Two Workout Updates

So, as previously mentioned, last week was a mental health week. Workouts were a wash and ineffective, when I did them. I started fresh this past Sunday with an intense 90 minute workout consisting of 30 minutes each of swim/bike/run. I admit that I was a little nervous about doing such an extended workout; I was afraid I've overwork myself. However, it went really well. I hopped into the pool and did a 500. Just like that. No stopping, nothing. Then I took a minute break. Then did another 500. It felt great and I felt like I was really in the flow. I glided through the water and focused on different parts of my technique every 50 or so. Finally, I decided to do some speed work. I did 6X50, slow/med/fast/slow/med/fast. I like doing speed drills and it helps your overall endurance. I cooled down with 50 breast.

The bike was also a great workout. I really enjoy the hills workout because it's similar to what I'll be doing in the race and gives me chances to power through the hills and recover on the downhill (not the hills workout of walking from place to place to brunch and drink with your fake friends, but the hills on the bike). It's always awkward on the bike after I swim because, despite my best efforts of quickly drying off, I always drip water everywhere. And of course, it just looks like I'm *that* sweaty girl. But oh well.

The run was the toughest part, of course. I ran the first mile in 10 minutes and pooped out and resorted to a power walk at 4.5mph for the next 15 minutes. It was definitely tough. Luckily I have more brick workouts coming up. Also, when I bike, my goal is to run a little afterward just to keep my legs warmed up and to practice the transition.

I missed Monday night's 30 minute bike workout so after hula tonight I'm going straight to the gym to make up for it. Today would be a strength day anyway, and hula works my arms and legs like crazy.

Last night, I expressed to Ryan my frustration with my lack of pacing. I try to maintain 10 minute miles (6mph) which is on the low end of acceptable for pacing but I always end up exhausted and need a walking break. It's been better with my training, yes, but it's still tough. He suggested I look at McMillan's Running Training Calculator.  You enter your race time for your most recent race and it calculates the different paces you should use for training. According to the calculator, I should be training around 12 minute miles (5mph) and work in speed workouts to help increase my endurance and thus my pace. It felt really pathetic and defeating to see that I should be training so slowly. However, it does make sense that you shouldn't constantly train at your race pace (my race pace being 10 minute miles). No wonder I was so exhausted!

So, I ran 3.61 miles in 40 minutes. I did the first mile at 5mph, the second at 5.2, and somewhere during that time with 15 minutes left of my run I decided to increase by 0.1mph every minute. I finished out going 6.5mph. The best part was that even though I was tired, at no point did I feel like I wanted to die or that this was the most miserable thing ever. Usually I feel like that when running 6.0 or faster (unless of course I'm sprinting at the end).

Lesson of the day: sometimes you have to really slow it down in order to go faster.