Tri Again: Training Log Catch-up

As I sit here, finished with classes and waiting for the pool to open for its afternoon session, it occurs to me that I'm not one but two weeks behind in posting my weekly training log for all the world, or at least three of you, to see.

It's not that my training fell off, it's just that the switch to being an A.M. student has messed me up big time in every way, so some things just slipped through the cracks. But keeping me honest, here's a quick recap:

Week Six

A difficult week, to put it mildly. The week I really regretted getting the whole crazy idea of doing another triathlon into my head. Also my first week of waking up at 0430 every morning. That's just not right.

Sunday 17 June: what I recorded in my written log as a "craptacular 45 minute bike ride." I remember nothing but sweat, pain and hills. Also today, 40 minutes on the elliptical followed by an easy one-mile, 15-minute walk on the track.

Monday 18 June: Pilates in the morning and a 3.25 mile ralk on the track.

Tuesday 19 June: an unintentional rest day due to the fact that I forgot to pack my sports bra and didn't have time to run back home and get it and still get in a workout before doing an afternoon tour.

Wednesday 20 June: Pilates in the morning, but nothing else as I was knackered even more than on Tuesday. Damn a.m. schedule.

Thursday 21 June: I went to an aqua aerobics class with my classmate Mandilicious but only lasted 30 minutes. I was bored out of my mind and couldn't get my heartrate about 80 bpm (it should be 130-155 bpm when I'm working out). So I went to the other side of the pool and tried to do the drills in the books Aquachef lent me.

MotherMaryJosephBabyJesus! I nearly drowned myself. When I maintain "proper form" as described in the book throughout my stroke, my nose and mouth never come out of the water. And call me crazy, but I kinda need oxygen every now and then.

I spent 40 minutes sputtering and flailing about until I gave up on improving my extension and reducing my sizeable drag... but when I tried to go back to my lameass style of swimming, I couldn't! Ugh. I cursed Aquachef's good intentions and dragged my sorry, soggy butt out of the pool, defeated.

Friday 22 June: 3.25 mile ralk on the track.

Saturday 23 June: morning Pilates and a 42 minute bike ride.

Week Seven

Not much of an improvement, but at least I didn't use the word "craptacular" in my training journal to describe any of the sessions.

Sunday 24 June: a 3.3 mile walk around the hills of my 'hood.

Monday 25 June: Pilates and 2.6 mile pack hike with about 25 pounds on my back.

Tuesday 26 June: lame 2.1 mile walk trying not to fall over from morning-induced exhaustion.

Wednesday 27 June: Pilates and a 2.5 mile ralk on the track.

Thursday 28 June: 30 minutes on the elliptical at high resistance.

Friday 29 June: a rest day. Because dammit, I needed one.

Saturday 30 June: Pilates and a "mini bike ride" of just about two miles to see if I could make it down and then up one of two particularly scary hills in my 'hood. This one is scary because it's both very steep and very twisty. The downhill was the first time I've actually felt the back wheel of my bike lift off the road in the first stages of a total wipeout. I wound up riding the brakes, and screaming, the whole way down. Not fun. Uphill sucked just as much. I got halfway before throwing in the towel and walking the rest of the way. Hmm, maybe I should have used the word "craptacular" to describe this ride in my journal.

In any case, despite the fairly lame plateau I'm on training-wise, I think I'm working my way out of it this week. If nothing else, I'm venturing back into the pool in just a couple minutes in hopes of recapturing that manatee-like form that made me the world's slowest but steadiest swimmer.