Weekly Training Recap: Nothing is Impossible
As an endurance athlete, I’ve learned there are many things that seem impossible that are actually possible. I was especially reminded of this important lesson during the past week.
I was fortunate to spend 4 days in Utah at the fabulous Red Mountain Resort with my mom to celebrate her 60th birthday.
This was my second trip to this amazing health and fitness mecca, where you feel like you’re in a life size painting (not to mention a runner’s and cyclist’s paradise). In a hot area that only gets 8 inches of rain in an entire year, you wouldn’t think that flowers could grow. But as you walk through canyons and along desert roads, we found wildflowers everywhere growing strong in the clay-colored sand – yellow, red, purple, orange. What seems like it would be impossible was right there before our eyes: Flowers growing beautifully in the desert.
Just like flowers shouldn’t be able to grow in the sand without water, we often set limits for ourselves – I can’t run that fast. I can’t run that far. I don’t think I could finish in that time. But just like the desert flowers, the truth is, we can.
Remembering that lesson was just what I needed to motivate me through my first full week of triathlon and half marathon training, which kicked off again last Monday. Three friends of mine recently ran some incredible races where all their mile splits were in the 6+-minute per mile range. As I was reading about their experiences, the first thought that occurred to me was: I wish I could run that fast. I don’t think I could do that. As I was watching the Boston Marathon yesterday and realizing I want to qualify to run it, I was thinking: I’m not sure if I can really run fast enough to qualify. As those thoughts creep into my head in the weeks and months of training ahead, I’m going to remember the desert flowers growing where flowers shouldn’t be able to grow. I’m going to remember that anything is possible.
Here’s what last week’s training looked like:
Monday: 3.1-mile run with Mr. rUnladylike. This was supposed to be a rest day for me, but my husband wanted to go for an evening run. Thinking it would be an easy recovery run, I decided to join him. It turned out to be more of a hilly progression run, with our mile splits looking like this: 8:35, 8:17, 7:24 and 6:43 (last 0.1).
Tuesday: AM: Swam 1,800 meters with the main set focusing on 100-meter repeats; PM: Rode 10 miles on the bike (trainer) with 7 x 20-second sprints in the middle of the ride with a 2-minute active recovery between each.
Wednesday: Speed work and strength training: Mr. rUnladylike joined me for 4 x 800 meters at the track (including a warm up and cool down and a 400-meter recovery between each repeat). My repeats were 3:05, 3:11, 3:12 and 3:03. We followed this up with a 30-minute upper body circuit workout that focused on chest, biceps, shoulders, triceps and back.
Thursday: Biked on the trainer for 1 hour before catching my flight to Utah. Once in Utah, I took a 45-minute deep stretch class to end the day.
Friday: 4-mile hike in Snow Canyon State Park in Utah (2 miles were in soft sand so our butts got a good workout!)
After returning to the resort, I took a 45-minute deep stretch class followed by a 50-minute massage. I ended the day with a 5.12 mile run at 8:19 average pace (2 miles down hill followed by 3 miles uphill).
Saturday: Swam 1,800 meters with the main set consisting of 100 and 50-meter repeats. After breakfast my mom and I took a leisurely 11-mile bike ride to a nearby town to stroll through art galleries. Later that afternoon we took 2 classes, including 45 minutes of sports training (included kickboxing, tabata and sports drills) and 45 minutes of Zumba. It was my first time doing Zumba and while I felt a bit discombobulated during much of the class, it was a blast. Good thing I have no photos or videos to show you from that!
Sunday: 8-mile run through Snow Canyon State Park: The first 4 miles were uphill and the last 4 were mostly downhill. The splits looked like this: 9:12, 8:45, 8:59, 9:03, 8:19, 8:19, 8:05, 7:39
Wishing my mom a very happy birthday tomorrow! So glad I was able to celebrate (and exercise) with her last week!
How did your training go last week? What did you think was once impossible that you have since conquered?
Comments
Wow Jesica – what a great week you had!! And in such a beautiful part of the country.
My week was recovery from the Sweetwater 50k from the previous Saturday. (which is also something that I once thought was impossible)
Monday and Tuesday rest with some trigger point roller. Wednesday yoga @ yoga Selah in Cumming (This has been an awesome class)
Thursday body weight Interval class – Friday 1:00 stairmaster – Saturday battle of Allatoona creek 9 mile trail race. It was fun and muddy 🙂
Finished strong with cheers from my coach. I am now in third place for my age group in the series.
You had an AMAZING week of training Victor! Awesome job, and congrats on both of your recent races!!!
Looks like a great get-away with your mom! That seems like an awesome resort!
Basically everything I have done since deciding to register for my first sprint triathlon were once things that I never thought I would conquer. Completing that first tri a number of years of ago to longer distance tris since and now training for my first Ironman were things that I am proud of and once would have never imagined myself doing. It is so sweet to think that back on those times and be proud of the accomplishments and how far I how come!
That is awesome Lee! So exciting to be training for your first Ironman too! I can’t wait to hear how it goes and hope your training is going well. xo
You sound a lot like me in Zumba! I just jump around and hope for the best.
Great week, all around. If you learned anything this past year, it is that YOU are capable of GREAT things. Don’t forget it. And, that 0.1 was a 6:xx split 😉
Thank you SO much Kim! And one of these days we totally need to do Zumba together. Want to meet in the middle? What would that be for us? Tennessee???
Great first week of triathlon training!
Becoming a runner has taught me that my limits aren’t static and the line between what I think is possible and impossible is constantly changing. Before I ran my first half marathon, I had no idea whether I would ever be able to run a full marathon. About a year later, I completed my first marathon and now I believe that my abilities are greater than I had previously perceived. I am less afraid of setting bigger goals for myself, because I know that I can achieve them through persistency and hard work!
I LOVE these thoughts Jojo! I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will do and have in you. xo
Spending 4 days in such a beautiful, health focused resort was amazing. You inspire me everyday to believe that I can continue to reach fitness goals that are beyond what I thought was possible for me….especially as I begin this new decade of life. The best part about running as you get older is that you get to move into a new age group!!!
Love you mom!!!!!!
If anyone has a BQ in them, it’s you! Looks like a great time with your mom. So cool she did Irongirl! I need you to move here so I can drag behind you on my runs. I haven’t been feeling very speedy lately. And I appreciate this post b/c I do think about how I want to be faster but am not sure I can. Good reminder.
Oh how I wish we could train together Beth! We are so similar in many ways and I think we could push each other in the different sports. I haven’t been feeling very speedy lately either … like I’ve lost a lot of the mojo I worked so hard to build over the winter. But I’ve also been enjoying life along the way. Some days I think I’d like to just focus on running alone rather than being back on the triathlon train, but I know all of it combined will make me stronger. Hang in there with your training and your running. You are kicking butt!!!
Looks like a solid week of training! I finally started a more triathalon-y approach with brick workouts and whatnot, unfortunately I waited until two weeks before my triathlon to really get it down.
I find myself going the same thing! When a friend runs a half matahnon in the 6s I think – I could never run that fast! But, 4 short years ago I remember thinking – can I run a 5k in the 8s? Now I can run a marathon in the 8s and a half in the 7s…. Yet those 6s seem beyond reach, even in a 5k. Funny how we put a mental block on what is possible!
I know you have that BQ in you just like I do! 🙂
I LOVE the analogy of flowers in the desert to being able to do things that seem impossible. I will definitely be thinking about that during my much hated speed work.
Love the pictures, such a sweet way to spend with your mom on her 60th! I want to definitely go there. Congrats on the awesome training week despite the travel plans! My biggest accomplishment is training for triathlons! I did my first sprint three years ago and I would have NEVER thought I would have considered a HIM, which is now less than 2 months away. I could not even swim 25 meters without stopping, and now I am doing a 1.2 mile swim. Crazy! Thanks for your posts and good luck with your training!
Great post with awesome pictures and motivation. Thanks for being such an inspiration. It’s amazing what people can achieve when they believe in themselves.
i can’t imagine all that exercise while on vacation- you’re going to rock you’re training! Also love that your mom is active alongside with you!