Day 1 again

It's day 1...again. I'm back on my Ironman training program - 3 weeks of increasing volume followed by a recovery week. I'm going to focus on base miles for several weeks and keep the intensity in check so I don't hurt my knee.

Today I went for another run at lunch. This was my second run back, and it went better than the first although running in the Pose method is making my calf muscles really sore. This time I felt a little better and wanted to go a little faster, which made sticking to my new form more difficult than last time. I wanted to lengthen my stride and revert to my old heel striking ways. I focused on sticking to the Pose method, and I think I did a pretty decent job. It's going to be a while before it feels natural for me and I don't have to focus on it so much.

I usually swim on Mondays, but I haven't put many miles on my bike lately and I've been itching to ride so I opted for a little time on the trainer instead. I watched the Giro Di Lombardia, listened to some music and rode for an hour occasionally standing up for the length of a song here and there. If I'm going to spend a lot of time on the trainer this winter, I'm going to need a few new CDs. I haven't bought any new music in a while.

Looking at my stats for the day, I noticed my average heart rate for my run and ride was the same: 151 bpm (81% of max). Interesting.


Run (Outdoors)
Time: 27:55
Distance: 3 miles
Pace: 9:17
Ave HR: 151
Max HR: 166

Ride (Indoors)
Time: 1:00:00
Distance: 20.26
Ave Speed: 20.2 mph
Max Speed: 23.96 mph
Ave Watts: 205
Max Watts: 284
Work: 743 kj
Ave HR: 151
Max HR: 170

Pose Running

Here's another problem with swimming at the high school... there was a little kid sucking on the mirror in the locker room. Very strange.

I ran for the first time in 7 weeks today at lunch. I took it slow and easy and tried to stick to the Pose method since I got the video and book for my birthday. It was a decent first run, I suppose. Nothing to get excited about.

Running in the pose method (pictured) is all about landing on the balls of your feet and not pushing off with your feet. When most people run, they push off with the back foot and extend their front foot and land on their heel, which puts a lot of stress on that leg. Landing on the heel slows you down, and pushing off speeds you up. It's a series of accelerating and decelerating. Not the most efficient way to run.

Pose running is all about switching weight from one foot to the other and using gravity to your advantage. You don't push off with your leg; you just pick it up. When your right leg is up, you pick up your left leg and your right leg will naturally drop. You want that landing to be soft, under your center of gravity and on the balls of your feet. You use gravity by leaning forward so you're almost falling forward the whole time. You're just switching support from one foot to the other. No pushing off. No landing on your heel.

I think it's going to be good for me because the pushing off is what bothers my tendon. Lifting my leg straight up underneath me doesn't hurt.

I can't really say if I like the Pose Method yet (even though I think it will be good for me) since this was my first run and it was a little weird. Plus I haven't been running so my conditioning is down. Also, I intentionally took it easy and the trail was covered in snow. Lots of things making this run less than stellar...actually it was one of my slowest runs ever. 3 miles in 30 minutes.

I'm going to keep working on the Pose Method for a while until I decide if I like it. Even though I think it will be good for my knee, I don't want to change my running style if it's going to slow me down a lot. I don't think it will, but we'll see. If it works the way they claim, it will eventually make me faster. I hope so.

My Ironman training program officially begins Monday. I'm not too fired up for it so I need to find some motivation. Winter is so depressing it's hard to get motivated to swim, bike and run.

Winter's coming

Since my knee has been so slow to heal, I've had to bump back my training program a little, but it might actually be for the best. I start up again December 17. I'll do 5 months of training for the Florida Half Ironman (3 months of base, 2 months of build), then I'll take a few days off and start training for the Ironman. All total, I'll get in about 8 solid months of training for the Ironman, which should be enough. I'm still training right now, but it's informal. I haven't run in a few weeks, but I have been riding and swimming. I'll keep it informal until Dec. 17, then step it up. Hopefully my knee will be better by then. I hate to admit it, but walking the hill is helping.

It's that time of year when I need to decide what I'm going to do about cycling this winter. The weather has changed, and the highs are now in the low 40s. I really want to get my old bike set up for winter commuting and riding, but I'm not convinced I want to make that commitment right now. It seems like a lot of fun, but unfortunately it all really comes down to money. If I had a lot of disposable income, I wouldn't hesitate.

I would definitely want a light, taillight, fenders and new tires. Then I would probably want a nice jacket, warmer gloves and thermal tights or pants. But it doesn't stop there...I would want to get new shoes as well. I don't want to ruin my shoes and speedplay pedals aren't a great choice for sloppy winter conditions. I've read that some people go with flat pedals and hiking boots for winter riding, which is an option...except I don't have hiking boots.

Then I ask myself...will I actually commute all winter? My commute is less than 4 miles, which makes it sound like an easy commute. The problem is that getting bundled up for 4 miles seems like a hassle. I've thought about going out of my way to make the commute longer so I can get in more miles. I might be more inclined to bike everyday if it's going to be more of a workout. I don't want to spend money on new gear if I'm not going to get a lot of use out of it. I have a very nice trainer at home that I can use.

I'm also considering skipping the light and getting just enough gear to get me through some winter lunch rides. That wouldn't cost as much and it would allow me to get in some outdoor miles this winter. The trainer is okay, but it gets boring and I find that my rides are shorter indoors than outdoors. It's a tough decision. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket tonight and hope for the best.

It was my b-day the other day. I'm 33 and my best days are behind me now. I have knee problems, back pain and I think my memory is going already. It's all over.

My parents gave me the Pose Method of Running book and DVD for my b-day. It's supposed to be decent so I'm hoping it will help me learn a new style of running that will prevent injuries and help me run faster. Mainly, I hope it prevents injuries like it claims.

I watched the DVD already and it's possibly the most boring DVD I've ever seen. But I suppose you can't expect much more from an instructional video on running. I haven't tried any of the drills yet so I have no idea what to think about the program. We'll see.

Cheri bought me some new running shoes so I'm all set to be a runner. Maybe I should buy some winter running pants and run to work this winter. 4 miles isn't such a short commute when you're running.

Right now it's 39 degrees and time to get ready for my ride. 35 miles. Luckily, it's not too windy so it shouldn't be too cold although I would like to see the sun come out. That makes a big difference.