week in training | 4.5 – 4.11

Week one of Chicago Marathon mileage building complete! 43 miles running and, as predicted, a big slash in cycling. I still got three solid sessions in the saddle but I think once I hit 50 miles in a week, I’ll have to pump it down even more. We will see down the road; for now, I’m enjoying the maintenance of a tri-like training schedule despite the lower volume of biking. Sunday’s run played with fire since we had some storms rolling in, and I managed to finish just before the sky opened and lightning cracked all around the coast. Several years of weather watching perhaps have made me effective at timing outdoor workouts when poor conditions are forthcoming.

Monday, 4.5: 8.39 miles, 10:08 pace + 45 min strength + 15 min elliptical

Officially kicking off my Chicago marathon mileage build! 85 minutes of easy running that felt fine but for some reason my heart rate soared, causing Garmin to panic and think I’m overrreaching. I don’t think I slept all that well Sunday night and this may have caused the anomoly. Wound out the morning with a great gym workout and some spinning on the crosstrainer to cool down.

Strength:

• 3 x 8 ea. stepup
• 3 x 12 pushup rotations
• 3 x 8 single arm swings
• 4 x 8 heavy squat
• 3 x 10 bench press
• 2 x 10 ea. explosive single leg jumps
• 3 x 10 Supermans
• 3 x :45 hollow rock hold
• 3 x 10 stability ball plank pikes
• 3 x 10 ea. windmill
• :45 plank

Tuesday, 4.6: 30.59 miles, 22.9 mph cycling (1:20:00) + 2,500 yard swim (55:38)

More 10-second full gas sprint efforts, and I finally crested 400W! Maxed out at 409 and hit over 400 for three of the reps so it wasn’t just a fluke moment of strength. That’s a 20+W improvement over my previous max. Six total for the morning with long recoveries so not a terribly strenuous workout, but fun and passed quickly despite me forgetting to turn the AC down and being a bit hotter than usual.

Swim after work was a simple set of 1 x (200/2 x 100), 5 x (100/2 x 50), 8 x 25, plus warmup and cooldown. 1:57/100 yard average and a 42 SWOLF, pretty normal readings for me.

Wednesday, 4.7: 15.54 miles, 9:43 pace + 1,800 yard swim (39:53)

Split up the long run with 9 minutes run/1 minute walk intervals, and overall I really liked how it turned out. While I experienced some stomach pain at the end due to a very full bladder and probably a touch of dehydration, my legs felt much stronger and more fatigue resistant and my mental clarity remained intact even in the final couple miles. I stepped into the gym for a quick core workout of 3 x 10 weighted leg drops, 3 x 10 weighted crunch, 3 x 10 weighted oblique crunch, and 3 x 12 shoulder shrugs.

Swim turned into an easy ladder: 300, 3 x 200, 4 x 150, 2 x 100. 44 SWOLF and a 2:02/100 yard average. Felt good to stretch the legs out after such a long time on the road.

Thursday, 4.8: 5.91 miles, 10:10 pace + 2,250 yard swim (49:54)

4 minute run/1 minute walk protocol bright and early before work, felt pretty fresh surprisingly after yesterday’s long run. I find pacing kind of difficult when I run/walk since my legs are always more willing to turn over when I have a nice break plugged in. Still kept my heart rate at a 158 average which is fairly standard for an easier effort.

Swim was a relaxed set of 4 x 150, 6 x 100, 6 x 50 with some other mishmash wedged within. 1:58/100 yard average and a 43 SWOLF. Good little recovery activity after a hellish morning at the shop.

Friday, 4.9: 26.73 miles, 21.4 mph cycling (1:15:00) + 2,200 yard swim (47:19)

Hill intervals are the WORST. Well, they’re satisfying in a sadistic way, but this was my first bout playing with the harder resistance settings on Wahoo (which I use to control the trainer) and I about died. 5 x 2 minutes with :10-:15 on both ends of the interval standing, averaged 142W for the ride and hit 392W as my highest power.

Swim was one of the strongest in awhile, 1:53/100 yard average and 41 SWOLF. Performed a ladder of 4 x 25, 4 x 50, 3 x 100, 3 x 150, 3 x 100, 4 x 50, 4 x 25.

Saturday, 4.10: 9.89 miles, 10:07 pace + 45 minute strength + 10 minute elliptical

Hill sets on a sticky morning: 4 x :30, 4 x :20, 4 x :10. All in the low-6s for pace average and all of them maxed out somewhere in the mid-upper 5s. Solid strength session after and a quick elliptical cooldown to stretch the legs after deadlifts.

Strength:

• 3 x 12 side lunge
• 3 x 5 clean and press
• 3 x 8 deadlift (100#!)
• 3 x 12 sit down squat
• 3 x 12 single leg row
• 3 x 10 single leg glute bridge
• 3 x 1 min plank
• 3 x 10 leg raises
• 3 x 10 ea. leg circles
• 3 x 20 v-ups
• 3 x 30 toe touch

Sunday, 4.11: 24.7 miles, 22.9 mph cycling (1:05:00) + 3.38 miles, 10:22 pace + 30 minute strength

Wonderful ride this morning, average 131W and a nice heart rate average of 147 bpm. I let myself spin as I felt like it and ended up feeling good enough to keep most of the ride above 135W. I barely missed the massive deluge during my after-work easy miles – I heard one crack of thunder towards the end, but once I was safe indoors the rain decided to let loose and drown out the whole area. Good timing on my part. Got in a quick strength session in our little home gym to round out the training day.

Strength:

• 3 x 10 biceps curls
• 3 x 12 upright row
• 3 x 12 OH lunge
• 3 x 10 Arnold press
• 3 x 12 triceps extension
• 3 x 12 decline plank knee tucks
• 3 x 10 pushup with leg lifts
• 3 x 15 ea. hip dip

Total running mileage: 43

Total cycling mileage: 82

Total swimming yardage: 8,750