Previous weeks of training:

• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 1
• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 2
• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 3
• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 4
• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 5
• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 6
• Half-Marathon Training: Weeks 7 & 8
• Half-Marathon Training: Weeks 9 & 10

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Lately my training hasn’t been too solid and I’ve had quite a few rest days each week. I don’t know what happened but last week ended up being a really solid week of training with only one rest day. I’m super happy it.

Monday – 20-minutes of weights + 75 minute yin hot yoga class

AM: I started my morning off with a little full body strength workout. I went through the following circuit twice and it took me about 20 minutes:

• Squats – 15 @ 30 lbs (bar)
• Chest press – 15 @ 15 lbs (dumbbells)
• Single Arm Dumbbell Row – 15 @ 15 lbs
• Tricep double arm extension with dumbbells – 15 @ 10 lbs
• Bicep curls – 15 @ 10 lbs
• Alternating lunges with dumbbells – 15 @ 10 lbs
• Lateral raises – 8 @ 7 lbs
• Front raises – 8 @ 7 lbs
• Sit-ups – 15 @ bodyweight

PM: Yin Yoga! Holy moly is it ever hard, and in a totally different way than flowing through 20 sun salutations or holding a side plank. Yin yoga is all about holding the poses for a long period of time. In 75 minutes I think we went through about 7 or 8 poses and held each one for anywhere from 5-10 minutes. We held variations of pigeon for a good 10-minutes on each side. My hips were oh so loose by the end!

Tuesday – 5 mile run

I was sitting at my kitchen table, bleary-eyed, at 5:15 AM this morning when I got an email from my running partner saying she’d had a bit of an emergency the night before and wouldn’t be able to make it out for our run. I ALMOST went back to bed at this point you guys, even though I was already up, dressed in running clothes, and eating an english muffin. There is something about cold, dark mornings that makes it so hard for me get my run on!

But with the encouragement of Twitter I got out there and I’m really glad I did. I ended up having a good, strong run and experienced the beautiful sunrise!

5.0 miles/47:17/9:28 avg pace

Wednesday – 2,350 metre swim

I went to the YMCA and met up with Bronwyn for masters swimming on Wednesday. It was a tough workout – especially since I haven’t swam since the triathlon – but really fun! I plan on going back every Wednesday night since it’s great cross-training for my running.

Thursday – 3-mile run + 20-minute strength workout

I had an early morning appointment on Thursday so knew I had to get up, out of bed and going early. I went for a speedy 3-mile run which wasn’t as speedy as I would have liked it to be thanks to the 41 km/hour winds. I then followed it up with the same 20-minute strength circuit I did on Monday.

3.0 miles/27:28/9:08 avg pace

Friday – REST!

Ahh, glorious rest day! Slept in a little bit before work and then after work Eric and I caught up on our shows: Big Bang Theory (hilarious as always) and Grey’s (lame – I think this show is on it’s last legs!)

Saturday – 12 mile run with 6 miles @ HMP + 90-minute advanced power yoga class

This was a make it or break it run for me. I really needed this one last confidence-boosting run before trying to go for a sub-2 in Victoria. The goal was three sets of 2-mile pick-ups for a total of 6 miles at half-marathon pace. I was also a little nervous because it was pretty hot and sunny on Saturday. About 16 C when I started my run and up to about 20 C when I finished.

I started out with a nice and easy two miles and then picked it up from miles 2-4, miles 5-7 and miles 8-10. My splits for the pick-ups were as follows: 8:48, 8:58, 8:57, 8:32, 8:52, 8:51.

Another thing that happened on this run was my iPhone (which I also use as an iPod) messed up. All of a sudden it started skipping songs and repeating songs and shutting off and restarting. It was weird and had never happened before (anyone have this happen?) so finally I just turned it off and finished the last 4.5 miles (including the last 2-mile pick up) without it. This was not nearly as mentally tough as I thought it would be and I actually did really well without music. It was a nice confidence boost because you never know what might happen with music on race day!

12.0 miles/1:54:01/9:31 avg pace

Advanced Power Yoga

Then in the afternoon I went to an advanced power hot yoga class at the studio. It was a great 90-minute class that started off with a TON of sun salutations and ended with testing out some fun poses like crow and headstand (neither of which I’m even close to doing!) I’m hoping to do more advanced classes in the future to practice the harder poses!

Sunday – 6-mile trail race

Legs were tired from my big, active day on Saturday but I had a nice little jaunt in the trails on Sunday morning! You can read all about it in my race report!

5.99 miles/1:08:59/11:32 avg pace

Overall numbers:

Running – 26 miles

Swimming – 2,350 metres

Strength training – Two 20-minute sessions

Yoga – Two classes

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I’m estatic about how well last week went training-wise! I got in a couple strength training sessions, a couple yoga sessions and four solid runs! I also didn’t feel burnt out at the end of the week but actually felt great! I am hoping the next two weeks are just as solid with training. Especially when it comes to getting in yoga and strength training sessions.

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Questions of the day: How is training going for you? Can you do the crow or headstand pose?

Wondering how my triathlon training has been going? Check out my weekly recaps here!

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Dear Swimming,

Thanks for always being there for me. You’re my oldest friend and I know that even when I don’t see you for 2, 4, even 6 months you always come back to me like we never parted ways. I always get my best thinking in when I’m hanging out with you, our friendship just feels so right and easy. I’m sorry I don’t make as much time for you as I used to. I have a feeling that one day, way down the road, when running has left me I will still have you, old friend. That thought is comforting.

Always there for you,
Amber

Dear Running,

Even after 2.5 years together you still keep me on my toes. I can’t get enough of you even though sometimes my body needs the break from your tough love. I love reading about you, I love thinking about you and I always feel amazing after spending time with you. You’re just so unpredictable. Sometimes things are really, really good and other times they’re really, really bad. I think that’s why I keep coming back to you, you hurt so good!

Obsessively-yours,
Amber

Dear Biking,

I just don’t know about you. We’ve hung out a lot more this summer than last summer, and sometimes we have a lot of fun, but for the most part you’re a big, dull, dud. You become much more interesting when we’re hanging out with other people and bikes. I know I haven’t really seen you much the last couple of weeks, I just got a little burnt out from our weekly hangout sessions. I know you’re good for me, it’s just so hard to motivate myself to spend time with you.

Not-so-lovingly-yours,
Amber

Dear Yoga,

You are so good for me. I know this, you know this, so why do I fight it? I talk myself out of hanging out with you all the time even though I always feel SO GOOD afterwards; relaxed, calm and uplifted. You just take up so much time between getting to class, practicing for 90 minutes and having a shower afterwards. I know, I know, it’s time well-spent. You always soften the blow of my one true love – running – and running hasn’t hurt me the way he used to since I started hanging out with you more.

Your-not-so-devoted yogini,
Amber

Dear Triathlon,

See you in four sleeps. I’m still not sure what to wear for our date, but I’ll figure it out. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better and see if you’re a relationship I want to pursue.

Apprehensively-yours,
Amber

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What would your exercise-related (and non-exercise related) love letters say today?

Check out my first week of training here:

• Sprint Tri + Half-Marathon Training: Week 1

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Another week of training done, another week of adjusting the plan done

(Click to see the actual google spreadsheet)

Monday – 45 minutes of Strength Training

My duck itch/swimmers itch was at it’s peak on Monday and I was SO ITCHY. Hot yoga was out of the question so I ended up staying home and doing a 45-minute upper body workout with Eric, he does this workout a couple times a week. It was tough and I was definitely sore for a couple of days afterwards!

• one arm bicep curl – 3 x 8 @ 15 lbs
• one arm bicep curl – 3 x 8 @ 10 lbs
• hammer curls – 3 x 8 @ 15 lbs
• barbell bicep curl – 3 x 8 @ 30 lbs
• tricep overhead extension with dumbbells – 3 x 8 @ 15 lbs
• tricep overhead extension with barbell – 3 x 8 @ 30 lbs
• tricep dips – 3 x 15 @ bodyweight
• bentover dumbbell row – 3 x 15 @ 25 lbs
• front raise – 3 x 8 @ 7 lbs
• lateral raise – 3 x 8 @ 7 lbs

Tuesday – 6.5 mile run and 750 metre swim

Ran 6.5 miles with my old neighbour in the morning. I was supposed to bike to work after that but the sky did not look good and I just did not feel like it so I packed up all my stuff for swimming after work.

I’ll never swim at the YMCA at 5:30 on a weekday again. There were tons of KIDS at the pool fooling around in the lanes. I did some sprints and it was nice to switch it up from just swimming easy.

750 m swim:

• 250 m – warmup
• 2 x 50 m – hard effort
• 1 x 100 m – hard effort
• 2 x 50 m – hard effort
• 200 m – cooldown

Wednesday – 4.75 mile bike ride, 3.75 mile tempo run

I biked 2 miles down to the track, did a 1.25 mile warmup, 2 miles at tempo or steady-state pace (this was hard!) and then 0.5 miles cooldown. I then biked back up the hill home. Let me tell you – biking after a hard run like that, especially uphill, was SO HARD. My legs felt like jelly. I definitely need to do more run-bike workouts in the future.

Also, my run coach (who has done all kinds of marathons, ironmans, ultra’s etc.) told me that he’s always had his best run times when he was doing biking for cross-training and that biking will make me a stronger runner. Good to know!

Thursday – 90 minute hatha hot yoga class

This was such a lovely class with one of my favourite instructors. She took the clock off the wall so nobody could check the time and she had this ticker-thingy that she turned on for some poses. For 6 different poses throughout the class we were supposed to close our eyes and focus on breathing in for 4 counts (of the ticker) and out for 6 counts.

This class was actually SO relaxing. I felt like I was on a bit of a yoga high when I was done because I was so zen and mellow. It wasn’t too hard of a class physically but it was AMAZING for my mental state!

Friday – 15 mile bike ride including first official bike crash

I finally biked to work! The weather has been so crappy here lately that I have not been biking to work nearly as much as I would like to be. On Friday I biked 4.5 miles to work and then tagged on some miles on the way home to make the trip 10.5 miles total (including going up the giant hill!)

I was so proud of myself for this ride that when I came cruising towards our front door I distracted myself by looking at my watch. Well, the next thing I knew I ran into our front step, couldn’t get my foot out of the cage in time and over onto my side I went with the bike crashing on top of me. I was so shook up and scared that I immediately started bawling. Eric came out and helped me in the house and brought my bike in. He then indulged my crying for about 2 minutes before telling me he didn’t cry that hard when he crashed his bike at 9-years-old.

OK Eric. Point taken.

I think I was more scared and shaken up then anything as I wasn’t hurt TOO bad, though I did sustain some war wounds:

Saturday – 10 mile bike ride

Despite my crash the day before I had another bike ride planned for Saturday. I hemmed and hawed and put off my workout until 11:00 AM when I finally just got on my bike and rode. Biking is my weakest of the three sports so I don’t really enjoy it but I know I have to do it. This was a nice rolling hills ride and dare I say by the time I was getting close to the end of the ride I was actually enjoying myself? Maybe this whole biking thing isn’t so bad after all.

Sunday – 8 mile run, 1,000 metre swim

I got myself out of bed when Eric left for work this morning and headed out on my run by 7:30 AM since I knew it would be hot. My knee was a little tight from my crash on Friday so I decided to do 9 and 1′s (9 minutes running, 1 minute walking). I still managed to maintain a 9:50 pace over 8 miles despite the walk breaks so I was happy with that. I took a GU at mile 4.

After my run I headed to the pool for a 1,000-metre easy swim. I warmed up with 250 metres of front crawl, did 50 m kick, 150 m pull and 50 m kick and then decided to do 500 metres straight through with no breaks. The first 250 metres I still pushed off the wall but the last 250 metres I wouldn’t let myself push off the wall or touch the bottom and just treaded water to turn around at each end. I’m a strong swimmer so physically this was fine but mentally it was hard to swim laps without taking breaks.

What I look like after swimming. In case you were wondering

Weekly Totals:

Biking – 29.75 miles

Running – 18.5 miles

Swimming – 1,750 metres

Yoga – 1 class (90 minutes)

Strength Training – 1 session (45 minutes upper body)

Thoughts on Week 2:

No rest day. Whoops! I think Thursday could be considered “active rest” as it was a very easygoing yoga class. I do know rest days are important though so I’m going to make sure I have one this week. Despite not taking a rest day I felt really good and strong this week and was not nearly as tired as I was after training last week. I think I slept better this week, fuelled better and overall just trained smarter.

Biking is by far my weakest sport which means I need to keep working at it; at least three bike rides per week, maybe four. I also would like to fit in one more yoga class OR one more strength training session per week for a total of 3 yoga and/or strength sessions a week.

Overall week 2 was great. I enjoyed training and I’m feeling strong. Onto week 3!

Questions of the day: Have you ever crashed your bike? How was your week training-wise?