Outdoor workouts are offically here...

I write this as I look outside and the grass is turning green and the smell of a fresh rain is in the air! Yes it is spring!  Not that we have had a bad winter...I actually can count on one hand the number of cold bad outdoor workouts I had this winter...and that is a bonus!
Also today was the Police Half Marathon in Calgary. This is a race I have done a few times...and NEVER in nice weather. And today I think this would be a record for how nice it was for that run.....part of me wished I did it....but if I signed up there most likely would have been a snow storm today!

As I did a long run outside today in shorts and a t shirts I loved the feeling of the warmth and how the workouts feels so nice in this weather!
I know it can still snow.....I get that..but for now  I am going to enjoy this weather and the happiness it brings!!

So my workouts for this week are:

Monday- 3 hour indoor ride...followed by 15 min run
Tuesday- TRX/ Run Hills
Wednesday- swim 2000m drills
Thursday- Run 40 mins/2 hour computrain
Friday- rest
Saturday/Sunday- Outdoor ride (I hope) 70-80 km also a 2.5 hour run

I miss those good old one hour workouts....

So this morning my alarm went off at 5:15am and I dragged my butt out of bed, threw on my workout clothes grabbed a banana and headed out the door.

Today I met a fellow Ironman trainee for a 3 hour brick session..which ended up being about 3:20 once we finished...

Shannon who I met, teaches spin and Computrain at Natural High and when I can I go to her classes. I love how she teaches like you ride on the road. So when this week she asked if I wanted to meet her for 3 hour brick on Sunday morning....I said yes....

As much as it would have been nice to get outside on my bike today...this session was great....we did 3- 45 min pushes on the computrainer combined with 3-20 min outside run intervals..

I would have never done that on my own...and to be home and done by 9:30am was perfect for today!

The thought did cross my mind today...I remember last year or even 6 months ago when I did an hour workout about 5 days a week....and that was great for my fitness....and I thought sometimes that was hard to fit in!

Now what I would not give for a 1 hour workout!! Now my workouts are from 2-4 hours.....sometimes split between the day...

Of course I know Ironman will take me anywhere from 15-17 hours to complete...so 2-4 hours is really a drop in the bucket...and I know these workouts will just get longer and longer.......

As much as I am exhausted as I write this today...I still am enjoying every minute of this training and cant wait as the next 4 months unfolds...

So the plan for this week:

Monday- Spin 1 hour with a 1 hour run
Tuesday- TRX/Threshold run 1 hour/swim drills
Wednesday- 2.5 km swim
Thursday- Body Sculpt/computrain
FRiday- rest :-)
Saturday- 3 hour outdoor bike ride
Sunday- 2 hour run

Well I guess all this training is paying off.....

Well I mentioned in my last post that I got to get out on the road when I was on the island and get some miles on my bike.....It was like night and day from last year. I remember clear as day getting on my bike for the first time last year for that first outdoor ride....I remember after like 20 km my knee hurt my butt hurt and all I wanted was it to be OVER.
This time I have 3 months of indoor riding under my belt....I went out side and rode 50 km for my first ride and I felt fantastic I felt strong and really like I could have rode forever!
Now I just need the Alberta weather to cooperate so I can head back on the road again ;-)

As for my run.....so in my first block of training my coach Jen had me do a time trial. It is 2500m....I did it in just under 14 mins...I knew it was slow (I used the excuse that there was a lot of walkers on the track).
So I did the time trial again this weekend.....and well my time was 11:47!!
So huge improvement there!
Now the downfall of this improvement....is what this time trial does is determine the pace I need to be running my certain training runs at..
I was getting quite comfortable running my long runs at a 6:20 min/km.  Now with my improved times my base endurance runs are now 5:41!! YIKES!!!  This will be a big step out of my comfort zone foresure....

The countdown to Ironman training camp is 5 weeks and counting! So with me doing the whole Ironman distances at this camp it is now time to ramp up the volume of training again...so again I was comfortable where I was at (a true sign things need to change)....and now things will change...

So for this week...I have not got the official change to my schedule so I have a feeling this may change a bit..
But for now....

Monday- TRX/Outdoor ride (I hope) 1 hour....teach Spin 1 hour
Tuesday- Interval run
Wednesday- Swim 2km/step
Thursday- Body Scuplt class/Compuride 2 hours
Friday- Swim drills/Run threshold 60 mins
Saturday- off
Sunday- 3 hour Brick session (run/bike)

On the road again.....

First off I want to wish everyone a very happy Easter...I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and was able to spend time with family and friends!

We are lucky to once again be on Vancouver Island. All of my family live out here so it is a frequent vacation spot for us!

Other then being happy to be able to spend time with family this week I was really excited to get my bike out on the road!
Yesterday I took my bike out for the first time and I rode down the Island highway from Parksville down the island and ended up doing a 50 km ride.
For my first ride out I was very happy how great it felt...I did it just under 2 hours.

Today I went out again and today I rode the same route but went further and ended up doing 60 km and did that in 2.5 hours..

Here is some pics from my ride:

I remember last year at the beginning of the season 40-60 km was a struggle.....this year I know the amount of indoor cycling I have done including the computrain program has made a world of difference..

I know for me I am build for endurance not speed....now you are probably thinking that is a good thing for Ironman....it some ways yes this is good....BUT...for Ironman there are cut off times for all the parts of the race..
I am not worried about the swim...but the bike I have 8 hours to do the 180km....my goal is to do this in 7 hours...this way I have extra time on the run if I need to walk (which I am sure I will ;-))

With my pace today I am not far off this 7 hour goal...but my route today was relatively flat...and the Ironman course is everything BUT FLAT!!

With just over 4 months until Ironman I know I still have lots of time to work on my bike time...

We have 4 more days on holidays and I hope to get a bit more training in...

Here is my plan for the week:

Monday: Heading to the gym with my dad for weights
Tuesday- 2 hour run!
Wednesday/Thursday- Travel days...hope to get a short run in
Friday- Back home....2.5 hour compuride
Saturday- swim 2km
Sunday- possible run or rest......

The Bricks begin...

Well I have been enjoying my training up to this point...I have not found it too intense and I have found I have balanced the workouts well...
Now I am starting the do "Brick Workouts" What are Brick workouts??...."Brick workouts, are one of the most valuable workouts in your Ironman training program. Brick sessions have numerous physical and psychological benefits, such as muscle memory, endurance, and mental fortitude"- Trifuel

The most important Brick workout for a triathlete to train is the Bike to run transition...Ideally you start with a longer ride then add a short run after then continue to build your run on after the ride.

My brick on the weekend was a kind of last minute decision. I had a 2 hour run planned for Saturday...and I just decided to go ride with the Tri group (indoor compuride for 1.5 hours) before...
It was not a true brick in the case that I did have to drive  my bike home then I changed my shoes..so it was about a 15-20 minutes transition..
Also Ideally I should have done a much shorter run in my first brick......with all that said my run felt GREAT!! Not sore after so I am pretty happy with the result!

We leave for holidays this week (Thursday) heading to Vancouver Island for a week. Usually my rule on any vacation is "I don't workout".....well I am bending that rule this time :-( This time I am bringing my bike and I hope to get out and ride once or hopefully twice...I also hope to get in a few runs...
We are only gone a week and we are visiting a lot of family...so I know my training will come down for the week....so because of that the next 3 days I am going hard!!

Monday- 3  hour indoor spin...followed by 20 min run on treadmill..
Tuesday- TRX/ 50 min MAP run
Wednesday- Intervals/Spin 1 hour/Swim 2km
Thursday and Friday- Travel days...rest
Saturday and Sunday- on Island...plan to ride and run outside...distances TBA...