Time For A Real Test

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2008

Workout: Brick - Bike 30/Run 20

Location: False Creek Seawall

Heart Rate Range/Zone: Zone 1

Average HR: 134

R.P.E. :14-16

Average Speed/Pace: 18.9 KM/H, 7:46 min/KM

Pre-Workout Hydration: 500ml of water 30 minutes before session

Pre-Workout Nutrition: 3 slices of Canadian bacon, 1 PB&J sandwich

Post-Workout Hydration: 500ml of water/Gatorade mix

Post-Workout Nutrition: 2 scrambled eggs

Activity:

• 44:13 of endurance pedalling in Zone 1 heart range, 42:58 in optimum heart rate zone, 125 average HR, 572 Kcalories at 50% fat, 12.43KM total distance at 18KM/HR average
• Transition time: 7:05 (including two minutes swearing at top volume at my stupid bike lock)
• 20:18 of endurance running in Zone 2 heart range, 6:16 in optimum heart rate zone, 143 average HR, 329 Kcalories at 35% from fat, 2.63KM total distance at 7:46 pace

Positive improvements/habits: I had to pull back on the bike to keep my heart rate in the proper range and ensure I had enough left to get my run in…I extended the bike portion and essentially did a final Hard week scheduled brick instead of this week’s because I felt I could handle it. Even though I struggled on the run, I still did the three 5:2 splits I wanted at a decent pace for me - 7:46.

Valuable lessons: Don’t go all out on the run. I was drained when I got home, and it took a while for me to warm up and recover. I actually fell asleep in the tub, soaking my legs in epsom salts. Don’t try that at home kids. No one, no rock star, no movie star, has ever made drowning in their bathtub sound like a cool demise. Notes on nutrition: solid food reacts far better with me than an energy bar first thing in the morning…however, I need more carbs in the morning. Bacon was wonderful, but I should’ve had a bagel and a banana instead. Live and learn.

Strains and Pains to Note: Shins suffered after the run, even though I spent about ten minutes on the seawall after my run stretching my shins, hammies, and quads. The constant leg pain is just a dull ache now - it tells me that I’m alive and I’m working towards something. If it ever disappears, I think I might actually miss it. Great news - the ingrown toenail issue that I’ve been struggling with over the last nine months is now gone.

Why I’m A Champion: Hey, it’s a brick damn it. No one in their right mind does this willingly. I’m proud of my effort today…I could’ve slacked on the run, but instead I took another shot of Gatorade, reminded myself that I’m a damn triathlete, and ran another five minute interval. No mercy. No surrender.

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Oh, and I’ve now signed up for the rest of my races for this season, including my two B races in June and August. See the sidebar for more details.

Today’s Menu:

• Breakfast: 3 slices of Canadian Bacon, full dose of vitamins with 641ml of Gatorade, a PB&J sandwich, 1L of water, 2 scrambled eggs
• Mid-morning snack: venti lowfat no-foam extra hot latte with four raw sugar, 641ml of Gatorade

• Dinner: 14oz steak, 2 cups of steamed rice with soy sauce, 1 cup of shredded lettuce with 1000 Islands dressing, 1/2 of a baguette with margarine, 2 BBQ’ed hot dogs with mustard and ketchup, 2 glasses of Coke, 2 glasses of bordeaux, 1 mug of tea with soy milk and 4 cubes of raw sugar, 1 slice of Cin’s birthday ice cream cake, followed quickly by a meat coma.