Wild Goose Chase Metric Century Training: Week 3

*I was having Internet issues last night so I apologize for the delay.*

A much better week than week 2! I hit some new distance records this week along with some other improvements along the way. Here is how the week looked…

September 24- 30, 2012:

Monday: Swim 1700 yards

A semi- decent swim, despite being a little tired. I warmed up with 300 yards followed by 300 yards of drill work. For my main set, I did the following: 300×1, 200×1, 100×1, 50×4 (at 47 seconds each). I cooled down with 300 yards (100×1 and 200×1).

Tuesday: Speed Ride- 22.07 miles (AM)+ Strength Training (PM)+ Core/ Stretching (PM)

This ride was tough! I was definitely still stiff from my long ride the previous week and it showed in my overall pace (14.9 mph). While the speed intervals were within range, I was really struggling to keep a solid pace during the rest invervals. I chalked it up to a bad day and moved on. In the afternoon, I went to the gym where I did some strength training (focusing on upper body) and core work.

Wednesday: Swim 1700 yards

I was feeling pretty uncreative so I did the same exact swim set that I did on Monday. Nothing exciting to report.

Thursday: Strength Training (AM)+ Core/ Stretching (AM)+ Steady Ride- 22.97 miles (PM)

I decided to flip flop my schedule because I had to attend a web seminar for my internship which meant that I needed to get some work done before hand. I went to the gym early to lift and do core work, which went pretty good. Then in the afternoon, I went out for my steady pace ride. I’ll admit, that I was feeling a bit unmotivated going into the ride, but it went much better than I could have imagined. I was able to maintain a 16 mph overall pace, with my steady intervals (2x 20 minutes) at 16.5-17 mph!

Friday: REST

Saturday: Long Ride- 50.26 miles

A very successful ride! It was a little bit on the boring side (two down and backs of the rail trail) but I was able to maintain a fairly consistent pace and I think that I have figured out my fueling plan. My energy never dipped too low and the only time I struggled was during the last couple of miles when the wind started to pick up. Overall, my average pace was 15.6 which, while not 16 mph (my goal for the metric century), it gives me hope that I may be able to achieve my goal in a couple of weeks.

Sunday: Swim 2000 yards

Originally I was planning on doing some strength training but thought it would be best to give my legs a rest from the previous day. I also wanted to try to hit my goal of a 2000 yard swim for the week so it was a win/ win. I was a little slow to start but once I made it to the main set, I hit a groove. My swim consisted of the following: 300 yard warmup, 300 drill, 300×1, 250×1, 200×1, 150×1, 100×1, 50×2 (at 44 seconds each), 300 cool down.

• Running Mileage= 0
• Bike Mileage= 95.30
• Swim Distance= 5,400 yards
• Total Distance= 98.37 miles

Overall, a much better week than week 2. I had two very solid rides and hit a new weekly swim distance PDR! While swimming is not my main priority right now, I am still very shocked by how far I have come since I first started swimming in January. I have gone from being terrified to get in the water, to not being able to swim more than 50m at a time, to barely making it through 750 yards, to now being able to swim 2000 yards! I am also getting faster which makes me feel good that my hard work is starting to pay off.

In terms of cycling, I am also starting to make some improvements. I am able to lock into a steady pace a lot sooner and easier than in the past. While cycling will never be my favorite thing to do, I like being able to see some measurable improvements.

Next week I will do my first test run in a month! While it will be more of a walk/ run, I am hoping that it goes well! Keep your fingers crossed and send some good vibes my way!

Last Week’s Goals:

• Have a more successful week with training- all rides above 15 mph. (Close but no cigar…2 out of 3)
• Foam roll, foam roll, foam roll! (Major fail!)
• Get in another swim of at least 2,000 yards. (CHECK!)
• Study at least 4 days for my ACSM CPT certification. (Fail- only 3 days)

Goals For Next Week:

• Have a successful run/ walk on Friday- send me good vibes!
• Have a good long ride over the weekend
• Study at least 4 days for my ACSM CPT certification
• Try to do something fun this week

Have a fantastic week!