Saturday, March 5, 2011

Awesome day.


What a day, what a day, what a day!!! Not sure if there is anything that can compare to how I felt yesterday since I have started training. I know I say this everytime I have a great training day but seriously, yesterday was tops.

My run yesterday was simply the best. After riding around the Regatta Centre 12 times, yep 12, I was surprised at how great I felt on my legs. I met my best friend Susan and she and I did my 8 x 1km repeats. The plan said to do them on 5:30 and leave on 5:45 but I did a naughty yesterday (and yes my coach is aware). I wanted to see if I could push each 1km effort and replicate each by having a longer break inbetween. I know this is not the ideal way as you want to be more consistent in your approach but I really just wanted to go harder than I ever have on each. And it was good that I had my best friend - who is a runner - to push me all the way on each. Susan has such a great ability to be dead on her pacing skills.

Anyway, I can't really explain how great I felt coming off the bike - it has never ever felt that good. Normally I struggle so bad and want to cut my legs off - but not yesterday. Yesterday - I was on fire. Even Susan was surprised at how far I had come. The last time we ran together was close to 8mths ago, just before I got injured. She was and is so proud of me. This means alot.

So here are my splits for each 1km. I gave myself about 90 secs rest between each of an toilet stop between the 4th and 5th kilometre. I also made Number 5 a recovery one:
  • 4:55
  • 4:38
  • 4:54
  • 5:03
  • 5:16
  • 4:47
  • 4:49
  • 5:02
I really couldn't be happier. This meant that for my total of 8km if I can maintain that pacing more consistently then I can do it in 38mins and average a 4:45min/km pace. How cool is that???

Anyways, after all of that excitement I had to go to our business partners daughters wedding. I don't often get dressed, heck I think it may even only be twice a year. So wearing a dress and heels is quite foreign. But Stephen loved my outfit and kept commenting on how pretty I looked - I felt so special - tired but special. And I scored a massive bargain on this dress from CUE.
The heels I could do without even though they were gorgeous.

Needless to say the trip home was spent shoeless and I fell asleep. Totally knackered. Poor Stephen had to tackle the 90min drive wifeless.

Anyway, today was another great session in the pool. I felt powerful and really consistent. Here's the session:
  • 400m Fr/s warm up
  • 300m - 25m scull, 25m Fr/s
  • 300m - 25 sharkfin, 25 Free, 25 fingertip drag, 25 Free
  • 300m - 50m focus on catch with board, 100 Fr/s (x2)
  • 10 x 200m Fr/s - meant for all to be on 3:15 and leave on 3:30. I did them all on 3:00 except for one which was on 3:02
  • 100m cool down.
Absolutely love how I am feeling at the moment. Hope you are all having a great weekend, and if you are not there yet, hope it turns out to be an awesome one.

Your hard work will be rewarded.

"The path to a dream is paved with sacrifices and lined with determination. And though it has many stumbling blocks along the way, and may go in more than one direction, it is travelled by belief and courage and conquered with a willingness to face challenges and take chances" Barbara Cage