Long Rides, Kettlebells and a 10k

That felt like one of the longest weekends in quite some time. And there is NO doubt, this is the sorest I have been probably since my first Ironman. And I fear it will get a bit worse before it gets better. However, vacation is a few days away so I think the beach should provide ample opportunity for recovery.

The pain began on Thursday with a lactate threshold test. Warmup hard for 10 minutes then all out for 8 more. I managed to hold a 6:40 pace for the duration of the test. And for the first time in nearly three years, my LT actually went up about 5 bpm. My only regret was that I conducted the test in the morning and then had a conference the rest of the day. I was wiped out by dinner.

I headed to Nashville on Friday. I have asked Dan to make a number of changes to my training plan. One of the first changes was to incorporate more pace based training instead of isolated heart rate training. This was one of my first opportunities as I set out on an easy 5 mile run.

Saturday was 2:15 in the saddle, simulating race pace. I hit the road early and rode hard. The downside of riding in Nashville is the terrain. I haven't trained on hills in quite some time so I find it really difficult to have good rides up there. I feel like I never get into a solid groove. This one was a bit different. I was able to hold my watts and find the energy to get through the ride.

I was a bit beat on Sunday from the hard ride. The plan was to drive up to Clarksville to participate in the Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric (62 miles). The course is billed as the nation's fastest due to the flat terrain. My plan called for 3 hours so I was looking forward to the fast, flats. Well Jess and I arrived shortly after 7 am and were the only people in the parking lot. Apparently the ride was yesterday. Oops. My bad.

I was still determined to ride so I looked at the cue sheet to see if I thought I could still pull off the 62 miles. It had a few too many turns for my comfort. So we looked at the map and routed our way back to Hendersonville via country roads. And wouldn't you know that it started raining the minute I put on my helmet.

My plan of attack was to hammer the flats to gain time and distance while I could. Needless to say, riding east put me in the direction of the ridge in the middle of the state. The flats weren't there after a few miles. Jess was gracious enough to sag the ride. Due to many of the unmarked turns, she was there pointing me in the right direction.

Well the rain didn't stop for the entire first hour. I did what I could and was still managing to have a good ride. The funniest part was the rural, farm road that was littered with cattle. Jess comes roaring down in here SUV and it doesn't disturb a sole. I come by on my 17 pound bicycle and the cattle scramble. I can only laugh at the situation.

I kept pushing the pace despite the weather and terrain. I was begining to wear thin. My pace and power were beginning to slip from the fatigue. I made the decision to get off the bike at the 2 hour mark. I just wanted to lie down and dry off.

That afternoon, Jess and I went to the gym to workout. I knew I would regret the decision but I went through the kettlebell routine with her. About an hour and nearly 100 squats, swings and lifts later I was wiped out. I was sore in leg muscles that I didn't know existed. And I knew I was hurt the next day.

Though reluctant, I allowed Jess to talk me into doing a 10k on Monday morning. I hate running 10ks because it is nothing more than a 6 mile threshold run. Dan gave me a prescribed workout so that I could work on pace so I knew I wouldn't be setting a PR. I went through a brief warmup and couldn't believe how sore my core was when I tried to run...glutes, groin, lower back.

I did what I could in the run. I went out a bit hard during the first mile and that set the tone for the day. I just tried to maintain the pace. At the four mile mark, I tried to push. My lower body was too sore. Usually it is my head that won't let me push. I felt fine there. Heartrate was up but not through the roof. My legs just hurt. I kept digging for more effort and I got a little more out of the body. I crossed the finish line around 50:25....easily 4 minutes off my pr but good enough for 3rd place in my age group, lol. The best part is that I turned back and went to find Jess and pushed her as she finished an awesome 5k and achieved her goal.

Needless to say, my body is beat. I soaked in a long hot bath for a while and took a nap. I need to get through tomorrow's workout and I can look forward to recovery on the beach.