Last training session before the Stars W*A*R. Took some friends' advice and went to Taylor Creek Park to ski along the east-west bike trail. So many skiers out that there were some decent trails made.
Haldon to west lot - 15mins
Struggling over the bare bridge and coming back due to path closure - 15mins
West lot to Haldon - 15mins
A couple of bridges east of Haldon and back - 15mins
I even climbed the hill up to the parking lot nicely. Arms were tired though, didn't want to over-do it.
Kept telling myself I have to keep my head up and be aware at the race, but I always find myself staring at my feet.
It was nice, but I do love a good track set. Plus at one point, some asshole cops went by on their ATVs and smashed up our existing tracks.
Fuck da police!
--Distance: 5.8km
--Duration: 60mins
--Route: Garmin tracks
2013-02-09
2013-02-06
Pool Swimming
200m kick w/ fins
~3:30
200m pull w/ paddles
~4:00
4x 100m on 400m goal pace
1:56 / 1:57 / 1:56 / 1:57
3x
400m
100m easy
7:50 / 8:01 / 8:02 [adjusted for stops while getting passed]
4x 25 hypoxic 10" / 15" / 20" RI
full / full / flags / flags
--Distance: 2,400m
--Duration: 60mins
~3:30
200m pull w/ paddles
~4:00
4x 100m on 400m goal pace
1:56 / 1:57 / 1:56 / 1:57
3x
400m
100m easy
7:50 / 8:01 / 8:02 [adjusted for stops while getting passed]
4x 25 hypoxic 10" / 15" / 20" RI
full / full / flags / flags
--Distance: 2,400m
--Duration: 60mins
2013-02-04
Pool Swimming
Missed 100m easy and 3x 100m kick w/ fins.
3x 100m pull w/ paddles on 2:00
1:50-2:00
3x 100m fins and paddles on 2:00
~1:30 each
100m each of DSP, 80%, zipper, high-elbow-catch
25 / 21 / 24 / 21
4x
2x 100m fast on 1:55
1x 100m easy on 2:15 (usually ended up with more rest)
1:45 / 1:51
1:51 / 1:53
1:55 / 2:00
1:51 / 1:50
The last set was a miracle. I always do better once I relax.
4x 25m hypoxic, easy-peasy
--Distance: 2,300m
--Duration: 60mins
3x 100m pull w/ paddles on 2:00
1:50-2:00
3x 100m fins and paddles on 2:00
~1:30 each
100m each of DSP, 80%, zipper, high-elbow-catch
25 / 21 / 24 / 21
4x
2x 100m fast on 1:55
1x 100m easy on 2:15 (usually ended up with more rest)
1:45 / 1:51
1:51 / 1:53
1:55 / 2:00
1:51 / 1:50
The last set was a miracle. I always do better once I relax.
4x 25m hypoxic, easy-peasy
--Distance: 2,300m
--Duration: 60mins
2013-02-03
X-Country Skiing
Went back to Hardwood Hills for final training before the big race. I'd heard about the uphill start at Mansfield, so I wanted to get my hillwork in check. I took another lesson with Instructor Martina, and she showed me some neat tricks, but it turns out that my hill climbing is really quite good.
I wanted to speed-run the Sochi loop and then do some harder stuff afterwards, but I think I dawdled a bit much in between to do both. I did manage to get up to pretty good speeds on Sochi, though. Usually around 6:00/km. I felt pretty smooth, although I was still noticing that I was looking down a lot and not paying attention to my surroundings, which is what killed me last year. The conditions were a bit icy and the track was shredded to shit. Nevertheless, I finished in 1:17 flat.
I decided to do a Nagano-Lillehammer combo, but in the end had to cut short on the yellow course and didn't get a chance to climb the crazy hill in the southwest corner.
Well guess what? There's no snow at Mansfield again, and the Stars have moved the WAR back to Wasaga. Flat as a board!
--Distance: 18km
--Duration: 2hrs
I wanted to speed-run the Sochi loop and then do some harder stuff afterwards, but I think I dawdled a bit much in between to do both. I did manage to get up to pretty good speeds on Sochi, though. Usually around 6:00/km. I felt pretty smooth, although I was still noticing that I was looking down a lot and not paying attention to my surroundings, which is what killed me last year. The conditions were a bit icy and the track was shredded to shit. Nevertheless, I finished in 1:17 flat.
I decided to do a Nagano-Lillehammer combo, but in the end had to cut short on the yellow course and didn't get a chance to climb the crazy hill in the southwest corner.
Well guess what? There's no snow at Mansfield again, and the Stars have moved the WAR back to Wasaga. Flat as a board!
--Distance: 18km
--Duration: 2hrs
Location:
Hardwood Hills, Oro, ON
X-Country Skiing Lesson - Hills
Right away I announced to Instructor Martina that I would like help with hill climbing this time. I wasn't even sure whether you're supposed to stay in the tracks and fight or get out and herring bone. I suck so bad at herring bone that I tend to keep running, but I wasn't sure if that was a waste of energy. To my great surprise, she told me that if I don't have much trouble climbing in the tracks on most hills, that is quite impressive, and that I should stay in the tracks as long as I can.
Running uphill in tracks:
- short, quick steps
- full transfer of weight from foot to foot
- kicking foot forward and attacking
- using the shoulders to help with the weight transfer.
Turns out I was already doing most of these things just by instinct, but the more aggressive "stair climbing" technique really helped.
Then she wanted to introduce some alternative techniques for when I would have to get out of the tracks.
1. Skating diagonal climb: like herring bone, but with a skating sideways glide for more propulsion
- could not get the glide into it, at least not uphill. On flats it was okay, but no way going up
2. Skating parallel pole climb: similar, but both poles touch down together
- same difference, there's just no glide in these little fishscale skis (although Martina had the same equipment!)
3. ("Plan D") Fast herring bone: herring bone with the straight running technique of kicking forward
- by far the best and easiest, fastest and most fun: she told me to just stick to what I know
I also asked her about downhilling and cornering. So the last technique was a kind of half-turn, also based on skating technique:
- the inner foot guides, while the outer foot glides sideways for propulsion. You can go round and around like this. At least Martina can. I have no talent for this sideways gliding thing. She made me try it along a slope, which was a disaster. But for the record, you're supposed to go downhill, slow down a bit, and then do these quick turning steps to corner. Uh-huh.
When I went out to practise, I did actually manage to corner a bit better than before, but I'm just so unsteady out of the tracks. Maybe need to try skating next year to see if I can improve my balance.
--Duration: 45mins
Running uphill in tracks:
- short, quick steps
- full transfer of weight from foot to foot
- kicking foot forward and attacking
- using the shoulders to help with the weight transfer.
Turns out I was already doing most of these things just by instinct, but the more aggressive "stair climbing" technique really helped.
Then she wanted to introduce some alternative techniques for when I would have to get out of the tracks.
1. Skating diagonal climb: like herring bone, but with a skating sideways glide for more propulsion
- could not get the glide into it, at least not uphill. On flats it was okay, but no way going up
2. Skating parallel pole climb: similar, but both poles touch down together
- same difference, there's just no glide in these little fishscale skis (although Martina had the same equipment!)
3. ("Plan D") Fast herring bone: herring bone with the straight running technique of kicking forward
- by far the best and easiest, fastest and most fun: she told me to just stick to what I know
I also asked her about downhilling and cornering. So the last technique was a kind of half-turn, also based on skating technique:
- the inner foot guides, while the outer foot glides sideways for propulsion. You can go round and around like this. At least Martina can. I have no talent for this sideways gliding thing. She made me try it along a slope, which was a disaster. But for the record, you're supposed to go downhill, slow down a bit, and then do these quick turning steps to corner. Uh-huh.
When I went out to practise, I did actually manage to corner a bit better than before, but I'm just so unsteady out of the tracks. Maybe need to try skating next year to see if I can improve my balance.
--Duration: 45mins
2013-02-02
Gym Workout
(reps) 1st set / 2nd set / 3rd set
(10) DB Bent Lateral fly w/ external rotation: 7.5lbs x2 / 10lbs x2 / 10lbs x2
(10) DB Bent-over Lateral Raise: 5lbs x2 / 7.5lbs x2 / 7.5lbs x2
(10) DB Row: 25lbs / 30lbs / 35lbs (6)
(10) DB Low Incline Bench Press: 2x 25lbs / 2x 25lbs / 2x 25lbs
(10) BB Deadlift: 110lbs / 120lbs / 125lbs
(10) Push-ups: BW / BW / BW
(10) Cable Straight-Arm Pulldowns: setting 3 / setting 3 / setting 4 (8)
I was gonna do an anti-rotation DB thing, but I got distracted by a hot guy and forgot...
(10) Leg Press: 300lbs (20) / 320lbs
--Duration: 40mins
(10) DB Bent Lateral fly w/ external rotation: 7.5lbs x2 / 10lbs x2 / 10lbs x2
(10) DB Bent-over Lateral Raise: 5lbs x2 / 7.5lbs x2 / 7.5lbs x2
(10) DB Row: 25lbs / 30lbs / 35lbs (6)
(10) DB Low Incline Bench Press: 2x 25lbs / 2x 25lbs / 2x 25lbs
(10) BB Deadlift: 110lbs / 120lbs / 125lbs
(10) Push-ups: BW / BW / BW
(10) Cable Straight-Arm Pulldowns: setting 3 / setting 3 / setting 4 (8)
I was gonna do an anti-rotation DB thing, but I got distracted by a hot guy and forgot...
(10) Leg Press: 300lbs (20) / 320lbs
--Duration: 40mins
Glute Strengthening Exercises
Doctor's Orders Exercises:
Walking in a 1/4 squat, knees out, with band around knees:
- sideways and backwards/ forwards
This really burned the sides of my ass/hips, but felt good.
10x 1/4 squats with toes against the wall - very hard too keep the hamstrings out of it.
3x 10x 1/2 squats with the band around the knees - hard to control the glutes
3x 10x glute bridges with punching the muscles
- also difficult, but not as bad as the squats
--Duration: about 15mins
Walking in a 1/4 squat, knees out, with band around knees:
- sideways and backwards/ forwards
This really burned the sides of my ass/hips, but felt good.
10x 1/4 squats with toes against the wall - very hard too keep the hamstrings out of it.
3x 10x 1/2 squats with the band around the knees - hard to control the glutes
3x 10x glute bridges with punching the muscles
- also difficult, but not as bad as the squats
--Duration: about 15mins
2013-01-31
Kyoshin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu
Tekube o-sae
Ude-o-sae:
Use momentum from stepping back to generate kuzushi
Apply 90 +1 for easier shoulder torque - although hard for me to hold the arm forward out like that with control
Kaiten nage
Kaiten nage from Sempu
Randori
Feeling pretty "on" tonight. Maybe because of the relaxed atmosphere with everyone being short on time.
--Duration: 30mins
Ude-o-sae:
Use momentum from stepping back to generate kuzushi
Apply 90 +1 for easier shoulder torque - although hard for me to hold the arm forward out like that with control
Kaiten nage
Kaiten nage from Sempu
Randori
Feeling pretty "on" tonight. Maybe because of the relaxed atmosphere with everyone being short on time.
--Duration: 30mins
2013-01-30
Pool Swimming
I had a tummy bug late yesterday and hadn't been able to eat almost anything leading up to this swim. I knew about the 1,500m TT, so I packed a gel and some salt pills in case I wouldn't be able to eat well during the day. I managed to get through a sandwich and some berries. I also had to nap for a few hours on the couch at work because I was so woozy. Hope it goes away soon.
I took one Gu Roctane and two Endurolyte pills before this workout. I'm sure they kept me reasonably alive.
50m easy
200m kick w/ fins
200m pull w/ paddles
200m @ 1,500m goal pace (2:00)
4:10
1,500m TT
30:35
I was doing about 2:00-2:05 for a long while, especially with some lane shuffling and drafting. Once we got sorted out, I was able to actually hold 2:00 for the last 500m. I'm totally shocked. Getting very close to my sub-30 goal.
2x 100m fast, 1min RI
1:50 / 1:55
4x 50m fast, 1min RI, hold faster than 100
0:52 / 0:51 / 0:51 / 0:49
50m easy
--Distance: 2,600m
--Duration: 70mins
I took one Gu Roctane and two Endurolyte pills before this workout. I'm sure they kept me reasonably alive.
50m easy
200m kick w/ fins
200m pull w/ paddles
200m @ 1,500m goal pace (2:00)
4:10
1,500m TT
30:35
I was doing about 2:00-2:05 for a long while, especially with some lane shuffling and drafting. Once we got sorted out, I was able to actually hold 2:00 for the last 500m. I'm totally shocked. Getting very close to my sub-30 goal.
2x 100m fast, 1min RI
1:50 / 1:55
4x 50m fast, 1min RI, hold faster than 100
0:52 / 0:51 / 0:51 / 0:49
50m easy
--Distance: 2,600m
--Duration: 70mins
Chiropractic Treatment
This was a cool session at Athlete's Care. We did some functional exercises, which showed me just how much I was overloading my hamstrings because my glutes are so weak.
I did a mini-squat standing on one leg on a small book, and my bad hamstring burned. My butt was doing nothing. Even my good side is really weak. So then KD had me do some half-squats facing the wall so that my knees wouldn't go forward; still didn't activate the glutes. Then he had me do some bridges by squeezing my butt and relaxing my hamstrings - I eventually got it right. Here are the exercises I'll be doing for the next week:
- walking sideways and forward/back with a band around my knees, pushing the knees out
- doing half-squats with the band around, making sure my back is straight and my glutes are firing
- doing the half-squats against the wall
- the glute bridges, with taps to the muscles to activate them, on the floor, off a couch, off a ball (if I'm ready)
Apparently my brain has forgotten that I have glutes and needs to be retrained to make me use them. Otherwise I'll just keep loading my hamstrings and destroying them.
We also did more acupuncture on the butt muscles and a bunch of ART. and then KD brought out this crazy tool that looks like a video game knife-weapon, which he scraped my skin with to release the skin from the fascia and loosen the muscles.
I did a mini-squat standing on one leg on a small book, and my bad hamstring burned. My butt was doing nothing. Even my good side is really weak. So then KD had me do some half-squats facing the wall so that my knees wouldn't go forward; still didn't activate the glutes. Then he had me do some bridges by squeezing my butt and relaxing my hamstrings - I eventually got it right. Here are the exercises I'll be doing for the next week:
- walking sideways and forward/back with a band around my knees, pushing the knees out
- doing half-squats with the band around, making sure my back is straight and my glutes are firing
- doing the half-squats against the wall
- the glute bridges, with taps to the muscles to activate them, on the floor, off a couch, off a ball (if I'm ready)
Apparently my brain has forgotten that I have glutes and needs to be retrained to make me use them. Otherwise I'll just keep loading my hamstrings and destroying them.
We also did more acupuncture on the butt muscles and a bunch of ART. and then KD brought out this crazy tool that looks like a video game knife-weapon, which he scraped my skin with to release the skin from the fascia and loosen the muscles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)