...a training update..

This snowman is likely doomed with record warm temps forecast for Thanksgiving day and mild weather into the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there...I hope everyone has a great holiday and weekend with family and friends.

I for one am super grateful ....grateful for family, friends and health. Grateful to be on this path and journey today...compared to five years ago.

Training has been good over the past month since my half marathon on 10/29. I had an excellent effort in the Monster Half Marathon....I posted the formula for my PR of 1:28:28 as tunes + shoes = PR....however I did leave out the fact the first 5 miles of the run are the same miles 20 thru 25 of the Twin Cities Marathon...in the OPPOSITE direction. This means I was able to enjoy running down Summit Ave instead of up it like the marathon does.

I had been battling a slight calf pull and it showed up at mile 3....but I was able to push through and gut out the pain. I am really happy about the time as it looks like it should get me a spot into the NY Marathon next year before they too tighten their qualifying standards. Where I need sub 1:30 for the 2012 race that will change to sub 1:23 in future races. I am almost certain to return to my favorite city to re-run the site of my first 26.2.

Since the half marathon I have taken off three weeks from running and have been focused on swimming, lifting weights, and getting on the spin bike or the trainer a couple of times a week. I also implemented a 3week no weigh in experiment. I was worried I was being too manic about my weight by stepping on the scale everyday. Turns out that is actually a good program for me since my first weigh in this morning as the highest in over a year.

I'm not too worried about it as I am committed to longer endurance sessions going forward to the end of the year....along with mixing in the running again.

Speaking of longer endurance sessions, today I got on the board for a personal best swim:

100x100

I got the idea about a month ago that I wanted to try and complete 100 x100 yard intervals in the pool.

After sitting in the dentist chair this morning for an hour of teeth cleaning, what could top that better than trying to rattle off 200 laps in the pool?!

I opted to go to the Crosstown LTF instead of EP for a few reasons...the pool is more interesting in that it has more lanes, there are more windows, and you can actually see the cardio workout floor above with the tv's. Small victories. Also its yards instead of meters so I would save a few strokes...

got in the pool at 9:30am

The gear...I was going to be here awhile:)
Brought extra swim caps and extra goggles in case I needed a different feel or a different look (goggle lens look not a "different look")
Nuun tablets
two gel's
1 bottle efs liquid shot

I was prepared to count the laps in sets of ten...using my watch combined with coins to keep track. For each set of ten 100's I would move a coin from the stack to the edge of the pool.

3000 yards in.....

Sunshine! I think I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It has been so overcast here for so many days already . (Betsy if you are reading this you better be grateful you are not here:)

It was seriously AWESOME to have the rays streaming into my lane through the big windows. Cannot tell you how much I loved this for at least half the session.

One of the funny things about the effort was the activity at the pool. During my first 3000 yards people came and went. Then the pool was empty for awhile. Then more people came and went and it was nearly empty a second time...

10 coins = 10,000 yards (200 laps) = 5.68 miles

The whole thing took me 3hr20 minutes

I did almost all 100's "on two minutes"

0 intervals took longer than 1:37...the majority were done between 1:30 and 1:35

from #81 to #92 I completed 10 intervals under 1:30 including 4 efforts under 1:25 (fastest at 1:23)

I used the same swim cap the whole time...and only switched out the smoke lens for the light blue lens from sets 80 to 95.

I had half a bottle of the EFS at 3000 yards...one Cliff gel at 6000 yards and the last Powerbar gel at 9000 yards. I consumed one bottle of lemon lime Nuun.

I knew I was going to make it when.....I was halfway through the 100th interval

Prune fingers ... DONE