Early rise today. 4:30 wake up, prep for class I teach. 90 min on Computrainers, 20 bikes, fun class with music and TVs.
I like class. It’s focused quality and intensity. Dial up a wattage, do the work, then rest. Same environment, same machine, very replicable training and therefore valid to measure results. Temps always about the same, so HR vs. watts is a valid indicator of being fresh (?) – fatigued (!) – or dehydrated, etc. lots of inputs when one can replicate 2x a week, in the exact same environment.
Solid class and despite a slow start (lighter warm up) – the workloads at Z3, Z4 and above felt good, as well as a lot of high cadence pieces. Plenty of hard work, but good intensity and 90 minutes is not that intimidating. Class protocol we did today is listed below.
After class on Wednesdays I get my kids back, so home, cook breakfast (we are a breakfast bunch with bacon and sausage and eggs etc.) – and the day got busy. Fit in my Stretch Cordz (10×50) alternating with 200 jump rope skips and some core work. Why do I do Stretch Cordz (Red resistance in case you are curious)? – mainly to provide some extra strength to my swimming (upper body has disappeared with triathlon years) – as well as that strength works well in open water where I often feel I need to muscle some stretches of an open water lake or ocean swim. So much of the training in triathlon is below the chest – that some arm resistance bands with clean pulling lines is quite helpful for me. Core is a no brainer – and jump rope keep the light feet focus, single skips – fast feet. I’ve been a jump rope junky for many decades now (!?) and I really like it after long runs (bring back cadence and light feet – sorta like rollers after a long ride). But working them as quick stations: 50 pulls, 200 skips, some solid core reps – then rest – 10x through for some stability and strength – effective 45 minutes!
Run – 45 minutes felt ok – light – relaxed – no pace – no HR – just a watch. While daughter was at her riding lessons, and son is at his skateboard lesson, I have a great hour to kill in a great trail marsh that has water fountains and marked miles. Might have been fast, might have been slow. Might have been suppressed HR – might have been elevated…no idea. Just a run on a hot afternoon: 86 and sunny with some NorCal fires mixed into the air..the jump rope left me light and bouncy – felt good – but no numbers always feels good!
Tomorrow – early rise for a 4000 yard swim and a 1:20 aerobic trail run. Then off to Berkeley Skatepark with the kids and some afternoon beach time with the dogs. Park City Utah bound on Friday!
Shift – 8.5.2015
10 min warm up spin
5 min build to Z4
6×2 min: alternating mid Z2 (80%) – and 120% – continuous.
(60)
3×15 minutes with 2 min rest/easy
- 30 sec high cadence spin + 4 min steady + 30 sec high cadence spin. (high cadence is always T1/mid Z3) +1 min full rest
- 30 sec high cadence spin + 3 min steady + 30 sec high cadence spin.+1 min full rest
- 30 sec high cadence spin + 2 min steady + 30 sec high cadence spin.+1 min full rest
- 30 sec high cadence spin + 1 min steady + 30 sec high cadence spin.+1 min full rest
- 30 sec high cadence spin + 30 sec high cadence spin.
Round 1: add watts each round 90-T1-110-120% in the middle minutes
Round 2: 80/120% equal split of the middle minutes.
Round 3: add watts and 120% equal split 2nd half. (4 min example: 2 min 90%/2 min 120%) // 3 min is 1.5 min T1/1.5 min 120% etc.