Ancient Drying Method, Run Fast

OK, so I am a little behind in my blogging already. Just over a week actually. So hopefully I can hammer out a few posts today to get myself caught up. We are going all the way back to Friday July 17 to my workout with Rob.

Everybody into the pool.

Rob and I met at the outdoor pool in Campbell River. We get there and learn that the lunch time lengths swim was over but somehow Rob has a way and convinced them to put up a lane for us to do our workout. After a 400m warm-up in which I got lapped a few times by the half man half fish that is Rob, I did a 200m tempo swim which took just under 4 minutes. I have to say that the last time I consistently swam was at least 15 years ago when I did swim lessons up to Bronze Medallion and does it show. After the tempo I did a couple of easy laps and then 2, 25m sprints. I don't know if I have ever done swimming sprints before. All I know is I feel slow in the water and I was spent and this was only the first half of our work out.

Track Time

We got out of the pool and threw on our running shoes for a track workout of my picking, a pyramid. After a 10 minute warm-up to the track we were to run 200m, 400m, 1000m, 800m, 400m, 200m. The first 200m was over in 35 seconds with a 90 second recovery. 400m in 76 seconds with a 90 second recovery. 1000m is where I was starting to feel the swim work out just a touch. I went through the 1000m in 3:37, not as fast as I would have hoped but not too slow either. This was the first part of the work out that I put any distance on Rob. The man can run pretty well too. After a 3 minute rest on to the 800m which was done in 2:52. Rob decided not to push this one as he hasn't run much in the last few months and has done even less speed work. After another 3 minute rest we were on to the home stretch. The next 400m was done in 79 seconds. Dang I would like to have done it just as fast or faster than the first one. But alas I haven't done much speed work lately and could feel the hill sprints from Wednesday in the legs. After a 90 second rest we had the last 200m this would be a strong effort to finish the workout. 34 seconds later the hard part was over and 1 second faster than my first one. Back to the pool with an easy 10 minute cool down and the day was done.

Hot Hot Hills

Wednesday July 15th was another day of working both jobs. Luckily I got time to have a little nap in between, as getting up at 3am after the kayak race the night before was pretty tough. This day was to entail some hill sprints. With Mark our coach not here I was given the job of relaying his workout wishes. We are doing what? 8 second sprints with a whole minute recovery. Some in the group thought that this was too easy. How many are we doing? 2-3 That's it? What kind of workout is this? Just a quick one to get the neural pathways better acquainted with our muscles. Off we were to do our warm-up, which shouldn't have been too hard as it was another hot one. For myself that ended up being a 25 min jog out and back to the store where I kindly used the facilities, took my shirt off and changed into my new racing flats for a test spin.

Dang these are nothing on my feet.

On go the Brooks T6 flats and oh me oh my, it felt as though there was nothing on my feet. If the ground had not been cushioned I would have thought that I was running in bare feet. Off to meet everybody at the base of the hill. As per anytime I have no shirt on the naked runner comments come out. Personally I think they wish they were running without their shirts. Once again, "Just 2-3 and the first one doesn't need to be full out." But alas this seemed to be easy for them and most opted for 5 or 6. Mark told me the next day that I should have stood firm with them on the 2-3 but we are all adults and they make their own choices and have to live with whatever comes of it. I myself planned on doing 6 as I had done 3 the week before and I don't know if I can tap into the sprint side more but I don't find these easy. I do find that they burn the lungs something fierce, to the point of still being a bit sore even after an easy 10 minute cool down.

Wednesday's workout, 25 min warm-up 6 8 sec sprint hills with 1 min recovery and 10 min cool down.

Paddle Rabbit Paddle

Ever In A Rush.

After working both jobs Tuesday July 14th, I rushed to Comox for the Tuesday time trials. Why do people have to drive so slowly when you need to be somewhere. I managed to get to the spit with about 10 minutes to get my boat off the car and loaded. Rob was there and gave me a hand getting set up in time. We all synchronized watches, and get told the course for the evening, leaving less than 10 minutes to wait before my start time. Being that I had not finished the course a couple weeks before due to an impromptu swim, I got to start with a canoe paddled by a couple of dudes. In my haste getting ready I had left my wing paddle by the car, run back and grab it. Check my watch, 5 minutes to get in my boat and warm up. Hop in my boat and start to put on my spray skirt, which picks this time to be a stubborn mule, not wanting to go on. One of the other paddlers comes over to give me a hand and reminds me that I have 1 minute to go. So much for a warm up.

Here We Go.

I check my watch time to go, start heading out to the first marker, a red buoy. Man how far is that buoy, is it all the way to Hornby Island? Pass through a kelp bed just before the buoy and wondering where is everybody, I figured I would have been passed by now.

Am I Lost?

Round the buoy and realize I am way out in front and don't actually know where I am going, they said a green buoy near the shore out from the spit. Look way out and can't really make out anything on the water as we are heading into the sun. I'm hoping it is by the far shore and make haste. A few minutes later still can't tell where I am going and tentatively look back, I think there are boats heading the same way but not even close to passing me. In the distance I can finally make out something buoy like on the water and something larger like the first buoy but is it on land, I can't tell. Finally round a small black buoy, they said it was green, maybe it is that bigger object. Is it on the water is it green? I don't want to be looked as at a cheater, time to inspect. Well turns out it is a big green buoy, success, only wasted a little time with that small black buoy. Wait there is another buoy, hmm guess I better make sure I go around that one too. It's at this time I realize nope the big green one was the one, that was a waste of time and the canoe is making up ground. Time for a dash to the spit.

Home Stretch.

Start to get pushed out by the river out flow as I pass a sailboat with people cheering me on. I'm starting to think I can hold everybody off, I'm not about to look back. All I know is I don't want to hear paddles hitting water. As I get closer to the beach I'm trying to count the phone poles to determine the 6th one out as it is the finish. One two three four, dang start over, there it is #6 paddle hard I'm not getting passed this close. Off comes the spray skirt, hop out and run to shore, stop the watch. 55 minutes, wow I held everybody off. Sweet, I get to start later next week and don't have to be the rabbit. Tara met me at the finish hoping to get some photos but happened to be on the other side of the spit thinking we were coming in the inside. I wonder who told her that? How was I supposed to know, that was the course I was told about weeks ago. Turns out the big green buoy was the right one and managed to do a bit extra and still hold everybody off. I guess I have a little sandbagging done for next week. I talk to Rob after he got in and found the course was a little over 8km, 2 km further than Jericho Oceanman. Nothing like a little confidence. Time for beer and chips.

Sometimes the rabbit wins.

Greek Salad + Workout = Burp City

After working till 10:30 am Monday July 13th, yes my day started at 12:30 am, I got home and had a good nap knowing Rob was going to call and see about a swim and run that evening. Got up around 3 and decided to have a big bowl of Greek salad I had made the day before, so good. Got the call and met up to head to the lake. Swam our usual 500m loop, the one they use for the XTC Triathlon in Campbell River. Get about 100m into it and start to burp, so annoying, trying time your breath around your stroke and your burbs. So not cool. Started to feel better swimming as I finished the loop that I would do another couple hundred meters. Need to get up to 1km comfortably before Jericho Oceanman August 8th. So in all about 700m swim in 18:30, slow but coming along. Rob had to get back to town so he dropped me off at my car which was at the Canyon View Trail. Figured I should do a nice 30-40 min in the trails. Linked up the Canyon View with the the Quinsam Trail for a nice 35 min burp filled run. Luckily no ankles rolled. Lesson learned never again am I eating Greek salad before a workout or race.

Has hell frozen over?

Perhaps it has, but I doubt it. What I do know is this. I am going to start blogging. Have I joined the blogosphere, is that even a real thing and who comes up with this? I have no idea whether anybody will care what I have to write here. I figured it was time to really keep track of my training and racing. I know my writing is poor but hopefully over time, who knows, maybe I can even be engaging. I fear this might be a gateway drug to Twitter. Only time will tell. Either way this shall be a home for anybody who cares, to follow my training and racing.

Enjoy,

RunninMonk