5/23/2006

Went to the gym after work for a swim/run brick. I purposely wanted to do the swim first this time, even though it means drying off and changing prior to running (rather not run in my wet swimsuit until i have to). I dressed for swimming, and headed for the pool. I planned to do at least 2x400, concentrating on form. I started my first 400, and had to stop several times in the first couple of laps to clear my goggles. I've tried two different pair of googles, one Speedo with neoprene around the eye cups and one Nike with silicone rubber. The Nikes fit my face, are fog-resistant, and once they are placed perfectly, are fairly leak-free, but getting them placed just right is a bit fiddly. But I digress.

I had forgotten my stopwatch, so I was forced to rely on the wall clock on the outside of the gym. My first 400 with all the stops and starts, took about 9 minutes. I felt good afterward, but could tell at times my form was not perfect (head and shoulders carried too high). On my second 400, my goggles were settled and I concentrated much more on form and alignment. I finished in just under 8:00. Not great, but the point is to come out of the water fresh and ready for the exertions of the bike and run.

I quickly towelled off and donned my running shorts, shirt and shoes. I jumped on the first available treadmill. My goal for this session was not to worry about distance, and run as fast as I could comfortably for 30 minutes. I've been reading a book called The Pose Method of Running, loaned to me by fellow triathlete Joel. The main premise of the book is that there is a running 'pose' that is the most efficient and natural position to be in when your foot is actually touching the ground. You should be able to draw a nearly-straight line from the ball of your foot, up through the knee, hip, and shoulder. Also, it is far better to run in short steps at a high cadence than to use long strides and risk heel striking.

Concentrating on these form elements, I ran as much as possible at 6.0mph, with about a 3-minute walk at 3.5mph at the one-mile mark. I spent the last minute at 6.5mph, and ended up with a total distance of 2.77 miles in 30 minutes. Not bad for me. It extrapolates to 33.5 minutes for 3.1 miles, which I would be happy with. I'm shooting for between 30 and 35 minutes for the run. It won't win me any prizes, but for my level of running, a ten-minute mile will feel like an accomplishment.

After the run, my calves and knees didn't feel bad at all, save for a minor tightness in my left calf.

My dilemma now is how to train for the next four weeks. Most beginner triathlon training plans recommend a four-week taper (decreasing length and intensity of workouts so one can be fresh and rested for the event), but I don't feel like I'm where I want to be with my fitness yet. I think I'm going to go harder and longer (emphasis on running) for the next two weeks, then taper the last two. We'll see how it goes. I really don't want to experience any more overuse injuries, so I'm going to be walking (or rather, running) a fine line between going too hard and not hard enough.

I'm really starting to look forward to the event. I hope to get to the beach this weekend for an ocean swim. I'm very comfortable in the ocean (surfing, etc.) but have not done much actual swimming in open water. Should be fun!