33rd week of the 2011 season

153

This week has been very tough, I know it was an adaptation week but I felt I was not doing enough. Also has been different, I trained somewhere else with different types of exercises. And I had to take some decisions.

I started the week on Tuesday with a bike ride. Since the week was adaptation week I did not work very hard so everything was done at endurance level. Then in the afternoon I went for a run with a friend and I ended up swimming. During the swim I was not recovered from last Sunday’s swim. After the swim I went to get a massage to loosen up my muscles. We should‘ve spent more time on the back and arms, we spent nothing. After the massage I felt pretty good.

On Wednesday I swam in the morning and then in the afternoon I did my brick session. The bike felt easy and on the run I decided to go for it and I was fast. It was probably my fastest run. I did my regular 4.2km in 13minutes and 50 seconds which makes an average of 3mins17sex/km, just above 18km/h for nearly 15 minutes, that is fast to me.

On Thursday, I had to take the swim test. I did not like it much to take it so early because I did not feel I was ready enough to do so. Anyway I took it and I dropped some seconds although not enough for me, I wanted to be faster. I dropped 1.5 seconds from last test but I did not break the 90 seconds wall. Then in the afternoon I run with a friend again.

On Friday, I had a day off work and I decided to leave the house early because I needed to leave for the weekend. I ended up taking a little more time than I scheduled but in the end I made everything. I did a BRS but with only a T2. I biked for 3h at 30km/h, not too bad, and then I run pretty well. And after taking some time I went to the beach for some 26minutes swim. The water was a little rough but I only wanted to do something because I know I was going to be many days without swimming. Later that day we left towards lecina, at 810m height.

On Saturday, we walked down the river, it is an endurance sport. The walk took us nearly 6h. It was a lot of fun, I went with 9 more people and some of them were friends of mine, the other ones I did not know them. I suffered a little bit of cold because I decided to leave the jacket in the car but I made it to the end. After all it was a good and different training session and I had heaps of fun.

On Sunday, three of us decided to go running, I felt very good and I started to pace them out, the course was uphill all the time and on our way back it was only downhill, the run was very good and I felt strong and that I could go faster.

This week I had to take some decisions that will probably have effect in the future. Well one of them will have an immediate impact in my training and the other one will have an impact later in the year.

Seeing all this happiness around me makes me realize that I live a completely different life than everybody else. Sometimes I wished I had this different life but most of the time I want my life, I want to scarify for what I do and enjoy. I guess we all want what we don’t have and that is my problem right now. But I am happy the way I live my life even though I don’t get all the support that I would like to get.

Now it is time to refocus and not argue. I need to stay concentrated in what I do, work and train. There are moments where your test won’t show what you expect all I can do is to work harder to get my results where I want them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRggXe2pw84

32nd week of the 2011 season

153

This week has been a little odd, a lot of training, a bit of work; and not a lot of sleeping. Also we could say that I won my first race. It was some sort of aquathlon with plenty of time to transition. Also most of the week has been without much measuring. I had forgotten the watch at home and I decided to not wear the chest strap, also since I had lost my foot pod, I had fewer references than ever. I had to work on RPE.

The week as always started on Tuesday, but to understand the week I have to go back to Monday. On Monday I had a friend coming over from overseas. He flew in pretty late and we had dinner together, without realizing about it we went to sleep at 3.30am. At 6.30am I was up to run. I decided to change the order of the training because I was sleeping at home. It was only 1h and 15 minutes but I did not feel very well. I was very slow and heavy. I did some ramp ups to gain some speed and power, after the run I started to freak out a little bit, I had been feeling a little bit of pain for the last few days in my foot, where I had the injury. I did not want to get injured again; too much effort had been put into this season. Then I went to drop my friend off and I went to work. After work I went to the pool, then I took a nap and afterwards I did the bike training.

On Wednesday, I could barely move I did not have much sleep and I was already up to go to the swimming pool. I swam over 4km and I left to work. While in the swimming pool I used the edge of it to get some treatment for my foot. Then I went to work and after that I had nap, just before the long brick. It was crazy it was going to be the third night in a row that I would sleep around 4h. My foot started to feel a lot better. It looks like it was only a nerve that had moved and needed to be placed again. I haven’t had a problem since.

On Thursday, I went to the swimming pool in the morning and in the afternoon I had planned a two hours run. The first 50 minutes I did it with some friend, very slow at the beginning, pick some speed at the end. One of them threw an attack which it was easy to follow but this time it was not fun because there was no competition, the attack was just to screw with one guy not to beat him and me, so I did not enjoy it as much as the last attack I was involved in. Then I drop them and I started to run on my own, I decided to pick up some more speed and I nearly finished the last 5km at 4min/km, finally I was able to go to bed slightly earlier.

Friday was an odd day. The training is supposed to be easier to start getting ready for Saturday, specially this one where I was racing. The only problem was that I needed some sleep and the city gets busy at night so I had to do it with sunlight. Anyway I went to the pool in the morning and then I took a nap. Then I went for a run and finally I worked on the trainer. I finished very late too.

On Saturday I woke up early to go to my town. There was supposed to be an aquathlon sort of race. Not many people did sign up but there was a good one, he is a mate of mine and I sometimes go bike riding with him. We decided to go for it. So we run the nearly 4km at 3.mins 30sec/km. To me this was quite fast, especially on a week like this one where the volume was very high. Then I had some time to rest and we got ready for the water. Unfortunately, because of a misunderstanding I was not able to swim with him, but I put a very good split I averaged 82,5seconds/100m which talking to him he rarely goes under 90seconds, that is why I can say that I won, not for fact though. Then I met many people and it started to get late for the real thing. I had 5h and a half of bike ahead of me. I decided to do the old route since I was starting from home but while I was going up I started to get cold and decided to go back home again and do a hill next to home. My split was awful, I am not happy at all. After the bike ride I went for my 15minutes run and actually was a pretty good run, also a very short transition, less than 100 seconds. After this I could’ve gone to the town’s fair but I decided to go back to the beach to get some rest, which I did not have that much because I went to say hi to some friends.

On Sunday I started the day very early as well. It was hard to get up before 7, but once I got up then it became fairly easy to move. I went to Sant Feliu for my open water swim. We were about to swim 5350m. We hopped on the bus towards Rosa Mar to start swimming at 10.15am. We swam against the current, I am fairly happy because I predicted 1h and 45 minutes and it took me only 90 seconds more than expected. My average speed was 3km/h which is around 1min 57seconds/100m. My pool average for 100m in a 300m time trial was 92 seconds so I was 25 seconds behind that time. The length of the swim, the current (we swam against it all the time), the extra miles that I usually do due to orientation, the wind, … Everything influenced on it. The good part is that it is one of my fastest swims in open water, but I had always better conditions than yesterday. After the swim I went for a run, the legs were tired but slowly at a time I started to feel a little better and I think I finished pretty well, even though I wouldn’t have gone much further.

This week has been tough, very tough. My mind was focused but I don’t know how long I would have been able to keep it like that. Now the week is over, time to adapt to the volume and start thinking in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Yp_gdAHHE

31st week of the 2011 season

153

This week I was extremely pumped. My energy levels were through the roof and I don’t know why.

The week started as usual on Tuesday with quite a long swim, 90 minutes in the swimming pool. I felt pretty good while I was swimming. Then I went to work and afterwards I jumped on the trainer. While on the trainer I had one energy bar and it helped a lot for the upcoming run. The run was fairly long, 75 minutes, but the best or the worst was the last 30 minutes where I go uphill hard and then I come down easily. I have enough time to do it 6 times and the last one was the best, it was where I was most concentrated.

On Wednesday, I had scheduled a longer swim but I had to leave to work so I did not as much as expected although it was a pretty tough session. Then I went to work and later at night I did my brick session. 2h on the trainer followed by a 45minutes running. Surprisingly I was feeling pretty good.

On Thursday I had an easy swim, technique focus. In the afternoon I had an alone long run. It consisted of 105 minutes long run starting from my work and then I would see where I would end up. The profile of the course was not the best to do a great time; it starts downhill, flat, uphill, to be slightly downhill and a bit uphill by the end of the way out. The problem is that I had to come back and the last hill is pretty long and steep. I missed my average goal pace by 2 seconds per kilometer. It was a good run, I can’t deny it. But I was not 100% happy. Also it was a bit stressing the fact that I could not find my energy gel and that I was going to run only on sports drink.

On Friday I did not know until now that I had an extra session, although I wouldn’t have had time to do it. Swimming hard in the morning, very hard. Later, after work I had this speed skills session on the bike. The one that I missed were the 30minutes run.

On Saturday as always I had my long ride. But this time I had introduced some differences from the previous weeks and that is my sleep was split in to two parts. Well I had to drive to Barcelona’s airport and come back. I started later than usual but surprisingly I put one of my fastest average speeds ever and what was even better was the 4km run after 5 hours on the bike that took me less than 15 minutes to complete. I was astonished.

On Sunday morning was another tough day. I like to work out in the morning so I have all afternoon free. The swim was good, I had this exercise where I had to swim at test pace for 800m straight and I was only down 6 seconds of the goal time. And once again, I was not completely happy but I have to say that it is better than I had expected it. Then I went for a run and I was feeling heavy until the gel kicked in, then I was feeling pretty good and it would’ve been a good run if it wasn’t because I had lost my foot pod.

So even though I did not have much time to do anything else this week has been pretty good. I have seen improvement on the bike, I ran pretty fast for long enough and I swam pretty good. Also I have been introducing some polo swimming at the end of the session to start getting ready for the upcoming open water swim.

On Saturday night I was walking to the car. It was around 3 in the morning and I was surrounded by drunken people, people who at that moment seemed worry less, happy and enjoying the night. All I knew was that I sometimes have thoughts of going back to that life, trying to have what most of the people would call it a normal life. Getting out at night, getting drunk, hitting o girls… Well that life is not for me right now. I have a dream to pursue and some determination.

Sure I would change a few things if I could but I have not had the reason to do it. There is no one who excites me enough or at all. There are pretty girls everywhere but none that attract my interest enough or I don’t attract their interest either. I sure think I should have a girlfriend but in the end I would not have time for her, so what is the point?

I have talked to many people and they all say oh it will come to you, blah, blah, blah, I guess I should be accessible if it has to come to me, and right now I think I put more effort in not having anyone around me than finding someone. Also I don’t think that in this moment of my life any one from my past would suite me anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGp4vBVajnY

30th week of the 2011 season

153

1^st week of base 3. It is time to put more miles on my feet and shoulders. For some reason I felt very well this week and it also felt like I was not training enough. I had to hold myself back several times and also I felt like I missed some sessions.

I started on Tuesday but this time I did not start with the scheduled sessions. Since I have been very busy because of work I was not sure if I was going to be able to fit in Tuesday’s plan I had decided when planning to move it to Wednesday but when I got home I balanced how much time I had and how long it would take me to finish the sessions. After thinking of the pros and cons I decided to go ahead and change the plan on the go, so I swapped Wednesday’s and Tuesday’s sessions. Why was I able to do that? Well the week had barely started; I had only had one session in the morning so it was not going to affect much of the rest of the week. I believed I missed 15minutes in total.

On Wednesday I did Tuesday’s sessions. I started with a swim that was hard to follow the plan. I just could not believe how fast I took the test when I was having such a hard time just coping up. Then for the first time in the last at least 1 year I was not hungry when I had to eat. The session was hard specially the beginning of the bike and after the run I was not in the mood to eat. Luckily I had food ready that I did not need to cook and even though I was struggling a little bit I put some energy in to my body. It was not that I was trying to lose weight or anything like it, I wanted to it but my stomach did not want me to eat.

On Thursday I had a very easy swim and a long run. The long run was supposed to go for 105 minutes but while I was running I met a friend and I decided to slow down and go with him. After going with him for 50 minutes I was heading home and I decided to increase the pace again. This week my anchor could not make it so that is why I went on my own. Also I broke one promise of mine. I did not want to run more than two hours, and I did but at least I did not break the second promise, the one that states that I can’t run more than 30km at once.

Friday was supposed to be a fairly easy day but it turned out to be a long one. I worked from 6 to 6 and then I went to the swimming pool. After that I was feeling tired and it was late so I headed home. I needed some rest and I took a nap. After the nap I had another argue with myself on whether to spin or not. Well the yes won by far and I decided to do my speed skills session as I had planned. I finished almost at midnight.

On Saturday I wanted to get up early enough but I could not. I was too tired from the passed days. I had been working for 12 straight days and at least 8 hours a day. At around 12 I was hitting the road for those 4h and a half that would make me happy. For some reason I was feeling fairly fast and I even reached my highest speed ever 71 Km/h but in the end I had a low average speed. Then I ran for 15 minutes on a great session. Also Saturday was the second week of the new energy bars. I need to get a bag for them because they melt in my back but I think I can do with these ones unlike the problems I had in the past. Also at night it was raining and for some unknown reason I wanted to go for a run. It took me a lot of effort to stay at home.

On Sunday I had an easy swim and an easy run. Once again another technique day at the pool, I even started to work on polo swimming but very light. Then I went for my 30 minutes run that I took it quite fast, under 3mins50sec per Km going from St Feliu to S’agaró which is not flat at all.

Sometimes I wonder why I work so much if it is not my dream job, I don’t even know if they understand everything I am doing and if it ever will pay back. I wonder how he knew that I was going to stay. But who cares what I do and what I don’t. This is the real world, it does not matter how much effort you put into something, you are asked to do a job and you have to do it in the time frame that you are given. If you don’t have it by the deadline you are not good enough and if you do have it next time they will want it faster.

I am actually a little bit scared of all the hours that I am putting in. I look like a workaholic. What is going to happen in the future? What if I decide to spend more time on the bike than at work? How will they handle it that I only work eight hours a day when I usually work 10 or more? What if I want to move on? Should I stay and compete with the people that already are in the company or should I go somewhere else?

I was talking to a coworker this week and I told him, mate you have what I have always dreamed of. And sure I did dream to have a live similar to his but at this point I am not sure that the old dream would suite me anymore. I have always wanted to work for 8 hours at an office and when I was done I would go home without worrying about anything. It turns out that I receive text messages at near midnight on a Sunday if you can write a very important email after working 4h on a Sunday afternoon because you were asked that same afternoon.

So what if I don’t live my lifelong dreams? Will I get disappointed to myself? Once upon a time I imagined what my life would be, where it would be and how it would be. I did not know who I was going to live it with, and I did not even know if someone else would live it with me, I just knew I wanted that. Well, now I can say that such dream might be over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaOU1FsreYA