Green is Golden

I use a program called Training Peaks to log my workouts.  My coach puts the workouts in, I upload my garmin data into the program, and it records all kinds of neat and wonderful stuff that lets us track not only my compliance to the training he assigns me, but also my fitness level.  When you do a workout as prescribed, it turns green.  When you miss a workout it turns red.  When you do a workout but it's less or more than prescribed, it turns yellow.  Yes, even if it is more - you are not supposed to do more!!!  I learned from Katie this week that if you do TOO much more, apparently it turns red.  I wouldn't know this, since I never do too much more - Chris drilled this into me on our first meeting in fact - but Katie, the 18 yr old wonder and National Champion, would.  (perhaps there's something to be said for that then....hmm).  At any rate, I always get a secret little thrill (well not so secret anymore after one of my posts this past week) when my week is all green.  Of course, this is always the goal, but not always attained.  I hate seeing red.  Makes me feel bad.  Green is good.  Green means go!  Green is the new Gold.  :)

Well, this week, my longest planned training week ever - I MADE IT ALL GREEN!!!!!  Woot Woot!!

See, it really doesn't take much to make me happy!  LOL.

And not only a fully green week, but some pretty big milestones as well.  PR in my half marathon time during a training run, PR in my 10k time placing 5th overall female, and today put in my longest workout of the year (not counting San Juan) and only the 2nd time ever hitting 75 miles on the bike.  

Bike workout today was 4 hours in the saddle, regardless of distance followed by a quick 15 minute run.  I decided the Silver Comet was the right place - longest ride of the season so far, and by quite a bit, so let's keep it flat.  I hoped to hit 70 miles, but honestly didn't know how things would go with the week I've had.  The day started out kinda rough - I don't know quite where my head was at, but I did not really check the weather before I left.  Figured it would be about the same as Saturday morning.  <<<BZZZZ>>> Wrong Answer.   I'm sorry, thank you for playing, we have some lovely parting gifts for you...  It was Freaking Freezing.  Yes, I know - don't say it - I thought you were Canadian???  Ha. Ha.  a) I've been here 4.5 years and b) for pete's sake I get cold in the summertime if I eat ice cream...  Being Canadian just means I can tolerate living in a cold climate, for long periods of time.  I still get cold.  I sat in the car for a while, waiting to see if it would heat up with the sun, but there was no doing.  I put on whatever extra clothes I had, thankfully my skins were in the car and I was able to put those under my shorts.  I headed out, and turned right back around to put another shirt under my jersey.  That was all I could do, so instead of wheels rolling at 7:45, I was wheels rolling at 9:15.  :(  My fingers were frozen for the first half hour.  It did get warmer as the hours ticked by and I was able to remove some clothing on the way back.  I managed to pull in 75 miles, which I have only ever done once before.  So very happy with that today.  Still tired as all get out.  David was impressed, and said "soon that will be easy for you".  All I could say was "it better be or I'll be in trouble come August".  The run after hurt like a sonofabitch, but I still managed an 8:20 pace.  I did ice bath when I got home, and the accompanying screaming whilst getting in was the source of much amusement for Kira.  I will say that the thing that hurts the most is actually my neck and shoulders from being aero for almost 4 hours.  The thing that hurts the second most is...not my legs.  ;)  And then after that is the Achilles on both legs - I am not liking this trend with the Achilles - so not sure what I was doing different today, maybe toeing my pedal stroke or something, although that is not normally something I do.  I'll have to watch for that next time.  And tonight I will ice them.

So all told, 15:45 in training this week.  I'm pretty pleased with myself, and am just gonna take pleasure in all that I accomplished this week before I busy myself with worrying about what's coming next.  Not sure what I have this week - Chris raced NOLA 70.3 today (congrats on a great race!) so waiting on the week to get uploaded still - but I think / hope to heavens it is a recovery week.  I think it is.  At any rate, I am going to visit Kayla on Thursday !!!  so there will be no long ride on the weekend, only runs.  And maybe a day off.  :)

Happy Training!

Kat