| I learned lots about myself in October...
Time Trials
My running time trial time improved by 2:18 over my August attempt, for a PR of 29:30.
August's attempt was on a hot, humid day - about 50 degrees warmer than this month - but
even taking that into account, the time reduction surprised me. On the first lap, I started
getting a nasty side ache - I even came to a dead stop on an uphill in a futile attempt to
recover. Then I remembered Ryan Robinson telling me at the Fall Dryland Camp how to get rid
of a stitch (see sidebar). His tip stopped me from panting and forced me to take more
measured breaths - and the side ache was controlled. A highly recommended technique. Thanks
Ryan!
I also had a rollerskiing time trial PR of 21:23, a 1:51 improvement over my botched
August attempt (not rested enough) and a 1:19 improvement over a slightly below race pace
September time trial. Somewhat disappointing...
Something's going right.
By maintaining a consistent training schedule that builds on the previous month, I've
actually learned a great deal about how much stress my body can handle. Case in point: In
the middle of the month, the plan called for 4 x 4 minute uphill running intervals at race
pace heart rate and above. I was really looking forward to this session, but when the day
came around I was tired, my joints felt stressed and I knew I needed a rest day. So I
punted - I skipped the session rather than risk injury or sickness.
Best of all, I didn't feel guilty about missing a session; missing one quality session
wasn't going to make much of a difference. Lesson: don't become a slave to your training
plan. Your training plan has to flex to changes in weather, trail conditions, and how well
you feel.
Let's check in with Torbjorn...
| MM: |
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Interesting month, October:
Good: I was able to get in 12 of the 13 suggested quality sessions (if you count
November 1 as part of October). I skipped the hard 4x4 uphill running interval - I
really needed a rest day when that session came up on my calendar. |
| TK: |
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Good decision. |
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| MM: |
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Good: My running time trial time improved from August by 2:18 to
29:30. |
| TK: |
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That is a lot of improvement! |
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| MM: |
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Not so good: My rollerski time trial improved from July by only 1:19
to 21:23 - not a huge gain over 3 months. And July was not a full-out effort. (If
you remember, my August effort went nowhere - I was too tired and had a time of
23:14 - way off pace) |
| TK: |
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It was still an improvement. I have often seen that skiers can
improve a lot in the winter even with stagnation in rollerskiing or running
time-trials. It all depends upon how much rest you are willing to give yourself to
see improvement. Less rest and less backing off from your regular routine usually
reduces the chance for huge jumps. You are doing well! |
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| MM: |
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Observation (good/bad?): I seem nearly unable to get my heart rate
above 165 anymore (my max is 175). |
| TK: |
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You almost need the ideal hill to get your heart rate closer than 10
beats. In the running time trial where I improved, I was about 9-12 beats below max
in 4 hills and about 8 beats below going up the final hill maxing out. In
rollerskiing, I have been able to go higher when the grade has been about 2-5%, straight
forward and good pavement.
I can only get this high in intervals on S2's
[faster rollerskis]. On S3's
[slower rollerskis] my legs wear down
(fill up with lactate) before I get to the last two intervals and I get to -10 from
max when I push it. I feel stronger the following workout on S2. |
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| MM: |
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Good: During hard intervals, I feel like I recover faster than I used
to, and I feel like I have much more energy for the post-interval warm-down. |
| TK: |
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I feel the same. A sign that we are doing something that works. |
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| MM: |
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Weight training generally went pretty well. I think the seated leg
press is giving my lower back some problems, so I'm trying to understand if my form
is wrong. I also spent some time doing distance doublepoling this month.
Still motivated. Have done some sessions at new locations
to add variety - that helped a lot! Bought a good headlamp for my helmet for
rollerskiing at night. |
| TK: |
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Be careful! |
November:
Good Dryland Training Beats Marginal Skiing
November is focused on maximizing oxygen usage
and efficiency (lactate removal). That means longer intervals. You'll see in my November
training plan that intervals sessions tend to be longer than the previous months. There are
also fewer quality sessions - only 10 this month. What you don't see in the plan are some
short pickups during three distance sessions - just a few short (15-30 seconds speed
bursts). One note about the plan: whether I rollerski
or run greatly depends on the weather. I will not be holding hard to the plan when it comes to
method of training. November is the month when skiers in Michigan start looking for snow. Torbjorn's
warning: Better to skip the four hour drive in search of two days of marginal snow and focus
instead on some good quality dryland sessions and rest. If there is good snow, do easy
distance work the first three or four days, even if it means skipping an interval session.
Skiing is always harder than rollerskiing. Four hours
up, four hours down - I could get in an extra dryland couple sessions instead... |
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Ryan Robinson's Most Excellent Way to Get Rid of a Side Ache
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| To get rid of a side stitch, simply exhale only when you step
on to your left foot. That
doesn't mean exhale on every left step, but to wait until the nearest left step
comes around to exhale. Works every time. |
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