Volume 19, Week 18: Too Much Splish-Splash!

 "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

   Eighteen weeks of training completed since 11/4/24. 13 weeks to go to Eagleman, 34 weeks until Florida.  This was a recovery week, so it was nice to have lighter workouts and some days that only had one session.  But this week I did learn I got complained on for splashing too much while swimming laps!  More on that after this week's stats:

Weekly Stats:

• Weight: 177.8
• -.5 lbs from last week
• Swim (3x)
• 3.12 miles (5,500 yards)
• 2:00:04
• Bike (3x)
• 48.49 miles
• 3:30:05
• Run (2x)
• 11.62 miles
• 2:00:06
• Strength (2x)
• 38:47
• Yoga (4x)
• 1:41:20
• Cardio (1x)
• 15:00
• Totals:
• 15 sessions
• 63.99 miles
• 10:05:22

    Recovery week!  More that 2 hours less time from last week, but still a big number for what I've done in previous plans.  Felt like I should have done so much more but every 4 weeks or so I have a week where my workout sessions are down.  Rest and recovery are much needed.  This is also the week that I chose to redo all my HR tests.  

    I had 3 swims with one of them being my swim pace test.  For a 400- and 200-yard time trial, I dropped 5 and 3 seconds per 100 yards for those 2 intervals.  Doesn't sound like much, but I'm seeing the improvement as I felt it was the same effort as my previous test.  This reset my swim paces (even though I have to go by perceived effort as I can't watch my pace constantly while I'm swimming).  

    Three bike rides for the week also included my HR test. With the new HR threshold based off this test, I should be able to hit more of my higher zones as I recalculated the ranges for my HR. I'm still not 100% sure how accurate they are as I'm doing the test on my trainer, and I don't know how close that would be to doing the test on a road outside.  Still riding "across America" and made it to just east of the Indiana/Illinois state line.  1,024 miles across the US so far.  

    On my runs this week, I saw huge improvements.  I was still having some issues hitting my higher HR zones since the last test I did at the beginning of the official training plan.  The last test I completed was on the treadmill so I don't think I was going as fast as I could have.  This time I ran outdoors on Saturday for the test.  15-minute warm up then 30 minutes as fast as I could go and maintain that pace for the full time.  I didn't pace myself as well as I should have, but while I was hitting my higher HR zone, I was running around 7:35 per mile pace. I haven't ever run that fast for a sustained timeframe.  I couldn't hold it for the full 30 minutes, so I ended up averaging around 8:30 per mile.  But to see the fast pace was telling me that this plan is working!  Came off of that run really pumped! 

    Two strength sessions (arms and legs) and four yoga sessions to stretch the legs and shoulders and open the hips after my runs and bike rides.  I also did a 15-min treadmill walk at 15% grade at 3mph.  Since it was a recovery week, I didn't have two a day each day as I have in the previous weeks.  Feel great about where I am, and am truly loving the variety each day--each workout is its own little daily challenge!

    Next week I'm back up on my session times and distances, so I'm glad I have Monday as my rest day with the time change this week.  I can get reacclimated to the new time and not have to get up tomorrow for a long session basically an hour early. On to week 5 of my 70.3 training plan....

Training Reflections:

 This week I saw big improvements on my swim and run times/paces.  With my new tests, I feel good about where I am and I'm seeing the benefits of the plan.  In my running sessions, it has been hard to go so slow on most of my runs.  I've learned to embrace the slow pace as I'm trusting the process.  This week I saw how that it is actually working.  I can't wait to see what the final results of the training will be in June and then again in November. 

  

    Most triathletes struggle in the swim and it's just something we have to do as part of the sport to get better, but there is so little improvement margin.  I'm not going to suddenly swim like an Olympian. My improvements are going to be mere seconds of getting faster, and overall in a half- or full-distance Ironman, it's probably really only 5 or so minutes for me over the length of my swim.  But what I have seen is that I can swim longer and stronger using the same energy and effort.  That will help more than pushing to gain a ton more speed.  Especially when I'm going to be swimming in currents in both my big races this year.  My June race is in the Choptank River feeding into the Chesapeake Bay.  I learned that this year I'll be swimming against the current on my outbound leg, then with the current coming back to the swim exit. Then in Florida, my swim is considered an "ocean" swim, although it's really the Gulf of Mexico (America? whatever...).  That will have waves and currents (hopefully not too much!).  So just being a stronger swimmer will be a huge benefit for me and that' what I'm shooting for.  And that's the reason I hit the natatorium several times a week (can't they just say "pool"?!).

   

And the big news is that I found out that I'm a "splasher" while swimming laps.  A few months ago, probably in September or October, I was swimming at the Community Center and I noticed a lady glaring at me every time I swam by her.  I was in my own lane and she was in the walking/aqua aerobics lane.  One time when I swam past she splashed me.  I thought it was weird but I just kept going.  Haven't really thought about it much since then.  Then this week I learned that a lady had complained last week that I was splashing as I was swimming laps.  I normally don't like to take the 2nd lane next to the "walking" lane as it has an overhang on the far end of the pool and I feel like my hand is going to hit it (not even close, but it feels that way).  So I usually swim in one of the left two lanes.  But last Friday, I had to bump to the second lane.  I don't even really remember specifically any ladies in the walking lane next to me, but apparently I was splashing too much while doing my laps.  Granted, I was doing all out sprints, but the fact is everyone was in the water.  In the pool. Where it's wet.  I know I was the only one in that lane so it had to be me that was just not being courteous to the hairdos next to me.  I just had to laugh at the absurdity of the complaint. If I have to swim in that lane, I'll keep doing what I have to do.  There is a little bit of splashing involved in triathlon.  Take a look at the above pic.  Just funny to me!  I'll be kind, but Julie said I should get a sign that says "Ironman in training.  Please excuse my splashing" and lay that out in front of my lane.  I might seriously do that just for fun! Maybe next week I'll have a pic of the sign.

Life Applications:

    As I was thinking about the lady that complained I was splashing too much, I thought about how people might judge me or complain when I'm just doing my thing.  I'm human just like everyone else, and I'm not going to make everyone happy all the time.  And I do know I have things that would be easy to judge or complain about.  The thing that I kept coming back to this week was that if it's something I'm truly doing wrong, then that's on me.  But if whatever I'm doing that bothers someone else is something that is just not to their liking or they don't agree with how I do something (like splashing too much) then there's not really anything I can do to change their mind.  If that lady had said something to me while I was resting at the wall, I would have apologized and explained that I wasn't trying to do anything on purpose.  I wasn't doing a cannonball to get into the pool!!  But I would have kept on swimming.  I can't let someone derail what my goal is either in my training or in life. If someone doesn't agree with the friendships I keep, or agree with how I see a situation, that's OK.  As long as I'm confident that I'm doing the right thing for me, that's all that matters.  God told Joshua way back in the Old Testament to be strong and courageous and do not be afraid or discouraged, and the Lord was with him wherever he would go. I need to hold onto that daily. 

 

    I don't have true enemies. I don't have a lot of conflict in my life.  But daily, I need to be strong and courageous.  So in those times that things do pop up in my life, I'll be able to fall back on the fact that the Lord is with me wherever I go.  Just like in the pool, I need to know that I'm doing what I should to train for my Ironman.  And if I'm confident in that, I'm OK with the lady complaining on me.  It won't ruin my training day, or make the session somehow not count. I can't control what others think of me. I (and everyone else even if they don't want to admit it) do care, but if someone speaks against me, I just have to be solid in who I am.  As long as I'm doing the right thing, and living as God has called me to live, I'm just fine.  If someone does have something, speak up!  I'll be more than glad to talk about it.  If it's something I can change, I'll do my best in that.  But if it's not, then I'm just going to move on and continue being who I am and who God calls me to me--for my family, my friends, and in every aspect of my life. And right now, I'm an Ironman-in-training.  Sorry about the excessive splashing!

I now have 4 full weeks marked off my training plan.  I know the next 3 months will blink by in a minute.  Less than 3 months until Matthew gets married.  We'll gain a daughter-in-law, and he'll start his own family.  Then Julie and I have a week together, will get to see some friends and our original stomping grounds, then I shoot for my PR in the 70.3 distance.  Confidence is high right now. Have to keep it in check, but I'm feeling good!!  Lots of events and training between now and then...

Thanks for reading another "Ramblings by Chris".  I know I'll have people cheering for me from afar and I thank you in advance for that!  

Until next week, get your rest after the time change this morning, and...

Keep fit, Stay THE Course, and Keep moving forward.

340,555 minutes until my toes hit the Gulf.