January....Check

Last training week of January...

Monday 1/25
WO #1 ½ Masters Swim
45mins 1800m
No coach today, but there was a workout waiting for us. Recovery Swim (since I'm not sure what to do for an actual recovery day swim and I don't want to hold up my lane, I usually just do what the group does and cut it short by about 30mins.
WU 500 choice
Kick 4x100 descend 1-4
MS 2x200 descend ea. 50 :30 rest
8x50 @ 70% rest :10
CD 100

WO #2 Strength Training (first MS phase day)
45mins
Performed these in circuits and did core after completing all three circuits. Crunches (15), bow to knee (15ea.), Crunches (15), Plank Lift (15 ea.), Bridge (12), Crunches (12), Metrononme (15) I need to play with the weight amounts some

Tuesday 1/26
WO#1 Prep Phase S1-Speed Intervals on Treadmill
25mins, 1.85miles. Felt good on the treadmill

WO#2 Prep Phase E1 Ride on Trainer
50mins 16.80 miles
Tried to stay in Zone 2. Had to get off a few times to tend to Lucas.

Wednesday 1/27
WO#1 Masters Swim
75mins 2250m
WU 1000 choice (i broke it up into 4x250 Swim, Pull, Drill, Swim)
MS 5x50 Kick Hard
5x50 Swim w/ fins easy
5x50 Pull @ 60%
5x50 Kick Hard (1:00 rest between ea set of 5)
Sprints 8x25 (odd hard/even easy)
CD 150

WO#2 Strength Training MS Phase
45mins with core

Thursday 1/28
WO#1 Prep Phase S1 Ride on Trainer (spin ups)
30mins, 15.70mi
These always get my legs burning good.

WO#2 Prep Phase E1 Run through neighborhood
20mins, 1.63mi
Little run through the neighborhood. I shorted my self 30 mins b/c it was so late before I was able to get on with my training tonight. I might be moving all this to the AM

Friday 1/29
WO#1 Masters Swim
75min, 2600m
WU 4x150 (s/k/p/s)
MS 9x100 (E/H/H)
9x50 kick (E/H/H)
Pulls 3x150 (breath every 5th)
Sprints 4x25 (H/E)
CD 1x100

Pool was awesome today. Coach said he's gonna move me up a lane!! I'm graduating!!

Saturday 1/30
WO#1 Prep Phase E2 Run through neighborhood
55mins 4.35mi
Cut my run short...again! I really suck at running. It is hard to stay motivated out there. Today all I could think about was getting home to work on my house so we can put it up for sale. Something has got to give soon.

WO#2 Prep Phase E1 Ride on trainer
25mins 8.26 miles
Prep Phase E1 Ride following my run this AM. I need to work on my bike on Sunday...clean, lube, etc.

Sunday 1/31
WO#1 Prep Phase E2 Ride on trainer
2hr15mins 49.50miles
Prep Phase E2 Ride on Trainer. Felt pretty good. GU's, G2, and water were my only nutrition. Need to check on a couple different bars and drinks to take on the bike.

WO#2 Prep Phase E1Run trough Neighborhood
25mins 2.25miles
It was a little chilly out this AM. I was able to find my legs pretty quickly this AM after the long ride on the bike.

Well, the first month of 2010 is in the books. It was a pretty productive month but I wish I could have gotten a few more long runs in. Here are how my numbers look for January:
Bike: 11h 50m – 248.89miles
Run: 5h 58m – 28.95miles
Swim: 9h 45m – 22,125meters
Strength: 5h 22m
For a grand total of 32.92 hours & 291.59 miles worth of training….hey, I’ll take it.

This month one of my biggest goals is to get in a good routine with my training. I’ll have 8 weeks of Base 1 training. It will be broken down by week. Each week gets a little longer (about 10% longer) and every 4th week is scaled back (about 40%) to allow for recovery. This will give me a chance to mix it up some.

It’s also time to buy some new kicks. I might try something new since it’s still a little early in my training. There are different thoughts and arguments about the mechanics of running. Some say there is a specific science to it so there are ways to improve and be more efficient where as others say just go out and do it. I lean more towards the science side of things. Newton Running makes a shoe that promotes mid/forefoot striking as opposed to heal striking (which part of your foot hits the ground first). **I’m not exactly qualified to be making all these remarks, these are just my thoughts that have been influenced by magazine and internet fodder**Majority of people of heel strikers and people do just fine being heel strikers. The thing about heel striking is that it sends so much shock up your legs, through your knees and into your back. If you hit with your mid/forefoot, all the tendons, muscles, and tiny bones in your foot get put to use and absorb the shock. Another thought about heel striking is that it is similar to putting on the brakes a little with each stride so you have to work harder to maintain pace. If you can eliminate the “braking,” you can become more efficient. I’m not 100% sold on the shoes just yet. I’ll let you know if/when I get them and I’ll keep everyone apprised of my progress with them.

*POSSIBLE RACE CALENDAR CHANGE* There is a chance that I will be doing IM New Orleans 70.3 in April. A few things have to happen for this to be definite so cross your fingers.

Have a great week!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “The body loves variety. The body is the same as the seasons: it likes change”~ Priscilla Welch, British Marathon Runner (this quote is courtesy of Runners World Magazine. I thought it was significant since it’s time for advancing/changing my training)