Thursday 4 June 2009

Burn Baby Burn...

"Burn baby burn, disco inferno, burn baby burn!"

Yup, that's what I've been singing the last few days because thats what my quads are doing. At least it's taking away from the pain in my hip/arse!! Always got to look for the positive side people!

Before I start my whine about my legs, let me just say I had a not too bad swim on Wednesday morning. The main gist of my set was 20 x 100 m. I don't think I've ever done that many sets of 100 but I was more than willing to give it my best shot. My aim was 1:55 minutes per set. Yes, I'm slow, but one day I will be faster!

This is supposed to be my race pace. After this workout I'm not so sure. For every set the last 50 m were rather challenging and I found I was sucking wind. One cool thing, I was really concentrating on my technique, which is likely wrong, but I actually could feel my shoulders burning! See, I must have been working hard!

Mid way through the 100s I noticed my pace had slowed. My first set was actually 1:47 and I thought, whoa nelly, maybe you should slow that down a bit till you see what it's like to do a few of these. Likely a good thing because by the tenth set my time was 1:57. I stopped for an extra 30s break and then told my self to just do it! I did. It was hard but felt good.

Later on I went out for my run. This is where the wheels fell off the cart, shall we say. My legs were like lead! It was ridiculous. I could not get them to move. I mean, they were moving but oh, it was not a pretty sight. The fact that I was to run a hilly run so chose every honkin' hill in my neighborhood, of which there are many a long steep hill, did not help my case.

I wasn't negative or discouraged by it though. I just noted this was what was happening and I would just have to push through! I kept my mind busy by trying to be lighter on my step and listening to all the wonderful noises nature has to give us. Oh, I don't mean my natural noises...no no. Not that that doesn't happen or anything, this time I was good though. Instead I listened to things like the wind in the trees, the creek rushing past the rocks and fallen trees and the chipmunk in the tree chirping at me about something.

Just before I had to run up the bonus hill I spotted my friends Andrew and Tina and their two dogs. Ask me if I ran by then and went straight up the hill? Uh no. I decided it was the perfect time to take a break, pet the dogs and say hullo! It was very nice to see Tina walking and without a cane I might add!!

Finally I decided I should go. I had to face the bonus hill. My legs were still like lead, and still burning, so I just took my time running up it. I did; however, run all the way to the top. High five to Susi for not giving up!

I really hope my legs don't hurt like this in the upcoming race. Oh, did I mention I have a race coming up? The Chinook Half Ironman in Calgary. Apparantly it is one of the harder half ironmans around because there are a lot of rolling hills on the bike and run course. Hard is all relative though so I'm not too worried about it. I just want my legs to stop burning before then though! Oh and not be so lead like...

Okay, the disco inferno song can leave my head now....

Peace out my saturday night fever friends!

6 comments:

  1. I read about Chinook being one of the harder courses, but don't have much to compare it too. Yes, it's a bit longer, at 96 K, but the last 6 K is all downhill or flat. I suppose there are a few hills on the course. On the way out the one going up and out of Priddis valley is pretty good, and is usually into the wind. Remember that phrase, into the wind. I think the wind is the challenge, not the hills. The way back is mostly downhill, but there's 3 good uphills.

    And the run has a good uphill just before the finish line, which you do twice.

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  2. Lead legs -- I KNOW that feeling very well!! Hee-hee! Burn, baby, burn...

    Your race is coming up quickly! All this hill work is money in the bank. :) :)

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  3. It was nice to be walking without the cane. Andrew and I made it to the parking lot on the bonus hill and turned around. It was my first attempt at walking a hill since starting walking again :) . I felt it the next day. Kudos to you for running/biking up it every time you leave your house!

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  4. Way to get through that set! How did you keep track? I feel like I lose my concentration then forget what number I'm on. Ha.

    Good luck in the race! When is it? I'll go look it up.....

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  5. When I hear the song disco inferno these days I think of a "bush" fire for some reason!! And you know what, your friends and their dogs where put there for you to take a break!!! That is my theory anyways!!

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  6. Oh and you will kick butt at chinook!

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