Today's training, the week in review, and two funny incidents from today.

Started the day with a 60 minute ride. I have been riding a little easier than I think I should so I set up my Garmin for heart rate feedback. I wanted to keep my heart rate up at about 140 / min. Also, I dropped my cadence to 80 rpm from 90. This feels like a good riding pace. Is this acceptable? It feels like the right thing to do for me. Or, should I really work to keep it up at 90 + ?

The efficiency feedback on the Polar bike computer is helping. I seem to be getting more efficient more of the time.

Bike total: 1:09 @ avg 25.5 km/h (moving speed) – this includes city riding. My avg heart rate was 136/min.

I had 15 minutes between the bike and the run. I am VERY happy with today’s run. It was hard but within my abilities and I even went a little beyond the call of duty…

The scheduled run was warm up and then 14 x 1 km at 4:45/km with 30 seconds walking and 90 seconds at 5:15/km in between each. Except where noted I was very good about walking only 30 seconds and running 90 at 5:15/km between the fast km repeats.

Fast KM    Time        Avg Heart
1                4:41        155 (gel before starting)
2                4:37        158
3                4:35        160
4                4:41        161
5                4:42        155 (slightly longer break here to take gel and water at fountain)
6                4:45        159
7                4:43        160
8                4:40        159 (5 minute break after this repeat – I segued the workout into the CBI Run for the Foodbank and timed it pretty well - gel and water)
9                4:41        162
10              4:35        163
11              4:40        163
12              4:45        165 (up the beginning of the Whiteswan hill, I worked to keep the pace up)
13              4:52        160 (after this repeat an emergency bathroom break was required – I did forget to restart my watch to lap 14 was actually 1.2 or 1.4 km gel and water)
14              4:41        158
15              428        163

Total: 24.36 km

I added on the 15th fast repeat. After the 14th repeat we were a long way from the finish of the CBI Foodbank run. I didn’t worry at all about pace. As far as I was concerned, my training for the day was over and a nice leisurely run back to the start was in order. We kicked back to about 5:45/km and hobbled along. It hurt. I hurt. Everything hurt. We got to the train bridge after 15 minutes, stopped at the fountain, and I decided to do one more fast repeat along the flat stretch between the train bridge and the Mendel Art Gallery. I wanted to test my mettle. I wanted to bring the pain. Graham and Glenn did it too although Graham did call me psycho. This turned out to be the fastest repeat of the day.

Weekly totals:

Swim         2:30
Bike          4:24    90 km
Run           4:06    44.8 km
Strength    2:00

Total        13 hours

Overall, this was a good week. I feel really good about my progress in the pool. I am far from a good swimmer but I am far from as awful as I once was. More importantly, I feel like I am improving every week. I am feeling a little better about cycling. I still have no idea how fast I will go this summer but I am hopeful that I will manage 28 km/h at Ironman which will bring me in under 6:30 for the bike leg. And, I feel good about the runs this week, especially today’s.

THE FUNNY INCIDENT FROM THE RUN

Like I tell my kids, it only irritates you because you let it.

About 5 km into today's run we overtook a gal who was running with her dog. As we approached I noticed she had two leashes - one in her hand and one the was connected to her belt. Trying for light  humour and trail kibitzing, on the way past I commented: "That's no fair. You're getting a tow from your dog." She smiled and replied: "I will still be going long after you have stopped."

I am not sure if I offended her. I don't think I did. She seemed to take my comment in the spirit in which it was intended. She was smiling. It just seemed a bit bold on her part to assume something about me (and Graham and Glenn). I thought it was a funny comment and I didn't really think about it again.

19 km later -- fairly hard kilometers I note -- I am just pulling up at the finish line of the CBI Foodbank run and she is coming towards me. As she runs by she pulls out her iPod phones and says, "See. I told you I would still be going after you quit."

Yes ma'am. You did tell me that. And, yes, you are still going. But, telling that to a guy who just finished up 3 hours and 24 minutes of pretty vigorous training seems... well... presumptuous. I assume that she, too, was looking for good humoured kibitzing. It just seemed very contrary to the way that most runners are which is really supportive of one another regardless of size, speed, pace, or whatever. It's one of the things that makes running an awesome activity -- for most of us we really only compete with ourselves and we are very happy to encourage one another regardless of size, pace, etc.

Graham, Glenn, and I were all wearing our tie-dye. That garnered at least 10 "nice shirt" comments. Take that dog lady... you might still be running, but we've got tie-dye shirts. OK. Now I am just being petty.


I should have challenged her to a 100 M dash. I mean, next weekend, after I recover from today's bike and run which was not as long as hers.

FUNNY INCIDENT FROM THE BIKE - WHAT IF I HAD FALLEN INTO THE HANDS OF PIRATES!