It's been several days since I posted anything, and the reason is that my training is going...well. I am still slow and still scared of my bike, but I am getting in quality, consistent training sessions. This has been my week so far:
Monday: 17 mile ride followed by 2 mile run
Tuesday: 20 mile ride (on commuter to ballgame)
Wednesday: 30 minute swim w/ 5 x 100 yard fast intervals (AM)
5 mile trail run (PM)
Thursday: 17 hour day at work
Friday: 45 minute swim w/ easy/building/easy/hard intervals
45 minutes on spin bike with alternating speed and hill intervals
Today: 16 hour day at work
The 20 mile ride on Tuesday may not have been, officially, a "training" session, since it was on my commuter and therefore did not improve my comfort, speed or handling on my road bike; but I still pedaled a 40 pound bike for 20 miles, so if nothing else, it was a conditioning workout.
By the end of my training week I will have worked 66 hours at the airport this week. On Thursday I spent the morning loading and unloading 757's. These are the planes we use for Hawaii flights; Hawaii is a bikini and sundress destination, so it is always a mystery to me why it seems every bag I load going to Hawaii is huge and weighs 70 lbs. On my evening shift that day I walked at least 4 miles (for real) just going back and forth between the break room and the planes I was assigned to. So the days I didn't get in training, I still got in a workout. It can be tempting to consider my job itself as strength training, and consider that portion of my training done at the end of my shift; but while my job definitely builds strength, it makes me vulnerable to injury, and tends to use the same muscles repeatedly, therefore not giving me the balanced muscles that are the main benefit of structured strength training. So in the end, my job is probably more of a detriment to my training than a benefit. In addition to muscle imbalances, and possible injury, working double shifts creates days I can't train at all, and after busy or hard days I leave work tired, and the last thing I want to do is go for a 40 mile bike ride. And yet, you see I worked 2 double shifts this week. That is because I am greedy. In the life of an hourly-wage worker there is this amazing thing called "overtime", which means that I get 1.5 times as much money for doing the exact same amount of work! There are certain times in my industry when overtime is readily available. One of those times is Spring Break (otherwise known as March). Another time is June-Aug, also known as Summer...also known as the most important part of my Ironman training. So I decided it is better to work more now, in my base training phase, and be able to work less during my main training phase, since I will not only be training longer and harder, but will also be loading cargo and bags in 120 degrees all day.
I love my workouts on the spin bike. I don't even use my iPod (because I still haven't charged it!) and there is no television in the spinning studio, so I just stare at the handlebars, the mirror and the bike computer. And yet the time just flies by! I can pedal so fast, work so hard on simulated hill climbs, all while clipped in, and never once slow down to make eye contact with a distracted driver or stop for a light. I am thinking the best plan for my training for now may be to do 2 rides a week on the spin bike and just do my weekly long ride on the road, so I can build my strength and speed indoors and still improve my bike handling skills outside. Right now I get more excited for my indoor rides than my outdoor, because I like the way riding makes me feel, but indoor cycling removes the fear factor!
Monday: 17 mile ride followed by 2 mile run
Tuesday: 20 mile ride (on commuter to ballgame)
Wednesday: 30 minute swim w/ 5 x 100 yard fast intervals (AM)
5 mile trail run (PM)
 |
| My favorite trail run (5 mile Mormon Loop) |
Friday: 45 minute swim w/ easy/building/easy/hard intervals
45 minutes on spin bike with alternating speed and hill intervals
Today: 16 hour day at work
 |
| Best part of long days at the airport: Sunset views! |
The 20 mile ride on Tuesday may not have been, officially, a "training" session, since it was on my commuter and therefore did not improve my comfort, speed or handling on my road bike; but I still pedaled a 40 pound bike for 20 miles, so if nothing else, it was a conditioning workout.
By the end of my training week I will have worked 66 hours at the airport this week. On Thursday I spent the morning loading and unloading 757's. These are the planes we use for Hawaii flights; Hawaii is a bikini and sundress destination, so it is always a mystery to me why it seems every bag I load going to Hawaii is huge and weighs 70 lbs. On my evening shift that day I walked at least 4 miles (for real) just going back and forth between the break room and the planes I was assigned to. So the days I didn't get in training, I still got in a workout. It can be tempting to consider my job itself as strength training, and consider that portion of my training done at the end of my shift; but while my job definitely builds strength, it makes me vulnerable to injury, and tends to use the same muscles repeatedly, therefore not giving me the balanced muscles that are the main benefit of structured strength training. So in the end, my job is probably more of a detriment to my training than a benefit. In addition to muscle imbalances, and possible injury, working double shifts creates days I can't train at all, and after busy or hard days I leave work tired, and the last thing I want to do is go for a 40 mile bike ride. And yet, you see I worked 2 double shifts this week. That is because I am greedy. In the life of an hourly-wage worker there is this amazing thing called "overtime", which means that I get 1.5 times as much money for doing the exact same amount of work! There are certain times in my industry when overtime is readily available. One of those times is Spring Break (otherwise known as March). Another time is June-Aug, also known as Summer...also known as the most important part of my Ironman training. So I decided it is better to work more now, in my base training phase, and be able to work less during my main training phase, since I will not only be training longer and harder, but will also be loading cargo and bags in 120 degrees all day.
I love my workouts on the spin bike. I don't even use my iPod (because I still haven't charged it!) and there is no television in the spinning studio, so I just stare at the handlebars, the mirror and the bike computer. And yet the time just flies by! I can pedal so fast, work so hard on simulated hill climbs, all while clipped in, and never once slow down to make eye contact with a distracted driver or stop for a light. I am thinking the best plan for my training for now may be to do 2 rides a week on the spin bike and just do my weekly long ride on the road, so I can build my strength and speed indoors and still improve my bike handling skills outside. Right now I get more excited for my indoor rides than my outdoor, because I like the way riding makes me feel, but indoor cycling removes the fear factor!
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