Week in review June 17-23: An absolutely perfect start to summer

Half my time biking, and more than half of that was a gorgeous outdoor ride.

Last week was one of the best training weeks I've had in a long time. I didn't do a ton of training, but I felt like I did some high-quality stuff and the weather most days was PERFECT. Summer wowed us with its entrance!

On the bike, I did an FTP retest and did a nice, long outdoor ride. And I had absolutely gorgeous weather for all three of my runs. PT and weights wasn't AS great, but I still did a little bit of each. I did go out for coffee twice during the week, but I cooked dinner at home every day, so that counts toward the "healthy" column.

I did only one thing after work each day, but I was able to rally this weekend with doubles both Saturday and Sunday. It helps that I took today (Monday) and tomorrow off work as PTO days, so I didn't have to do my grocery shopping and food prep yesterday. I spent the extra time doing PT and barbecuing with the in-laws, welcoming summer on their back deck and donating some blood to the local mosquito population. I was so happy to have nice weather I didn't even care.

Anyway, workouts were:

Bike: Three times, twice on the trainer for 19 fake trainer miles in two one-hour-ish sessions, and then a gorgeous summer ride of 40 miles in about 2.5 hours. I was up early-ish on Saturday and spend that extra time doing three laps of the park, with a short back and forth to make it 40 even. I didn't have to dodge too much kids-on-bikes traffic (although some random rollerbladers blocked the lane and then wouldn't move for an ambulance???) but I did have issues almost falling not once, but twice when I stopped and unclipped one foot to drink. After that all drinks were taken with both feet on the ground.

PT: Two homework sessions, one all of my knee + hamstring exercises and one of hamstring exercises only, for about 2 hours total.

Run/Walk: Three easy run/walk interval wogs, all on the road, for about 8.4 miles total in about 1:48. I was pretty sore last Monday after adding one more run/walk interval to make a "long" run two Sundays ago, so I took one more week at 2:30/2:30 run/walk just to make sure everything was OK.

I do get some hamstring pain during the run portions but I find it only happens if I'm not being super careful with my form. I am thinking about working with a form coach or getting some kind of physiological assessment to see if I keep getting left-side injuries because of different leg lengths, or the scoliosis I was diagnosed with as a kid, or something else. I really want to get to the root of the problem and address the biomechanics instead of treating injuries.

Weights: One barre class for about an hour. Speaking of glutes, we REALLY worked them this class.

Total: 9 sessions in almost 9.5 hours. I am happy with this! I feel it was a good week.

As I said above, I took today and tomorrow as PTO days so I'm about to hop on the trainer for a bit (I'd go for an outdoor ride but it's gloomy and misty outside, and the logistics won't quite work) and lift some weights before relaxing for the rest of the day. And I'd like to do a nice run tomorrow before jumping into the grocery shopping and food prepping I didn't have to do yesterday. 

I hope you had a great week and as awesome a start to summer as I did.

FTP achievement unlocked!

There has been lots of this over the past few months.

Back in January, I set a goal to increase my virtual FTP on Trainer Road by 26.5%. It seems like a random number, but there is a method to my madness:

I used Trainer Road sporadically in 2017, then hurt my knee and had to take some time off. When I had recovered enough to get serious about bike training again, that first FTP test back (in October of 2018) was an increase of 26.5% from more than a year earlier. So while another 26.5% increase might seem like a big goal, it was based on some low-ish numbers. It might be tough but I knew it would be attainable.

Cycling has always been my weakest discipline and I wanted to get “better” in 2019 but wasn’t sure how to measure “better.” This was a good opportunity for me to commit to training and test regularly so I could get “better.” Since October, I’ve been pretty consistent with getting in three trainer rides per week, barring things like illness, birthday celebrations, out-of-town trips, etc.

So I was thrilled when, after a particularly painful FTP test yesterday, my new suggested FTP was just over that 26.5% mark from when I did that first “real” test in October. Hooray! And nearly 6.5 months ahead of my end-of-year goal! Double hooray!

Sadly, I don’t think another 26.5% increase is in the cards, at least not this year. The increases between tests have gotten smaller and smaller each time, so when I test again any increase will probably be in the 1-2% range. But, that’s OK. Even small progress is still progress.

I will keep working hard, and it’s nice to know that my hard work is starting to have some fitness benefit. I may not ever be good at cycling, but hopefully I can get a little less bad.

Week in review June 10-16: Another steady grind of trainer, wog, and PT

Lots of biking and decent amounts of other stuff.

The first order of good news from last week was that I finally squeezed in some yoga for the first time in about 100 years. My hips are SOOO tight and it did help.

Otherwise, I did pretty much the same workouts I did the previous week, except I didn’t make it outside on my bike. So, while I have one additional training session, I actually logged a bit less time.

But that's OK. Overall, it was a much less busy week and weekend and I appreciated the not having to run around as much. I dare say it was pretty boring, which was fine by me. Of course it rained off and on all weekend, which is why I did my long ride on the trainer on Saturday. I did finagle my schedule around on Sunday to hang out with my dad for a bit, and I still managed a wog (getting rained on in the process) and all my food prep in the afternoon/evening. Yay, me!

I also added one more run/walk interval to my Sunday wog and I am pretty sure it’s why I’m stiff and sore today. I was going to bump my intervals from 2:30/2:30 to 3:00 run/2:00 walk this week, but I think I’ll wait one more week on that now just to make sure I’m building back slowly enough.

Last week shook out to be:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 53.5 trainer “miles” in about 3:38. Nothing special here, just my usual shorter rides of longer intervals and shorter intervals, with a more steady-state ride on Saturday while watching the Women’s World Cup replay and reading Tennis magazine. It was a very sports-filled hour and a half, haha.

PT: Twice, one each homework sessions of hamstrings only and hamstrings + knee/glutes, for about 2 hours total. My glutes were SOOO sore after my “everything” PT the week before, I realized I HAVE to keep doing it to keep my muscles strong.

Run/Walk: Three times, all easy run/walk intervals, for 8.05 miles in about 1:47. I love my husband dearly but I definitely keep a faster pace when I run solo, and I ran all three runs this week alone. Add the one extra interval on Sunday for a bit more mileage than usual.

I was feeling discouraged about my running last week so I went back to my blog posts from a year ago to remind myself that only last summer I was healing from a knee injury and had to come back bit by bit then. Sure, a few years ago, an 8-miler was my usual after-work Wednesday run, but I am optimistic that if I just keep rebuilding smartly and work on my underlying form issues and pre-hab, eventually I will be stronger in the end.

Weights: One video for about 1:05. Nothing special here, and I wish I could have fit in my usual heavy/body weight routine, but at least I got something in.

Yoga: Hooray! It was just one 15-minute session of mostly hip stretches, but I definitely needed it.

Total: 10 sessions in about 8:44. Not bad at all! This was at least one thing every day, too. Gotta keep that momentum going.

I’m expecting that this week will be another relatively boring grind of trainer rides and wogging, with more PT and weights thrown in as I can. I have some time off next week so I won’t need to do any food prep for the week on Sunday, hooray! It still remains to be seen what the weather will be like over the weekend, but I’d really love to get my bike outside again. I miss riding in the fresh air! I am hoping I can fit in a couple after-work runs to non-rainy days, too.

I hope you had a good training week and have an even better one on its way.

A very belated May in review: Trainer rides and back to running

Oh lord, I am behind in everything in life right now. Look, I am eating three times a day, making it to work mostly on time, working out, and making sure my bills are paid before they come due, and that's about all I can manage at this point. I am trying to make the most of the hours I have in the day.

But! I have a hot minute to review my training for May. At this point it’s pretty much for posterity only, for when sometime next year I think, "What on earth was I doing this time last year?" Haha.

May wasn’t a bad month. I got cleared to try run/walking again. I did lots of trainer riding. I went out of town and spent time with friends for Memorial Day weekend (and ran twice while I was gone!). I lifted some weights and did some PT homework.

It wasn’t great, either. Weights fell off the radar a third of the way into the month. I didn’t do any yoga or make it to the pool once. I didn’t do any workouts other than ride, wog, lift, or PT – no beach volleyball over Memorial Day, no hiking, no nothing like that. Bleh.

But, focusing on the positive, it was:

Cycling mileage, mostly on the trainer, over the last 11 months.

Bike: 11 times, all on the trainer, for 187 trainer miles in 12 hours, 48 minutes. This is a bit less than what I did last month, but not too shabby considering I had about a week off trainer rides for travel.

PT/Rehab: 6 sessions, three at the clinic and three homework sessions, in about 4:30. Eh, not great. It's about half of what I did last month. I slacked off at the end of my clinic run.

Run/Walk: 7 times, all on the road, for 16.07 miles in about 3 hours, 49 minutes. I didn't run at all in April so this is a huge improvement! Haha. Honestly, I am just happy to be getting out there a few times a week. Getting to run while in Chicago and Iowa City was a nice bonus.

As was getting to see these sights:

Gorgeous and amazing-smelling lilacs.

This "love" bear apparently didn't have the intended consequences.

Weights: 3 times, one barre class and two videos, for about 3:10 total. I did all of these in the first third of the month and then ... did nothing. I had a couple of work commitments, friend and family get-togethers, and that trip, and I just didn't make it a priority.

Total: 27 sessions in about 24 hours, 18 minutes. It's not terrible and considering the busy month and the slow return to running, I'll take it.

And a revisit of my loose goals for the year:

Rebuild running smartly: I had a setback but I'm back on the right path, hopefully.

Make PT as much of a priority as running: By the numbers, 6 sessions of PT and 7 of running, it almost was! I am not obeying the spirit of the law, though. I really struggle to fit this into my day.

Keep cycling on the trainer: I have been knocking this one out of the park. At least I am doing SOMETHING well, hooray!

Get back in the pool: No progress on that front.

Continue a lifting routine that works: This started out well but fell flat. So, I will continue to try to right myself on this path.

Yoga: No progress on this front, either. Ugh. Again, I just struggle to fit this in my day.

Sprint triathlon and/or half marathon: This is all on hold mostly because of my running, but also because of my pool aversion.

I also picked a "phrase of the year" but guys, it's not going well: ARRIVE, DRIVE, STRIVE, THRIVE, ALIVE. I arrive, some of the time. I have a bit of drive, for some things. I'm not competitive right now so I don't have much to strive for. As for thriving and feeling alive ... I am just not at the moment.

I am not trying to be Debbie Downer here, but I'm definitely not in the place I was 5 years ago when I was in marathon and half-Ironman shape, and I miss it. This month of wogging and not swimming and being back in physical therapy was rough on my psyche.

Looking on the bright side, there's hopefully a whole lot of summer, outdoor riding and wogging, barbecues, 5Ks, and other adventures waiting for me. I don't want to say it can only get better, but I do have a lot of room for improvement. Plus, the year's not even half over yet. A LOT can happen in six months.

Week in review June 3-9: A great week for riding, and not bad for wogging

Not a bad week, especially for riding and running.

Last week was the first week in a while I felt like I was actually getting back on a schedule. I did my normal workouts during the week, including a couple doubles, and took Friday off. I also rode my bike outside for the first time this season — always fun for me.

I worked an early, all-day event on Monday and came home exhausted, but was able to rally for a nice bike trainer ride and some PT, which I think helped set the stage for the week. I ran on a path near my office on Tuesday for the first time in a LONG time, so that was a nice change of pace. I also went to a barre class for the first time in a while and ran twice more with my husband. The week had a lot of highlights!

I am still slacking on yoga and haven’t swam in approximately 100 years. I really had good intentions to do some yoga before bed last night but the exhaustion from the last week caught up to me and I ended up going to bed as soon as I could.

One tangentially training-related bummer of the week was that I didn’t get to sleep in at all this weekend, even though I took Friday off. I had plans Friday and Saturday mornings and don’t like to sleep too late on Sundays – 7:45 am is usually my max since I get up at 5:45 am during the week. Boo. But, a tangentially training-related victory was that we ate dinner at home every single day! We went out for breakfast once and lunch once, but dinners were pretty healthy and (mostly) home-cooked, so I’ll consider that a victory.

The numbers were:

Bike: Three times, twice on the trainer for 30 fake miles in a bit more than two hours, and once on the road for 31.65 real miles in a bit more than two hours. The trainer rides were business as usual and the outdoor ride was my usual first-of-the-season ride of anxiety for a few miles, then exhilaration as I picked up speed, then disappointment as I realized I had been riding with a tailwind for the first part, haha.

PT/Rehab: Twice, both homework sessions, for about 2 hours total. This included one hamstring-only session and one monster session of all my knee and hamstring exercises as I killed time one afternoon/evening. I am STILL feeling it in my glutes which tells me I need to keep doing my knee PT.

Also, I got what I really hope is my last bill for in-person therapy. I don’t have great insurance and this is going to drain my HSA. Not only is getting old and injured terrible and frustrating, it’s also expensive.

Run/walk: Three easy wogs, all on the road, for 6.75 total miles in about 1:40. I bumped my intervals up this week to 2:30 run/2:30 walk and it felt fine. I found I REALLY have to be watching the form on my run portions or my hamstring will start to hurt immediately.

Weights: I made it to barre class once for an hour. I would have liked to do more but I since haven’t lifted a thing in a month, I’m happy with barre class for now.

Total: Nine sessions in about 8:53. A pretty good week for me!

This week is supposed to be cooler and rainier, and I don’t have many plans, so I am optimistic I will be able to do a decent amount of indoor training this week. Sunday may be commandeered by Father’s Day brunch or barbecues. All in all, it is looking pretty good and I’m hoping to keep building toward a regular training schedule.

First outdoor ride of the year!

Riding outside, hooray! (this was taken at 3 mph on a side trail)

I FINALLY made it outside to ride today! It seemed like everything was against me. One of our usual brunch friends waffled on time and place, the farmer's market was super busy, etc. But! I persevered and made it out to the closed-to-traffic street with a good two hours to spare.

I'm always a little nervous for the first few miles, like my bike is going to disintegrate or something. I had prepped my bike the night before, cleaned the chain, checked my tires, etc. and even popped into a bike shop to buy a couple spare tubes. After a couple of miles I got more comfortable and settled in. All told I did 31.65 in about two hours, finishing up just as the parks and rec trucks were opening the road back up.

When I first headed out I couldn't believe how fast I was going, and patting myself on the back for all my hard work all winter on TrainerRoad. Then, I turned around. And discovered I had been riding assisted with a tailwind. Ha! Oh well, it was still a beautiful day and I was thrilled to be out there.

Happy riding!!!

Week in review May 27-June 2: There are allergies among us

Hooray for biking and running!

It has been a busy couple of days and I’m just now catching up on everything. What I’m 95% sure is seasonal allergies hit me HARD on Thursday and I’ve been a sniffly, sneezy, itchy mess since then. Yesterday (Monday) I had to work an early event and at the end of the day only had enough mental energy left for a trainer ride and dinner before taking two different antihistamines (I know…) and collapsing into bed. The good news is after a proper doping up and a good night’s sleep, I was mostly functional today.

I lost one training day last week (Monday) to traveling home from the long Memorial Day weekend, and I lost another training day (Friday) to post-work, allergy-onset exhaustion. I had a change of plans Saturday which meant I could get in a trainer ride, hooray! Most of all, I was happy I could run, outside, with my husband, THREE times last week. They are still very slow wogs but I was positively giddy to be out there each time.

Broken down by the numbers, it was:

Bike: Twice, both on the trainer, for 37.5 fake trainer miles in about 2:32. I could have rearranged my schedule to get outside Saturday before storms rolled in, but we already had brunch plans with friends and I was still a bit tired. I’m going to shoot for getting outside this Saturday.

Run/Walk: Three times, all outside, for 6.6 total miles in about 1:43. I’m still at a 2-minute run / 3-minute walk interval so naturally these are still very slow as I get back into it. BUT I am happy to be getting back into it. Any serious race or distance plans are pretty much out the window, so I’m going to focus on building up for a 5K we do every summer and learning how to run with correct form.

PT: One homework session for about 30 minutes. This was seriously lacking this week – it just fell to the wayside with everything else going on.

Total: Six sessions for about 4:45. Eh, not as good as I would have liked, but I did lose two days. I also didn’t do any weights or yoga. Bad. I also didn’t swim. Also bad, but I can’t breathe, either, so I get a pass on that one.

In other news, last week included fun activities such as napping, a very nice dinner with a friend, brunch with other friends, picking up my parents’ Shih Tzu to spend this week with us, and generally getting back into our mostly-usual routine. I’m thrilled the weather is finally starting to behave more like summer (allergies be darned) and I am looking forward to moving more of my training outside. Hooray, sunshine and not being cold all the time!

I enjoyed three weeks of easy breathing

Warning: Mildly gross.

I have had a bloody nose pretty much since October, when the weather abruptly changed to winter. Almost every single time I've blown my nose since then, my sinuses have been so dry they've bled. I used a vaporizer for a while but it only helped a little.

I joked that once the weather finally warmed up I would get about three weeks of easy breathing. And it finally did! And I did! And it was great!

By the end of the day Thursday I was getting congested and had a scratchy throat. I didn't feel like I had a cold, so I made sure I had my cough drops and Breathe Easy tea on hand. Then I checked the weather and saw:

Tree pollen: very high

Tree pollen was very high and grass was high. I had a bike ride planned for after work, but I took a nap and a Zyrtec instead and am feeling better already today.

It was a nice three weeks while it lasted. Hopefully it won't be too bad on my runs.