Plugging Away

I have been a bad blogger!  I will use the excuse that I have been so busy training and working that I haven't had a chance to sit down and update here for a while!  I have been diligent in making all my workouts and although I had some rough patches, overall, I am happy with how things are going.  

April was a particularly hard month to get through.  My work schedule was, for lack of a better word, insane.  I was working 5-6 12hr shifts a week for the whole month.  Add in 12-14 hours a week of training to the mix of things and I learned that there is only so much I can take.  I got sick at the beginning of the month, then I went through a couple of workouts where I missed the mark.  However, I am continuing to build on my run and I am steadily improving on my cycling.  Furthermore, I got my Kona accommodations all sorted out! Woo! So things are looking good!

20min test and goal! 

I did another test set at the beginning of the month - actually the week I got sick.  Even though I was sick, I still saw some improvements.  My 3min test saw a huge 10W improvement!  Sweet!  I went from 267W to 277W.  I may have paid the price for that one though as I had a terrible cough and chest pain from my cold that it may have taken more out of me than expected.  I did the 20min test at the end of the week and saw more improvement but not as dramatic as the 3min one.  I was aiming for 215W but at the end I managed to hold 211W.  An improvement from 208W from my previous test.  And I was dry heaving at the end of that test - a first for me!

Here is the data from my 20min test.

I am now doing my long rides outdoors as long as the weather cooperates.  I have done three of them so far ranging from 2-3hrs.  I am running just over an hour now as I am steadily building up to the Ottawa half marathon.  I need to be careful that I don't overdo it running as I do not want to go back into the aircast.  So things are steadily progressing and I am getting myself into decent shape! (Thanks to coach!)

My race schedule is pretty much finalized.  After the Ottawa half marathon, I will race the Syracuse 70.3, then IM Canada (Whistler), Rev3 Niagara Barrelman half, and then KONA!  This will be a heavy year - two IMs and two half IMs!  I am hoping my body just stays healthy and in one piece throughout the year.

So you see, I have been keeping myself busy and training hard!  Just keeping one foot going in front of the other.