Categories
Cycling Running Swimming

CompuTrainer is paying off

Cycling

I wasn’t sure if the CompuTrainer was ever going to pay off. It seemed like I just couldn’t get any faster last year. Worked all winter, then we went out and did long slow rides. Seemed liked month after month my average speed was always around 18 mph.

This winter I started fresh with the CompuTrainer and decided that I needed to do at least four rides a week. The first two workouts of the week are the hardest. Tuesday is usually a 6 x 6 minute at 100%+ of FTP and then Thursday is 2 x 20 minutes at 90% of FTP. Then there is the long endurance ride and a Tempo ride. Last year I just did the first two and the endurance ride. I think adding the Tempo ride has really helped.

Every ride so far in April has been over 19 mph. The last ride being at 20.1 mph this past Saturday for 46 miles. I’ve only been able to maintain that speed for that distance once before and that was on a much flatter course. I’m feeling much more comfortable in the aero position on the bike and I’m able to hold pace for longer periods of time. I also feel like I really haven’t even pushed it yet.

Looking forward to getting out there this weekend and seeing what I can do when we go over 50 miles.

Running

On the running front, I signed up for another half-marathon. Probably won’t be any personal bests this time. I told a friend that I would pace her son to his first half-marathon finish. He has never run more than 8 miles, but I’m sure he will do just fine.

Swimming

Swimming is slowly improving. Pond season is almost here and it will be good to get some longer swims in. I enjoy the shorter interval training though.

The weight has been pretty steady at bouncing between 155 and 157.

Weight: 156lbs

Categories
Race

Great Bay Half-Marathon

This past weekend I went and did the Great Bay Half-Marathon. I think this is the 4th year in a row that I have done it. It is one very hilly course! Looking at the profile map can be very deceiving. When looking at it you think I just have to get mile 4.3 and it is bascially down hill!! WRONG. After that it is basically a series of up and down hills. Some of them very steep. There are very few places on the course where it is flat and you can just zone out and relax and run.

Great Bay Profile
Great Bay Profile

 

 

 

 

Like every year I was planning on running with my friend Ray and his buddy Pete. Pete wanted to start out at 7:45 and that sounded good to me. Unfortunately for Ray though he sustained a calf injury earlier in the week and it flared up on the run. I noticed he had a little limp going on early and then I guess at mile 4 he was toast. To his credit he gutted out the race and finished. Pete and I continued on at the 7:45 pace for about another mile or so and then I picked it up a bit on the next hill. Miles 7 and 8 were my fastest miles, one being 7:10 and another 7:15. Once I got to mile 9 I knew if I just held 7:30s I would be able to come in under 1:40 so I just concentrated on keeping a steady pace. Finished up at 1:39:19 7:33 pace. Pete finished right around 1:42 right on his 7:45 target pace.

Past Results

2012 – 1:39:19
2011 – 1:42:39
2010 – 1:42:30
2009 – 1:57:45

Weight: 156.5 lbs