I did my first big continuous brick workout on Saturday, and woo-wee, am I tired!
The plan called for a 3 hour bike ride, followed by a six mile run. Ordinarily, I would have rallied and gone out 9W for the long ride, but truth be told, the first and last 10 miles are not really training riding, since it is through the city, and I like to go with a group for safety (and then you always end up taking a break at the cafe in Nyack) but couldn't get a group together/buddy that was not light years faster than me, so I ended up just waking my butt up early and riding loop after loop in Central Park. Not the most exciting, but good for mental toughness and enough hills for spice. By the end it was getting crowded, but 8 loops plus one extra mini loop for an additional Harlem Hill/mile put me at 50 miles and change in about 3 hours, and then I dropped my bike back off at NYAC and hit the park AGAIN for six miles. It was all I could do not to puss out and just do a couple of laps around the reservoir (flat) to get up to 6 instead of doing the real loop with hills, but I was glad I didn't waver, as four hours later, I was quite proud! I actually ran at a good clip, holding about 9 minute miles, and felt like I kept a pretty decent pace on the bike...definitely within the 16-18MPH "elite" speed bracket called for on the training plan (vs. 12-15 for "age groupers") and managed my nutrition right, as I didn't feel shakey or dehydrated or completely wiped out/bonked at the end.
Nutrition wise, I had a peanut butter sandwich in the morning for breakfast, plus some coffee and a bottle of water, then during the bike I had a GU and two bottles of water + ACCELERADE mix. Between the bike and run I ate a banana and then carried a bottle of water + ACCELERATED with me, along with another GU, which I ended up not eating, but I did go through the bottle (about a liter in size). I bought one of those bottles that go between my aero bars with a straw and that thing is literally I lifesaver! When the bottle is in a cage on the bike frame, I never drink out of it, but with that nifty thing I drink regularly and often. Huge! I just stopped after 30 miles and refilled it with the bottle in my frame cage, and took off again.
At the end, was I tired? Yes. Mad at myself for not remembering to re lube parts of my feet (and other body parts) with Body Glide? Yes. And I will DEFINITELY remember sunscreen reapplication, too. I didn't get burned, but don't want to risk it next time as the weather continues to heat up. Wrinkle prevention...vanity is my favorite sin!! But
I definitely felt in control and like I did the brick to my fitness level/wasn't overwhelmed by the work out. And considering the only other time I've ever done anything physical for four hours was when I ran the marathon two years ago, not too shabby!
I have been very focused on the bike length lately, and am still wound the most tight about that without a doubt, but my friend Cameron, who did IronMan New Zealand last year, told me that I can't run enough between now and November, and he's a fit dude, so I'll take that advice to heart. I felt strong on those 6 miles, but at the end, I was definitely ready to be done, not ready to run another 20 miles! And I only did half the bike...and no swim! Waah!
The two biggest training blocks are still to come, though. Next week is the last week of our aerobic block, then a week of "recovery" and then on to the "endurance" phase and "competitive" phase. "Competitive" is the one that has the toughest workouts/longest days, so there's that to look forward to!
The plan called for a 3 hour bike ride, followed by a six mile run. Ordinarily, I would have rallied and gone out 9W for the long ride, but truth be told, the first and last 10 miles are not really training riding, since it is through the city, and I like to go with a group for safety (and then you always end up taking a break at the cafe in Nyack) but couldn't get a group together/buddy that was not light years faster than me, so I ended up just waking my butt up early and riding loop after loop in Central Park. Not the most exciting, but good for mental toughness and enough hills for spice. By the end it was getting crowded, but 8 loops plus one extra mini loop for an additional Harlem Hill/mile put me at 50 miles and change in about 3 hours, and then I dropped my bike back off at NYAC and hit the park AGAIN for six miles. It was all I could do not to puss out and just do a couple of laps around the reservoir (flat) to get up to 6 instead of doing the real loop with hills, but I was glad I didn't waver, as four hours later, I was quite proud! I actually ran at a good clip, holding about 9 minute miles, and felt like I kept a pretty decent pace on the bike...definitely within the 16-18MPH "elite" speed bracket called for on the training plan (vs. 12-15 for "age groupers") and managed my nutrition right, as I didn't feel shakey or dehydrated or completely wiped out/bonked at the end.
Nutrition wise, I had a peanut butter sandwich in the morning for breakfast, plus some coffee and a bottle of water, then during the bike I had a GU and two bottles of water + ACCELERADE mix. Between the bike and run I ate a banana and then carried a bottle of water + ACCELERATED with me, along with another GU, which I ended up not eating, but I did go through the bottle (about a liter in size). I bought one of those bottles that go between my aero bars with a straw and that thing is literally I lifesaver! When the bottle is in a cage on the bike frame, I never drink out of it, but with that nifty thing I drink regularly and often. Huge! I just stopped after 30 miles and refilled it with the bottle in my frame cage, and took off again.
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I definitely felt in control and like I did the brick to my fitness level/wasn't overwhelmed by the work out. And considering the only other time I've ever done anything physical for four hours was when I ran the marathon two years ago, not too shabby!
I have been very focused on the bike length lately, and am still wound the most tight about that without a doubt, but my friend Cameron, who did IronMan New Zealand last year, told me that I can't run enough between now and November, and he's a fit dude, so I'll take that advice to heart. I felt strong on those 6 miles, but at the end, I was definitely ready to be done, not ready to run another 20 miles! And I only did half the bike...and no swim! Waah!
The two biggest training blocks are still to come, though. Next week is the last week of our aerobic block, then a week of "recovery" and then on to the "endurance" phase and "competitive" phase. "Competitive" is the one that has the toughest workouts/longest days, so there's that to look forward to!
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