Monday, March 7, 2011

First Brick of the Year–kind of …

Remember this Mississippi Runners that I told you about last week?  Well, their respective race reports are up.  They all had fantastic results.  A common thread is that I have had conversation with each of them regarding mental toughness.  Ginny and Jen have mentioned in the past ‘how tough’ they think I am – well, they need to look internally.  These are three tough athletes!  They have the Tiger’s Blood!

Happy Feet 26.2

The Running Artist

Dawn the Runner

jen_MS50

Jen running ( sloshing ) the MS50

I ran my first brick of the year!  Well, it was kind of a brick.  You see, I jumped on the trainer bright and early Saturday morning.  I say bright but it was actually raining cats and dogs – See Jen’s race report above (The Running Artist).  I jumped on the trainer and I queued up a challenging workout.  It was one that I would need to suck it up to finish.  You know what, it was easy.  Well, not easy but it was easily achievable.  I had few doubts that I would accomplish the goal.  The trainer has become my go to session the past couple of weeks.  My shoulder and back are healing at the projected pace but it is still frustrating.  However, on the trainer, once I get on the damned thing I am stable.  The feet are locked in, the arms are locked in – and I just crank out the watts.  There is no discomfort.

I finished up the prescribed workout and I was famished.  I cooked up a bowl of oatmeal.  I watch the rainfall as I ate.  I was working up the courage to face the outdoors.  I wanted a big block of training this weekend.  My numbers have been off.  In the past I have had set volume totals for the SWIM / BIKE / RUN.  I have been off – yes, I understand why but I have still been off.  It seemed that the race started pouring just as I was about to head out of the door.  I sucked it and ventured forth.  I have said before that I can run in the ran and I can run in the cold – but the cold rain is another story.  Think goodness that is was not cold. 

This turned out to be an excellent run.  I had originally decided to run 5 miles and if the back was okay to push it out to 6 or 7.  When I do not have a set plan I get into trouble.  I was feeling great.  At about mile 2 the rain became more of a shower and not a storm.  The trace was empty.  The trace was mine.  I did not look at my pace at all.  I simply wanted to log some minutes.  I pushed the run out a little further.  I soon pasted the 3 mile mark and then the next time I looked at the distance I was a hair over 4 miles.  Since this is out and back I decided to make it 5 miles for a total loop of 10 miles.  It seems that in my mind 10 miles is my bread and butter run.  Ten miles can be a recovery run or a hard tempo.  I love this distance.

I should have made it an 8 mile run.  Although I finished the run in fine form I was hurting.  Not the legs – they are feeling great.  It was my lower back.  I have a new found respect for anyone that has had lower back problems.  I have been so fortunate in all of my past endeavors – never having any of these chronic aliments.  I am hoping that since my back pain was caused my trauma that it will not be persistent once I am over the injury – I don’t want to have to deal with this long term.

Anyway, I would walk around the house the rest of the day like an old man.  If I could separate myself from the situation it would be comical. 

Enough complaining – on Sunday I went to join the group ride.  The weather turned cooler.  I had a cycling jacket, leg warmers and full fingered gloves.  I was still freezing; it was 50 degrees.  I rode down to Jackson Station and waited for the group.  In that mile and a half ride I felt horrible.  I was cold and my back was still hurting.  I waited for the group for 15 minutes but no one came.  I did not have the fortitude to do a cold ride solo.  I headed home with the intention of riding the trainer.  I milled around the house for a hour in my cycling gear before taking a hot bath and calling it a day.

The rest will do the body good.  The legs are loving the time off!

5 comments:

Tri4Success said...

Is it still a brick if you have a bowl of oatmeal in transition? Yeah, sure - why not? Sounds like a good plan to me.

As for the 50 degree ride .... did you have anything for your feet and head? With what you wore (assuming jacket was fleece-lined) plus those items you should be fine after you warm up a bit.

Tri-James said...

I do 2-a-days almost everyday, so not really a brick - just two sessions.

Regarding the clothing and temps - The body would have been fine with the weather. However, the mind was not.

Today, just now, I finished a tough trainer session. More valuable to me right now than a cold ride yesterday!

Tri4Success said...

You had said you were "still freezing" after detailing your gear which is why I asked.

No doubt your tough trainer session today did more for you. I'm enjoying an off day myself but it's back at it tomorrow with some single-leg trainer intervals. That always seems to kick the training into gear!

Matty O said...

"The trace was empty. The trace was mine." This is the primary reason I run. When I get the tow path to myself. Everything goes away and its just me and my running. Best feeling in the world.

50 degrees is my "mental" cutoff for riding outdoors. I hate being cold on the bike.

As for your lower back... man, biking reallllly hurts my lower back when it is messed up. Careful how hard you push on the trainer with that back. Hopefully it was just a minor kink you worked out.

Papa D said...

Anyway, I would walk around the house the rest of the day like an old man. If I could separate myself from the situation it would be comical.

Do you have anyone in mind on the "old man" ?