were getting antsy for break…I was too!! It didn’t help that we had temperatures in the upper 60s/low 70s all week. I just wanted to be outside!! I debated skipping my swim after school and doing something outside, but I decided I should go swim. I knew I would be upset with myself if I skipped a workout. So I went to the pool and swam. After my swim, I spent the evening outside grilling, walking the dogs and just relaxing while I enjoyed some fresh air and vitamin D 🙂
Thursday:
My day started with the Iron Hippie playing this as my wake up “call”…
This was followed up with 45 minutes of #runlove with the Iron Hippie and Basil. It was so peaceful to run outside at 4:30 am with very few people out, the streets all to ourselves, the temperature near 45F, and an “easy run” on the calendar. Can you say…run bliss?!?!?! After the run, the Iron Hippie made me a “birthday smoothie,” which would replace the “cake” that normal people typically consume. I had another long day at school, with lots of birthday wishes. One class even sang “Happy Birthday” to me…a lot off key, but it was the thought that counts! I was incredibly antsy all day to get outside. It was 74F and I wanted to ride my bike!! I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to ride on the roads because I had to teach TRX, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t ride my trainer outdoors! Thanks to Allen for the party shenanigans while we rode 🙂 It wasn’t all fun and games. We did get to work for some serious #bikelove and #intervals. After all, that is the only way to make #progress. TRX was difficult, because my legs were so tired, but we did a lot more core work in this class, so the legs could take a bit of a break for Friday’s long run.
Friday:
There was no AM workout, so it was nice sleeping in a bit…hey a 6 am wake up call gave me 2 extra hours to sleep 🙂 I was so thankful to have an early dismissal at 1 pm today. It was a beautiful afternoon for a run, so I broke out another new Coeur Sports tri kit and ran and ran and ran…
Saturday:
I slept in until almost 7 am. I don’t remember the last time that happened!! When I got up, I went to the gym for 30 minutes of core work and followed it up with Bananas Foster Oatmeal at The Cafe for breakfast…YUMMY!! After taking a nap, I cleaned up the house a bit and enjoyed the sunshine and warmer weather before cheering on the Cyclones to the Big 12 Championships. By the end of the game, I was sure I would need to see Coach Fred Hoiberg’s heart doctor…thankfully, the Come Back Kids strike again 🙂
Sunday:
The day started with a 3:20:00 brick. After a 30 minute warm up, we rode 5 minutes in zone 3 followed by 10 minutes in zone 2 which we repeated for a total of 10 times before hopping off the bike and running easy for 20 minutes. Then it was time for fueling, bike cleaning, paying bills and house work.
Weekly Totals:
Swim: 5600 yards
Bike: 85.6 miles
Run: 27.7 miles
Strength Training: 2:15:00
Total Duration: 14 hours and 44 minutes
How was your week? What were the highlights of your week?
What a great week!! While I don’t like losing an hour of my day this time of year, I do like having more daylight hours in the evening…a sign that spring really is just around the corner!!
Monday:
AM: 1 hour strength training session…
PM: Trainer Ride…3×9 minute Over/Under Intervals…This was my #FaveWorkout this week!
Tuesday:
I was suppose to get up early and swim, BUT…that didn’t happen, SO…
After work, I got some #swimlove and #runlove back to back…I’m so ready to start exercising outdoors in warmer weather!!
Wednesday:
AM: Zone 2 #bikelove
PM: Make-up Parent Teacher Conferences from last week…we got more snow tonight too 😦
Thursday:
One more cold day before nice weather is suppose to bless us…
I followed this up with an amazing recovery smoothie…Osmo Nutrition and Pure Clean Beet Powder are the perfect addition to any smoothie!!
PM: #bikelove #intervals followed up by TRX class…this is quickly becoming one of my favorite workout combinations!!
Friday:
AÂ swim was on the schedule for after work today, BUT…it was 52F and sunny outside. Since I’ve been cooped up most of the winter, I decided it was time to lace up the running shoes and do Saturday morning’s run on Friday afternoon. I can swim tomorrow. Fresh air, sunshine, warmer temperatures, friends, what more could a girl ask for?!?!?! Basil also needed some exercise…we were both so happy to get back outside!!
Saturday:
I slept in Saturday morning and decided to swim Saturday afternoon. I had the whole pool to myself after family swim time was over. I followed this up with some core work…everyday I notice I get a bit stronger in this department 😉 #progress
Sole Sista Time after my workouts…
Sunday:
1st brick of 2015 is in the books!! 3 hour ride and 20 minute run…BAM!! It felt AWESOME 🙂 I love running off the bike when my legs are all warmed up!! The best part…I could have run harder 🙂
Weekly Totals:
Swim: 4500 yards
Bike: 82.5 miles
Run: 25.6 miles
Strength Training: 2:10:00
Total Duration: 13:41:00
Only one more week to get through and then it is spring break week. As a teacher, this is my 2nd favorite part of the year…it takes runner up to summer vacation 😉 I am definitely looking forward to a week off and time to regroup before the last big push to the finish line of the school year. I don’t have any big plans, but working out, relaxing and spending time with friends will be my top priorities 🙂
How was your week? Are you going to get to enjoy “spring break” sometime soon? If so, do you have big plans?
PushMyLimits