Spin!

I don't know why I couldn't get motivated to use the spin bike at the condo last August, but I guess that this year I am benefiting from having made spinning a priority over winter and spring - I wouldn't say I've super-faithfully done three classes a week, but that's been at least the template I aspired to.  Right now it's probably the single best thing for me to do a lot of - it's air-conditioned - it's not as hard on the legs and lungs as suddenly increasing run mileage - and improved bike fitness should certainly translate somewhat to the run as well.  I'm hoping to swim tomorrow and Saturday - it's a bit hot, though...

.75hr spin (4 x 6min Z3, 2min rest)

Spin!

It was Lauren K.'s idea that she and I and Loren H. should have an indoor bike workout together on Skype (respective locations Atlanta, Grand Cayman and Boulder)!  It worked pretty well, all things told, though I think my work intensity is higher when I'm not diverted by chat...

1hr spin (3 x 10min work interval, alternating 2min seated, 2min standing - Z2/3)

Warm run!

OK, that was highly worthwhile, though uncomfortably warm.  Ran to the Ritz and back.  Can't remember exactly what I logged that distance at - Google Maps gives me 3.4 miles for the round trip, let's call it 3.2.

36:25 (c. 3.2mi.), zones 2/3/4

Yoga meltdown

Ugh, that was the worst.  Too hard and too hot - and did I say TOO HOT?!?  Really I probably shouldn't have done any yoga today, but it is important to keep myself occupied - had intended to go to an early-morning one-hour class, but it's a holiday here, so I ended up in a deadly 90-minute power class that started at 10am. 

My own dread at the notion of 90 rather than 60 minutes should have clued me in that I shouldn't have been there - but for some reason it was just much, much hotter than it even usually is.  (It's always uncomfortably hot, which I don't like but will tolerate if necessary - today, however, was intolerably hot, like Bikram yoga hot.  The lady in front of me left for good after about 50 minutes, muttering unhappily to herself; at least five or six people left the room for a break, and a lot of us had to stop and rest on our mats rather than doing all the assigned stuff.  Possible factors: 10am is hotter than 6am; power is hotter than flow; class right before left ambient heat; hot time of year.  It definitely wasn't just me, I've never seen so many other people there overwhelmed by heat either.)

Ugh, ugh, ugh.  I was especially glum due to the thought that if I was going to be doing something so intolerably hot, I could at least be running, either on treadmill or outside.  I guess if there was any thread of good about going to this class today, it was the fact that I left with the conviction that I should just run outside here, however slowly.  I think I will try to do that tomorrow, if I can tip myself out of bed early enough...

1.5hr horrible overly hot yoga

Yoga!

A basic flow class - very enjoyable (but warm!).  Total hours for the week: 8:20.  Not bad, considering Thursday and Friday were big zeroes.  My biggest disappointment is that I ran so little this past week; now I'm in Cayman, it's pretty much all going to have to be treadmill unless I want a short very warm early-morning run. Will probably try and do quite a bit of spinning this week as it is less penitential to do it inside than the treadmill running.  Also have to get back to work tomorrow on the dreaded book - it has to be done by the end of the day Friday, that's my main comfort right now!

The puddle club

It was a struggle to get out of bed and motivate, but I did manage to do a 2-hour indoor ride on the spin bike at the condo today.  (There are a lot of traffic safety issues here, and B. has persuaded me - after a slew of accidents in which triathletes have been injured on their bikes due to careless driving - that even the Sunday-morning ride basically is more safely done with a car trip to the quiet side of the island so that all riding is on the East End loop.  Which ties up his morning as well as mine - I know he doesn't begrudge it, and I will probably do that at least once in August, but I don't need to bother with it on this trip!)

20min warmup

6 x 3min Z2, 1min recovery

6min easy spin

3 x 10min climb (alternating 2min seated, standing - Z2-3), 5min recovery

15min high-cadence in low-to-mid Z2

15 min cooldown

2:00 total

Yoga!

Thursday was the most brutally long and intense work day I've had in a long time.  I finished around midnight, emailed the book to my editor and actually toyed with the idea of going out for a middle-of-the-night run, only (a) it was the start of another NYC heat wave, with temps in the mid-80s even at that time and (b) I neurotically worried that if I lost keys (which I never have done, but there is always a first time!) I wouldn't be able to catch my flight.  Went to bed around 1:30 but was only able to sleep for about 30 minutes, too nervous about waking up at 5 to get to the airport.  Arrived safely in Cayman by mid-afternoon, had a relaxing evening and a long night of sleep.  Then - morning yoga!  It was extremely warm, but very beneficial...

1.25hr yoga

Exhaustion!

Ugh, slept hardly at all and very fitfully, but had to get up early to get crucial work done before 11am boot camp.  Really just felt pretty terrible, all minor things were all wrong (stiff calves, sore back, blisters on heels from sockless running Monday, etc. etc., plus general emotional fragility from sleeplessness), but Gerald kindly modified the day's work in a suitable direction, and it was a worthwhile and not excessive workout.  About to go back to bed for an additional hour or two so that I can regroup for next session of book work - I'm flying out very early Friday morning and need to send it before I leave...

1hr boot camp

Run intervals!

I knew it was my lucky day when I woke up to temperatures in the low 60s - truly gorgeous running weather.  This Tuesday workout was my favorite workout of the abortive Ironman training of previous seasons - it's an hour with zone 3 intervals (comfortably hard - in the Friel system, I think it's 92-95% of threshold HR).  Very enjoyable

10min warmup
8 x 4min Z3, 1min recovery
10min cooldown

1hr run, c. 5.8mi

Beast/spin!

Weekend turned out to be a total wash for exercise.  It was a failure of willpower, really: my highest priority was novel revision, I was sleeping very badly and the weather continued to be rather warmer than is comfortable.  Clock hit six thirty, seven, seven thirty pm and I just couldn't motivate to get out the door for a run.  (I have to reinhabit the notion that it is possible to run in warm early evening weather, though: I think I forget this every year and have to relearn it as the weather warms up.)

Today, though, was good.  A useful session of novel revision at the Chelsea Piers cafe, then boot camp and spin class.  My first one using the Suunto monitor connected to the class set-up; it's highly motivational seeing HR and zone up on a big screen at the front of the room.  Not all of the teachers really integrate them into the class, but for these classes I really like, the teacher will give instructions about HR zones, it's very good.

1hr boot camp
50min spin

Insomnia...

... is the bane of my existence on an ongoing basis, with this week - this month - no exception.  I am feeling rather grumpy right now, as I had hoped to get up very early, work on my book for 1.5 hrs and then have a lavish day of exercise at Chelsea Piers (the 10am spin class is a high point of my week), but it was not to be.  At 6:30 I still only had gotten about two hours of very fitful light sleep, so I turned off the alarm and slept till 9:30 or so.  Still feel under-rested, but need to make book revision my priority today - I have to send it to my editor by end of the day Thursday, and it will be short-sighted of me to prioritize exercise over revision as that is pretty much going to be the version I will have to live with for the rest of my life!

On the bright side, I think the heat wave has subsided - I might be able to do a long run outside in the early evening, so that would be highly worthwhile compensation for having to change workout plans for the day...

Run/spin

Boot camp was moved from 11 to 12, so I skipped it and just did a three-mile run before spin class at 12:30.  Workout felt short and easy, though I am now knackered after making my way home through very warm streets and subways of New York.  It's just started raining, and I'm hoping that will clear some of the heat...

3 miles run (c. 33:00)
:48min spin

Spin/swim!

I had a good day after all - the air-conditioning at Chelsea Piers is mighty enough to combat the current heat wave, I got very solid work done on my book revision and my second workout was satisfactory.  Spin on my own was highly worthwhile and much better than an ill-tooled group class.  Pool was crowded and I was tired, so I didn't stay in long: I'm really going for frequency rather than duration over the next month or so, will ramp up volume as it suits.  Saw my old lanemate Joe at the pool, which was nice: he has been working in Singapore for the last three years, flying back tomorrow. 

1hr spin: 3 x 10min high zone 2/zone 3 (5 x 2min alternating seated and standing), 3min rest
500 yards swim (5 x 100, evens free, odds IM with fly drill)

Beast!

Slept badly and felt terrible upon dragging myself out of bed, but boot camp was beneficial.  Holed up in Chelsea Piers cafe air-conditioning for novel revision session.

1hr boot camp

Game's on!

I did make up a provisional training schedule last night, and so I had a satisfying feeling as I did this run that it was my first 'real' focused workout of the season (I've been exercising quite a bit but just with general 'get back into shape after particularly taxing school year' vibe).  It's very muggy outside - I was subjectively overheated as soon as I started my intervals.  Looks like we're expecting a heat wave over next few days; if it's horrible on Thursday, I'll do my run on the track inside at Chelsea Piers...

1hr run with zone 3 intervals (15min warmup, 6 x 4min Z3, 1min recovery, 15min cooldown)