Dec 8 - Dec 14 Training

It's been a good week. Saturday I started with a nice easy Triple Time Trial @ Z2 to stay with my recent focus on recovery and Z2 work, and run emphasis for the marathon.

Saturday:
1HR Easy Swim + 5 min cool down
1.5HR 3x(5/Z1 + 25/Z2) Bike + 5 min cool down
1HR 2x(5/Z1 + 25/Z2) Run + 5 min cool down


So I got a nice 3:45 of mostly Zone 2 work in. Very refreshed and feeling good afterwards.

Sunday:
Unfortunately I went out a little late, and drank a bit much. I cut my long run to 11 miles from my planned 15, but it felt surprisingly good by the end. I'm still noticing my pace dropping rapidly at all heart rates due to more proper recovery workouts + more time in Z2 on my longer sessions.


Monday:
Monday it was time to take it easy. I did a nice 5.5mile easy run to keep my base going and clear my system of any crap left over. Once again I was pleasantly surprised at the pace at a very low HR on reasonably hilly terrain.



Tuesday:
Time to get crazy. I'm motivated to try to peak my VO2 Max so that I can see what I really made of as I haven't really focused on this very much. Today begins a 2 day VO2 Max Crush session.


Bike: 10min WU + 4x(5/Z4 + 2/Z1) Incomplete Recovery Intervals. Tough!
RT: 20 min Heavy upper body lift. No Lower as Bike Intervals were Tough!
Run: 1.8mi Uphill All Out Sprint Z4 @ 8:30/mi. WOW!



Wednesday:
Tired, but not Tired enough

Swim: 10min WU + 4x(200 All Out + 100 easy recovery). About 3:20 per 200. I can feel my stroke needs some work to continue speeding up.
RT: 20 minute HEAVY Upper Body Lift + 10min Crazy Core Workout.
Run: 3.6mi hard uphill run @ 9:30



Thursday:
Well I was supposed to just do some light recovery work to rest up from 2 days of high intensity hammering and lifting. I felt pretty good though, so I let my HR drift up in to Z2 after the first half hour. Once again startled at my fast pace (10:10) at low HR, especially after the hard days. A 10min/mi. marathon pace no longer seems unreasonable.



Friday:
Ok, so I really did need a break. Commuted a nice brisk 5 miles each way to work, with a nice easy swim mid day:
Bike: 10 mi. base commuting
Swim: 6x(100Free + 50Breast) + 6x100 Easy

All in all I'd say it was a good week. I seemed to handle the 2 intense days fairly well, with some tired soreness more appearing Friday then Thursday as Expected. Currently the plan will be to do some similar hammering next week, possibly with one extra crush day, and then a day or two of full rest as I go to oregon for Christmas week. The plan will be to mostly do base runs while up there, and then return on the 28th for another 1.5 weeks of hammering, and a nice taper for the Marathon on Jan. 20.