How Hard Can It Be? Lite

[Veronica]

After two years of not racing, I have signed up for a sprint tri. I officially started training on Sunday and have ten weeks to prep. Sunday's bike ride was good. I averaged 15 mph for 30 miles, so a decent starting place there. The advertised race distance is 12 miles and last time I did it, in 2011, I averaged 18.3 mph. Today was my first run outside in about six months and I really have not been running regularly at all for the last two years. It was pretty lame, but I did it. I knew the first few days would be hard with a bike ride on Sunday, trainer session Monday morning (legs), recovery ride on the trainer Monday PM and a run this morning. I deliberately stacked the beginning of each week when I made my plan. I go back to work in three weeks and I KNOW how tired I am by the end of the week. The rest of this week is easier.

Veronica

[Crankin]

You'll do it, Veronica. It sounds like your training plan is realistic.

[Veronica]

Yesterday was plyo and core day with Shawna. She had brought her basset hounds, Ellie and Sid, to the studio. Ellie was "helping" me do my sideways low runs with a burpee at each end. Nothing like a hound dog kiss as you do your burpees! I ended my session with 4 rounds of sit ups coupled with Russian twists. The sit ups weren't bad, but for the twists I was using a twenty pound ball. Ouch!

Today's run felt a little better than Tuesday's. I really noticed the moon and Venus (I think ) this morning. Even though the moon is small, it was just beautiful.

Veronica

[Sky King]

You will rock it. One of the routines we are doing at work out is 90 seconds of slow movement controlled exercises. The hard one for me - but also a good all over body - start in up position of push up and take a full 30 seconds to lower yourself to the floor, then take a full 30 seconds to raise yourself back to start and then full 30 seconds to lower again with no break in between. Yes a bit of a challenge with the hand splint as I am gripping two dumb bells instead of having my hands flat on floor. Oh and keep your elbows tight to the side of you body. If need be we are allowed to put our knees on the floor which I had to do on the 3rd rotation yesterday

[Veronica]

Friday's trainer workout was upper body - flipped her monster tire 25 times, did 4 sets of 45 push ups - 15 incline, 15 decline and 15 flat. Then we did 5 sets of 10 pull ups, changing grips for each set - wide, medium, narrow, medium , wide . I did these with the narrow band assist. I can still only do one, two if I'm lucky, with no assist.

This weekend was super hot. We went to mountain bike at Round Valley on Saturday. Thom had read that one of the single track trails had been opened to mountain biking there. The signs for no bikes were still up on both ends of the trail, so we didn't ride it. It's widely used by hikers and equestrians, so no matter what the official park map may say - until they change the signs we won't ride it. Instead we went through Round Valley and headed UP towards Morgan Territory. That is one nasty, unrelenting climb. Good training and some nice views, but it was HOt!

Sunday we took the road bikes over to the coast and rode 35 miles there. It was about 25 degrees cooler there - low 70s when we started, mid 80s when we finished. When we got back to the house it was 98, much more pleasant at the coast.

This morning was legs again. We started with drop sets of leg press - 25 reps each at 360, 270, 180 pounds. I wonder how sore I'll be tomorrow.

Veronica

[Veronica]

A bit of a setback...

back in the spring I had some issues with my foot that have resurfaced. I think my foot does not like the stair climber. More specifically, I think it's something in the way I push off with my right foot on the stair climber. Just walking hurts, so running seemed like a bad idea.

Veronica

[Veronica]

Wednesday is normally plyo and core day. We did all core today, since plyos weren't happening with my foot. Twenty TRX pikes with a push up. Those are just freakin' hard on everything - arms, core, quads... Abs are going to be sore tomorrow.

Veronica

[Veronica]

My abs are so sore that when Tucker Cat kneads my belly it hurts.

Veronica

[Veronica]

Still can't run on my foot.

Yesterday was upper day with Shawna. We did 5 rounds of everything starting with chest press -10 reps at 95 pounds. That sucked. After doing chest and back, we did biceps and shoulders. The bicep set was 15 reps with 50 pounds. I wasn't sure I coukd do one set of 15 reps at 50 pounds. But dang I've gotten strong. It wasn't easy, but I did all 5 sets. We finished up with triceps. This included close in push ups with feet on a fit ball. My abs were still sore from Wed. so this kinda hard. My chest is sore today!

Veronica

[Catrin]

Great job Veronica, that is a lot of good work! Sorry to hear about your foot I can't run right now either, I was silly enough to go for a 5K trail run in June after not running for a month and my knee decided to complain...

[Veronica]

Just 'cause I haven't posted doesn't mean I'm not training.

I still haven't been able to run, maybe Thursday. I've been doing 40ish mile bike rides on Sundays and some shorter ones during the week or videos. I've been busy getting my classroom ready and spending time with my kitties nd reading the last of my trashy novels.

Last few trainer sessions have been kind of fun. Shawna took a video of me that I really like, but you have to have a Facebook account to see it. It's here, down the page a little bit. This last Saturday, I tried to do hand stand push ups. I think, I might have moved an inch on a couple of them. Most of them were more like 3/4 of an inch. But I weigh 152 pounds. I can't bench press 152 pounds. It was fun, in a masochistic sort of way. My leg workout on Monday had me doing lots of things while standing on the Bosu - also kind of fun.

Kiddos start tomorrow.

Veronica

[Sky King]

We did push up handstands against the wall today - 60 second hold, I don't think I even move 1/4 of an inch - yet. Had my sports chiropractor Astem my IT Band yesterday and he pointed out that I am
not loading my glute and hamstring enough with I do lateral split squats (I don't do squats at all, only wall sits) As much as the pain of his working my IT Band is fierce I sure feel better today, so back again next week.
Sending foot healing thoughts your way

[Veronica]

Given the fact that I have not been able to run for four weeks and my race is 4 weeks away - I'm not going to do it. I'd rather spend that day cycling with my honey than attempting to race when I've been injured. Signing up for a race was really about the journey to get ready for it anyway not so much about the actual event.

Veronica

[Crankin]

Good choice.