End of week 11 and my first sprint of the season

This week was pretty challenging for me because on Saturday of last weekend I strained my lower back... Yes just before my first race of the season! What do they call that? Oh Yea "Murphy's Law!" lol... My back was just the effect of lot's and lot's of training with full time work of lifting bending etc..... I know it's not too serious but will require some physio and not going full out on training until I am better... I am happy I can still move though.

So let's see, Oh yea I told myself I would have a better week of swimming and I did, it's in the mind for me he he... we did a bit less distance this week just for a bit of a taper for the race which was good for me.. We worked on some speed and I did very well at that. My leg cramps seem to be disappearing and I owe that too the glutamine, I'm sure....

We backed off the gym this week as well both because of the taper and my back.. good thing I feel.. Our running was good at the track we did 10x's 1 minute of speed with active recoveries with equal time. I felt great doing those but after my back said, "I don't think so!" So some good drugs for that day.

My back loves the bike... We had some good hill repeats and some steady rides this week.

Ok onto my race day...

I was very nervous about even doing it because that morning my back was very tight and if someone had said to me, "you better not!" I would have ducked out because I was very concerned.. but I am bull headed and I promised myself that I would not race and if I felt pain I would stop because we have 10 weeks of training still to do and this is not my race!

Ivan was so excited that it helped ease my mind and focus on him... He was like a little kid in a candy store.. At 6am he pumped up the volume on the stereo in the truck and had AC/DC playing loud.. hmmm ya 6am not good! lol.... but I was into his excitement! I think all he needed that morning was a bit more sugar! "not" lol.... Too cute...

Ok so I was in my tri suit and ready for my swim.. I was in heat 2 and I figured it would take me 17 minutes to swim 700 meters and that would be faster then last year so I was hoping. I was in lane 2 with 3 other guys. I was in position 3. I listened to the guys talking about how fast they could do this in and I told them hmmmm I can't swim this that fast so when you need to pass me tap me ok. Well off we went and after 50 meters the guy in front said go ahead your much faster so off I went and I felt so strong and I felt like I could do this for ever.. So I had 2 guys behind me and the front guy was just a head for about 50 meters but he was much faster then the rest of us and got some distance so I had no draft; "darn!" I still felt strong never having to single side breath and never felt like I was drowning.. All my training is paying off! The first guy behind me never did catch me and him and the other guy got all my draft hmmm not fare! lol... I saw my red board in the water and sprinted on the last 50 meters and looked at my watch and looked again and found out I had just gotten a PR of 3 minutes faster then last years time, it said 15:29. Very happy gal! The only gripe I have is as I was lifting myself out of the pool the guy just behind me pushed me onto the pool deck and I scraped my knee pretty good. Karma will get him!

Very Very cold in T1 so made it hard to get my top on and shoes but did it and off I went.. Oh wait have to tell you this one... I was putting my socks on, yes it was that cold! and for some reason my left foot was not going into my sock.. well when I looked down I soon realized it was my glove I was putting on my foot! lol... Yup what a day so far..

On the bike started off ruff because my legs were so cold that they felt drained and no juice but I knew I had to go easy any how because of my back which was ok at that point. My legs got better and got into a grove. I was passed by a guy which drove me to pick it up a bit to stay with him. I passed him on a incline and then going down a hill he passed me.. As I was passing him again on a hill I looked at his number it was #28 and I was #27 so I had to comment on that! he he.. I told him this makes a lot of sense he laughed. We continued this way until I got up the biggest hill on the course and didn't see him for a while. Now I messed up bad and learned a big lesson.. No it's not normally this cold at this time of year but I didn't wear my full fingered gloves which I brought! and just wore my shorties and my figures became so painful that I was groaning and having one hand in my mouth and one on the bars the whole rest of the ride. Killed me.. My #28 caught me near the end and was worried about me because my fingers were hurting so bad.. What an awesome guy!

I made it back just after him and my T2 went very bad because I hurt so bad I could not move my fingers.. couldn't tie my laces and couldn't get my hat on etc..... so I just put my hands under my arm pits and waited until I could move them.... Hey this made my back better cause I couldn't feel it he he.. Well I finally left on the run with loose shoes and still pain in my figures.. I just went out very easy.. I saw my guy again who was on the way back and I was still about a km away from the turn around and he was happy to see me still moving.. I got to the turn around and felt so much better (oh yea, you will be proud of me, I wore my full finger gloves on the run he he) I picked it up and passed a few girls and caught my guy again who was shocked to see me... I passed him and headed for the finish.. I saw my Hubby flying up the hill looking so strong and I was excited for him cause in my heart I knew he was having a great race. We high fived each other and I flew to the finish where I looked at my time and found out I finished with the same time as last year.. Now how does that happen? Too funny....

I am happy my back let me train at the race and love the massage therapist after the race who put my back, back into proper position and treated my tight muscles that really helped and I am making an appointment with physio today.

Ivan made the day complete with his amazing performance and excitement that I could not feel anything but happiness.... Lot's of goose bumps for the rest of the day! I can't believe this guy is my husband! How lucky am I to have a truly talented man as my Husband! Oh for you who don't know he was over 6 minutes faster in the end over last years results! and placed really well over all!

Well time to heal and look forward to more training and our next sprint in May with no back issues and warmer temps. Now I wonder how we will get in some open water swimming before then hmmmm it's snowing outside right now as I type this! "crazy!!!! Please Spring come back!!!!

End of week 10

"See I can do all three sports at the same time!" LOL....


It's done! Week 10..... Let's see, I would have to say my high light of the week was my cycling.... I am feeling stronger and stronger on the bike. I did 75 km's last Sunday and I averaged 27 kms all the way even with head winds and then this weekend we did a brick workout and road for 35km's on a hilly course and averaged 28.82 and it did not feel hard. The Vo2 max work and hill repeats are working like a charm. I am pretty excited about this.

My Swimming this week was not as good as it has been. I just don't seem to have the energy or spark I had for it last week. I think it just goes that way some times, but I have told myself that this week will be a good week for swimming and I know it will. Sunday, I'm not sure if it's all the training or if the change in temps this weekend had anything to do with it but I was so bagged that I slept in till 8:30 am which I don't do and after a good run I fell back a sleep for just over half an hour. So my swim after my nap was terrible, well not totally cause I still did 2300 meters but in 100's and 200's.

Running is still going well.. I feel strong when I run so that's good. I miss the good old days where I had fresh legs though he he.. Hey but on Wed's early mornings I have fresh legs he he but the body is not a wake yet!

Training is really going well over all and I can't wait until Sunday for our first sprint of the season. It will be our hard brick workout and I love the idea of that! "Can't wait!"

I do have one small issue right now and that is my lower back has gotten tight so I am a bit nervous of that but I am stretching and taking it easy on it by not lifting heavy things at work and around home. Hot water hitting my back feels great as well as some Advil. I am hoping it will work it's self out before the sprint. One nice thing about back pain or tightness is that it likes to be in motion....

This week is pretty heavy but we will be cutting back by Friday so we have a little taper before the sprint and then our recovery week "yea" Will be needed by then he he..

End of week 9

Wow week 9 is over.... I can't believe it! When we start week 10 on Tuesday we are half way "crazy" This week was a great week for training minus one swim on Friday night but over all very good.

Our sessions on the bike, swim, and runs are now getting longer and some fast Vo2 max work so I sleep well at night too... We have these 5 minute hill climbs to do on the bike which we do on our trainer because it really feels more like a good workout. Plus try to find a hill around here that goes on for 5 minutes at a hard pace hmmmmmm "not" Hey and there is less traffic in the basement he he..

The track work is pretty intense but do able. Now our biggest challenge is trying to figure out which workout to do early in the morning and which to do after work because there is just not enough time for both and it's pretty hard on the body to fit both in after work. We don't seem to have enough time in the morning's to get a full swim workout in so we have tried running in the morning instead and Ivan and I seem to like that the best and then swim at night. We will figure it out. I can't wait for warmer weather and lighter days so we can swim in the lake and have more day light which is improving every day.

My biggest news is about today.. I know I am stuck on my swimming but today I did my longest swim ever of 2500 meters all free style! and I have chaffing under my arms to prove it! lol... Oh I also road for 2:50 on Saturday which was 75.36 kms and I averaged 27 km all the way even with the head winds all the way back. I am very proud of my accomplishments this week and hope week 10 is just as good.

I am also looking forward to our sprint on April the 20th which isn't to far away.

Until next week.....