Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Post Recovery

I have started back running after some time off. I can tell you it has not been easy. As you age, the body takes longer to heal. I have been able to bounce back in a cardio capacity, but the healing of the worn out parts of my body are taking their own sweet time.

Putting together a training plan has been simple this go around. Whatever I feel like doing, I do for the next month. Run? Sure! Swim? Sure! Bike?...Bike??? Well, not so sure. 7 months out of the saddle was left me in the beginner's stages of riding again. This was evident last Wednesday as I was dropped and then dropped again. But you know, I had other priorities at the time and my goal was to "best" my 2009 marathon time and I did that. So, the bike will come, when I feel like riding.

Last night I told Sarah that I am going to swim at JC in the morning. This brought a heavy sigh, since JC's swim starts at 5AM. That means getting up at 4:30AM to get over there. I could have swam alone later, but that is no fun. I am in post season training for the time being at I just dread thinking about solo swimming.

I hit the pool and same with Jannie. I even did her workout. She wanted to focus on the main set of 1500 meters. I said, lets hit 3 X 500's and decend on them. She was game so after the warm up we started in. I let her lead on the first 500. We hit the wall at 8:23. Jannie said she was concerned on her races that she goes out too fast and dies half way through the swim. I asked her if the 8:23 was a controlled pace and she said yes. She was trying to start out slow and increase. I gave her a pointer. I said on the next 500, hit the first 75 meters hard, then settle in. After 250 meters hit another 75 meters hard then settle in again. I lead out and finished the 500 in 7:40 and Jannie came in at 8:15. I told her that type of swim technique will train her for the race. Everyone goes out fast but the smart ones learn to settle into a race pace and keep moving forward. We hit the last 500 the same way, I came in at 7:41 and Jannie was 8:19.

After a few sets of 100's I got out. I headed upstairs to run the dreadmill. The only reason I ran on the wheel of doom was to hold a constant flat surface. Flat surfaces are more forgiving on the Achilles while they heel.

I started out my the "stretching" area in the back of the gym. After 1.5 miles, "Sweaty, Spandex Dude" came to stretch. He was decked out in his black marble bag (like a Speedo Boxer Suit), tight, red Spandex shirt and yellow Spandex 80's head band. He proceeded to lay on the floor right in front of me and stetched his legs WIDE open. Now, there is some very worng with this picture and I did not want to continue to look at that snap shot.

I hopped off the Mill of Torture and headed over to the "other side" of the gym where there were more rows of "Walking Paths to Know Where". I settled in between two elder women, cranked the speed to 7.6 MPH and finished my 4 miler with no Spandex Dudes in sight.

If it wasn't for the Spandex Dude and a snap shot of all his glory, it would have been a good morning.

Hitting weight at lunch as well. Changing up the weight program and instead of doing lighter weight with more reps, I am following Runner's World suggesting and doing heavier weight at less reps. The leg workout yesterday went quicker and I learned I need to up the weight. The legs were not as fried as they should have been from this workout. Will attempt the same process on the upper body today.

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