Today is Not That Day

Getting prepared

Between perfecting my bike fit and enjoying my ART guy's magic, I think I'm finally (mostly) prepared for some hard training work!

Bike fit is still getting dialed in. Slight adjustment in my seat height made a difference this week. My fitter ordered new cranks... my current ones are 172.5 mm and we're ordering 167.5 mm. I think this will make a huge difference in my ability to increase cadence as well as climb hills. When he changes the cranks he'll also put a longer stem on my bars as they're a bit too short. And voila! I can no longer blame my bike... it's all me. 

My piriformis and hamstring problems have come back to haunt me, so I've been getting regular ART sessions. My guy is seriously a magician... my hips are out of alignment, and ta-da! in 10 minutes they're perfectly straight. He worked his magic last week on hips and hip flexors, and 2 days later I ran 10 miles for the first time without pain. Whooo hoo! But then the pain came back. Grr. So today he fixed my hips (again) and taught me some exercises to do daily to keep my pelvis aligned and prevent it from getting out of whack. He also did some work on quads, calves and IT band, and I don't remember ever having this sense of mobility... range of motion is so much better! 

Which is good, because I looked at my schedule for the weekend and burst out laughing. This is the first time I've seen something on the schedule that I honestly don't know if I can do... so that means it will be a confidence builder! At least I have a saddle my tush is happy with, a much better fit, an aligned pelvis and relaxed muscles. Bring it on. 

Training update

So I haven't been too inspired to write, but I've loved reading everyone else's posts. Wildflower training weekend was this weekend and I was looking forward to writing about it, but I cut my stay short due to weather. We were supposed to get a cold front and storms, and the idea of camping in foul weather wasn't too exciting to me. 

Fortunately the storm took its sweet time to arrive, so I drove down on Friday, set up camp, enjoyed the campfire and catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while. Nighttime brought sub-40 degree temps and I slept curled up in a ball with a hat, 3 shirts, 2 pants and 2 socks... still cold. Crazy. Early morning was more of the same, but by 9 am it was actually pretty nice out. So all 100 of us headed out on bikes... half for the long course, half for Olympic. 

The good news on the bike is that I'm liking my new saddle. Still adjusting, but I really think this is a winner. The bad news is that my hill climbing abilities are in the toilet. My speed varied from 30 - 35 MPH descending, but only 4 - 8 MPH ascending. I need to make up 10 minutes on the bike just to be where I was last year, and I've got 5 weeks in which to do it. Ack! 

Post-ride we had lunch, and then it was time for the open water swim. I, along with many others, decided to bail. I was tired of being cold, and I had my eye on the dark clouds lurking on the horizon. So I packed up and drove the 3.5 hours home, most of it in pouring rain. No idea if the storm hit the campsite last night as predicted, but I was cozy and very happy in my own bed. 

Today I ran across the Golden Gate bridge for the first time! It's precisely a 10 mile run from my door to the other side of the bridge. I'd prepared for rain but it turned out to be a lovely day. It was my first 10 mile run in a couple months and it went better than I'd expected. My ART guy is a true magician, and my funky recurring aches and pains decided to stay home for this run. I'm optimistic about finishing the US Half in a couple weeks without it being a total sufferfest. 

With regards to training overall, I realize that I started training 6 weeks later this year than last year so I should be patient with myself. Fortunately my swim is on track and I should do better than last year, which is a pleasant surprise given all my recent shoulder problems. I'm also optimistic about the run. The only leg that's really not going well is the bike. I need to make up 10+ minutes on the bike in the next month -- and that's just to hit last year's times -- and all of that is going to come through building muscle and power on hills.

My leg muscles just feel trashed all the time, and I'm thinking that I'm not getting enough protein. I tend to eat vegetarian but I haven't put a lot of thought into ensuring that I'm getting the right nutrition. I just got home from eating a big steak dinner, and I'm thinking about hiring a nutritionist to get my diet on track. Nothing like an impending race and feeling behind the 8-ball to spark some needed changes!  

 

Bike fit and new saddle!

Just got home from a 4.5 hour bike fit at 3D Bikefit in Sausalito. I had no idea why it would take that long, but I was eager to try anything to get comfortable on my bike. I signed up for Retul, but Kevin talked me into a video fit instead. I was glad he did; it's amazing to see yourself on screen, watch him draw body angles and point out problem areas, and then compare before & after footage side by side.

The first thing we did was talk for 30 minutes over coffee about cycling and my specific needs and issues. Then I received a very thorough physical assessment and I got an earful of knowledge about the human body: why I am likely having my recurring left-leg problems (knee, hamstring, etc.) and why my right foot goes numb when I ride. My left leg is longer which may be throwing my pelvis/hips out of whack... this, combined rigid feet and high arches, could be the cause of a lot of my problems. He also showed some new stretches that should help my crazy-tight hips.

Then... the saddle. I tried three different Adamo ISM saddles and one of them (the Typhoon) was a "wow." It's not exactly like riding on a cloud, but close. He said this particular one is great for women with wider sitbones like mine. This is the first time I've sat on a bike longer than 15 minutes and not felt the urgent need to dismount. In addition to being wider, it's also softer. If you are having saddle problems you should try this one (and also try it with a pro fitter who knows how to place it correctly.)

One the saddle was squared away we spent a lot of time on the right saddle position; my final position is higher and much farther forward than it was previously. After changes to shoes, insoles and cleats, plus correcting for leg length imbalance, my legs are now tracking nicely and my hips no longer rock.  Wider aerobars and my shoulders are more stable.

The last change is crank length; he'd like to take me from a 172 mm to 167.5, but I'll ride this set-up for a couple weeks (and do my stretches) so I can get used to a higher drop before he switches those out. Shorter crank = higher seat = higher drop. I've suspected my cranks were too long, so I'm looking forward to that final modification. 

I can't wait to ride this weekend!

That uncomfortable place between lanes

It's where the magic happens... between lanes in master's swim. We only have 3 lanes: slow, medium and fast. The slow lane (where I've been for the past month as I rehabbed my shoulder) is for newbies. Avg pace is probably 2:15. The intermediate lane is a pretty big step up: I'd guess avg pace is under 1:50. And the speed demon lane is more like 1:30.

Tonight I told my swim coach that I'd held 1:55 in my swim test last week. He smiled and pointed me to the intermediate lane. (gulp.) 1:55 was not fast enough to hold off getting lapped. I definitely didn't do as much yardage; some sets I had to lop off the last 50 entirely. Once I lopped off 100. But dang it, I gave it my best shot. It felt like the swim test all over again, but a lot longer.

Ooh, this place is tough. I feel bad for the speedy ones when I feel their hands at my feet and I have to pull over at the wall to let them pass. So I push harder. I managed to hold 1:55 for the entire swim. Once I pulled out a 1:46 on a fast 100 towards the end. Just. Keep. Up.

And this is how we get faster. Good stuff.

Testing, testing: swim & run

So with the first training block under my belt to work up a bit of fitness, it's now testing time for all three sports to set benchmarks and HR zones. Or as Molly fondly calls it, "lessons in suffering." Oh yes. But fun, too. I'm discovering that I can hold faster paces than I'd thought.

Swim test

First up: the swim test on Wednesday. I've been out of the pool for 6 months with a bum shoulder, but it's amazing what 3 weeks of steady pool work can do. My secretly optimistic goal for 10x100 (with :10 rest) was to stay under 2:00/100, but realistically I figured my pace would drop off and I'd end up more like 2:05. The first two were @ 1:50, and then 3 - 8 I pretty much nailed at 1:55. 9 and 10 dropped pace oh so slightly... the last one I was giving it my all and just barely kissed 1:57 so I have some endurance work to do. But averaging 1:55/100 on my first test made me super happy. I'm not too far off from last year (already) and am now optimistic that I'll be able to get below 1:45 by the end of the season. 

BTW: I'd watched this video a couple weeks ago and am found that these tips on "shrugging and falling" made a noticeable improvement in my swim times. My masters coach said I'm doing a better job now keeping my arms moving and eliminating dead spots.

Run test

Then today I ran my first-ever 5k. I was originally planning do the run test alone but (after attempting to start yesterday with too high a heart rate) I figured it would be great to postpone a day, hydrate like heck, and retry today in race mode. I signed up yesterday afternoon, and ventured forth this morning with slight trepidation after getting this email from coach: "Remember, if it hurts YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT.  It should hurt like heck.  Do not be afraid of it.  Let it be ugly out there!!!" Umm... I've never done that for longer than 1 - 2 min at a time, but ok... game on! 

It was a very small race, maybe 30 - 40 runners, and held at Crissy Field. I didn't bring my camera so I'll borrow a shot off the internet. Gorgeous place to run, and nice & flat!

Needless to say it was not this sunny at the crack'o dawn. I'm sure the race director dictated a memo to self: "for optimal turn-out, don't choose daylight savings day next year."

Anyway... I had absolutely no idea what pace I could hold for 3 miles. I'd never done this before, and my training runs have been @ 10:00 - 10:30 for the past year or so with minimal speedwork. I figured I'd just go by feel and maybe end up (if I'm really lucky) just under 9:00/mi avg.

I just focused on form, keeping pelvis in alignment, slight forward lean, proper arm swing, fast turnover. Felt hard but doable. Looked down at my Garmin and I was hauling at 7:45. Geez, I can't sustain this. I backed off ever so slightly, kept focus on form... but completed that first mile at 7:46 avg. While it felt sustainable despite the tight chest and slight wheezing, I slowed in mile 2 to 8:05... but whenever I noticed my pace slipping (a few times it dropped to 8:18) I just went back to form: "come on Jen, pick up that turnover, slight lean..." and my pace would automatically pick back up without a lot more effort. Good lesson that form is almost as important in running as it is in swimming. I also learned that pursing my lips helped oxygen intake and wheezing, although I'm sure I looked kinda funny.

Then the psych: I thought I saw the finish line in the distance... orange cones and a time clock. Huh? Oh, we must be finishing at a different place than we started. Ok Jen, it's time to pull out all the stops. GO GO GO!! Picked back up to 7:45 and ran until just before the orange cones, when I saw a small sign with an arrow: "5K this way". Holy sh_tballs, that is all shades of wrong. I had to slow down a bit to regroup, then it was back on until the finish, maybe another .3 miles. Finished up at 24:23, with an 8:01 average pace. SUPER HAPPY. I had no idea I could do that!

So now I have my zones for training and a great benchmark to beat. Bike test is scheduled for next week, so the sufferfest continues. I love tests. Of course given my profession (I do a lot of market research) it makes sense that I'm keen on measuring progress based on data. Can't wait to add power... I decided to hold off until Garmin's Vector comes on the market this summer. If I'm going to splurge on power measurement it might as well be the latest technology. 

Hope everyone's have a great weekend!

The arc of awfulness

I'm happy to have finished up my first training block of the season and am now into recovery week. So far so good, except that I've gotten horribly out of bike shape during my 6 months off. Last year I was soooo uncomfortable on the bike and tried everything: 3 different seats and finally a new bike before I was comfortable. I assumed (incorrectly) that after all of that effort, this year would be easier.

Not so fast. My crotch assumed (incorrectly) that I was done with cycling so decided to resensitize all the nerve endings. My shoulders joined the club. I have been so ridiculously sore on my bike. This past Saturday I had a mere 30 mile ride and was completely DONE after mile 18. Pathetic. It was partly due to my loss of ability to ride hills -- my legs were shot -- and partly my crotch pain. I am bruised. So here was the "arc of awfulness" of my workout:

Start: WOW. It's a gorgeous 70-degree day on the peninsula. The sun is shining, the lake is glittering, and I'm SO HAPPY to be on my bike!

After trying to keep cadence up per coach's instructions: Holy crap, this sucks. My legs hurt. My girl bits hurt.

90 minutes in: The pit of despair. I can't believe I am going through this again. I'm only 3 months away from my race. I didn't give myself long enough to get back into shape. My crotch hurts. I wanna catch a ride.

100 minutes in: Maybe I should take a gel. Ahh. Ok, my crotch still hurts but I'm not as cranky about it.

110 minutes in: My crotch and sit-bones really hurt. Seriously, maybe I'm causing permanent damage. I'm going to roll on all the flats and downhills and stand on the pedals. (note: my TP data shows I rolled once for 4 minutes. I think that's a PR!)

End of the ride, putting on my running shoes for my first brick: I'm so happy to not be on my bike.

5 minutes into my short run: It's a gorgeous day! I'm running off the bike! This is fantastic... I'm so happy that I can do this. All is good with the world.

All I can say is, I'm so happy this is a rest week. Happy on behalf of my crotch and sit-bones. Fingers crossed they've gotten the memo to HTFU before next week starts.