So the large amounts of volume that I put up in the pool and on the run in January are starting to pay off dividends already.
The run, we already know, from Sunday's 4 miler in Central Park.
Now for the pool, this is what I am noticing: I am not really getting any faster in the short distances; but I am able to hold a faster steady pace at the longer distances. This is fine since I am not racing anything shorter than a 1/2 mile swim this year. My 100 times have basically plateaued around the 1:25 pace for a 5 x 100 interval. This is fine. But for long sets of 500, or what happened last night with a 1000 yard TT, I am able to hold a pretty good clip for longer.
Last night I did a 1000 yard TT in 14:48. I couldn't believe it! I thought that I may have skipped a 50 or something, but I am double sure I kept track of my laps. I hit the 500 yard mark on 7:30 on the dot, and then proceeded to ratchet it up. By the end I was going full blast and negative split it by 12 seconds for a total pace average of just under a 1:29/100 pace. Total confidence builder!!!
So it hit 40 degrees again yesterday, and I sucked it up and went OUTSIDE ON THE BIKE!!! OMG OMG OMG!!!! Pure heaven!
The result? My legs were basically fried from Sunday's efforts running 14 miles in the park with that 4 mile race, but mostly the trainer just doesn't replace the open road. I know that I can improve 2X faster riding outdoors than on the trainer, no matter the number of intervals that I do on that infernal machine. Riding up hills hurt more than I remember them hurting.
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So as an aside to this post, I am a believer in Karma. The universe has a way of ironing things out to an equal. If I go plus 1, the universe will find a way to make me go negative 1, making everything zero.....aka even and equal.
Well, my race on Sunday made me plus 1. How did the universe make it all back to zero? It put a gigantic invisible pot hole in First Ave up around the upper 100's in Manhattan. I not only wound up with one gigantic lump in my tire, but a gigantic lump in a SECOND tire! Doh! Yes, the streets of Manhattan ate the right side of my car. Bummer....
After I get two new tires, this will be one expensive 4 mile PR, if you think about it that way :)p
ahhh so jealous of the outside bike! you are getting crazy faster in the pool. I'm FINALLY doing real workouts with swimmers who challenge me and it's already making a difference. Let's make a pact to just kill it in the water this season.
ReplyDeleteYou are an endurance machine in the pool!
ReplyDeleteI am the way. It just takes so much effort to chop a second off of the 100 times.
Sorry about the pothole problem. I was complaining that I got caught behind a crew fixing potholes on my way home (working on Sunday, huh?) but this puts it into perspective.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome about your swimming! Way to improve!
ReplyDeleteOk I was going to comment about the swimming, but totally forgot what I was going to say when I read you biked outside and had a mini hissy fit and tamperum at my desk that it hasnt been above freezing for about a month now here and last night we had freezing rain and snow, I am walking away, HMPFFFFFFF
ReplyDeleteI really should go to the pool...
ReplyDeleteYAYAYA for a great payoff due to hardwork! when your racing tri's I think it's better to be stronger than faster! so rock on! I have found that the more I swim, the "worse" my running gets...but the more I bike the better my running gets. (it might be all in my head!) I hope your week is off to a great start!
ReplyDeletexoxo!
Sucks about that stupid pothole. That 1000TT is freaking awesome man - way to go!
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the Seinfeld ep where Jerry said everything always balanced out for him. He was an "even steven" -- Jerry pretty much described your post.
If that is the case I have a couple of huge PR's on the way b/c guess what? I am sick again!!! Freaking stomach flu - spent yesterday evening on the bathroom floor. The IM gods are aligning against me.
Nice job with your swimming! Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteI am jealous that you rode outside, but what a bummer about the pot hole! Ugh!
Sucky about the pothole!! I mean, potholes!
ReplyDeleteHey you rock in teh pool. Can I tether myself to you at IMLP? You will hardly notice! :)
holy flipping swim machine! WOWZERS!
ReplyDeleteMan, that has definitely paid off if you ask me. MAINTAIN IT NOW! haha, all that hard work better not be done in vain.
40 degrees? WHAT THE HECK!? We have below zero wind chill today. I hate you. You are further North than me aren't you?! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I like the trainer... if only I could simulate hills, I would probably do all my workouts on the trainer... weird.
Keep up the good work man, you are gonna be way up there on the swim finish now!
Nice job on the swim. Training is just awesome when you find out how it is paying off. I love the fact that you are just getting faster when you were already fast. It is awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat is not so awesome was the pot holes....don't miss that part of Manhattan. Lots of dodging.
We don't have that pothole problem in Michigan because smooth roads are the exception to the rule. You just have to play a game where you follow the path between the potholes.
ReplyDeleteAwesome work on the swim! With times like that you are going to avoid the chaos of T1 because you are going be getting out of the water with the first age-groupers.
Well... it could have been worse. The pothole could have resulted in dents in your head if you'd been on the bike instead of in your car. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteunreal
ReplyDeleteI am 8 weeks away from a outside bike
nice Swim!!
I did shark drill today:)
D