And I'm just getting started! Crazy!
The highlight of this week has been getting my heart rate monitor back from getting a new battery!! I used it a little bit when training for Coeur d'Alene, but I don't think I knew what my zones were, nor did my training plan give me specific zones to train in. The training plan that I'm doing this year is all in time and heart rate zones instead of distance and pace, and most of my workouts are in Zone 2. When I first read this, I thought Zone 2 would be really easy, and that I would need to hold back and go a little slower. I've been running really easy the past couple of weeks because of this.
Boy was I wrong!
My first run with heart rate was Thursday morning, and it was just supposed to be an easy 20 minute run. I forgot to check what my zone ranges were before I left for the gym. I had written them down a while ago, but then lost the paper. I seemed to remember zone 2 was around 150 so I tried for that. Turns out I can run at about my average pace at 150bpm, maybe even a little faster! What?!
Then I took the heart rate monitor out on my bike ride with George in the bike trailer and my friend, Ginny. Heart rate zones for the bike are a little lower then with running. I made sure to check before I left this time, and wrote it down on my hand. Zone 2 for the bike is 136-154. Turns out I've been going way too easy on the bike! I was breathing pretty hard to keep my heart rate around 140. Pulling the bike trailer with the heavy boy helped too!
Friday I went to masters swimming, but neither my coach nor my swimming buddy were there. I was sad they were gone, but managed to figure out my own workout. I did 2500 yards in an hour, wahoo!
Then I went home and got ready for my 1:30 long run. I didn't quite know what to eat. I usually have oatmeal before my long run, but I had oatmeal before my swim. I usually have eggs after swimming, but would that be too heavy before my run? Well, I was hungry so I made myself an omelet, but only ate half of it.
I dropped George and Elle (she doesn't have school on Fridays) off at my friend's house then headed out. It was cool starting from her house because it put me about a mile closer to where I wanted to run to, and I got to skip my least favorite part.
I ran up City Creek which I thought was fitting because everyone is so excited about the new shopping center downtown that just opened this week, and it's called City Creek. I haven't been there yet, but I've heard it's really cool so I might have to go check it out even though I don't have the time or money to shop in malls.
Anyway, I decided to keep my heart rate closer to 150 on the way up, then 160 on the way back so I could negative split my run which is what BJ Christiensen (my bike trainer class teacher) told me I should be doing. I knew it would be easy to negative split it with pace because it would be uphill most of the way out, and downhill on the way back, but I wanted to negative split it with heart rate/effort too.
I ran at what felt like a really good pace. I felt really good, but I also felt like I was pushing myself a little more than usual. When I got to the hill, I had to really watch and keep my heartrate down, though. The sweet spot seemed to be 153, but it would sneak up to 157 quite a bit.
On the way down, I tried to just breath, and fly down the canyon. I wish I knew how fast I was going, but it was really fun, and my heart rate seemed to stick at 160 really well!
When I got back, I had to run around the block once to get to my time, and I had also stopped at the bathroom on the way down so I definitly negative split that long run! Wahoo!
I was so excited and feeling good, but tired like I had really pushed myself more than usual, so I couldn't wait to look at the GPS app on my phone (Runkeeper) to see how far I'd gone. I was really thinking I might have made it 9 miles this time, which is what I'd like to be doing in 1:30.
When I looked at it, I thought there must have been some mistake. It said 7.92 miles. Seeing a 7 just made me want to cry. Or throw my phone. What the heck? I did 8.5 last week in the same amount of time. I can't beleive I didn't even do 8 this week. I'm really hoping my app just wasn't very accurate. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm training by time. It was a good run. I'll get there!
I was so tired for the rest of the day! I was so glad George took a really good nap when we got home so I could get showered then lay down for a while. The trouble with that, though, was that I didn't really eat lunch and I really needed to eat something good after that run! I will work on this.
Today I rode 35.8 miles on the Legacy Parkway Trail and it was a really, really nice day! I wore shorts and short sleeves! It was windy, but not as windy as last week, thank goodness! Last week's wind was insane! Today I knew there was going to be a headwind on the way home because I was just flying out there! It was so fun, though, and I still pushed really hard to keep my heart rate around 140. It was awesome to be crusing along at 20mph, see that my heart rate was too low and push it even harder! Last year I would have just seen that 20 and been content with that. No more, those days are gone. It doesn't matter how fast I'm going, I just need to keep a steady zone 2 effort going!
I made it to Lagoon in a little less than an hour! I'm pretty sure it would take me an hour and a half to get out there last year (I can't remember for sure though...) so that was exciting!
It was windy on the way back, and I thought that would help my keep my heart rate higher, but strangly, it had the opposite affect. I'm sure it was partly beause I was tired, but I think having that wind push against me just made me want to relent and go slow. I worked hard and kept my heartrate right around 136 (the low end of zone 2) most of the way back, until the last 10 minutes when I was back in traffic and let myself relax and cool down. It was such a beautiful day and a fun ride!
I put some chicken on as soon as I got home so it could cook while I stretched, then had a nice big chicken salad before I showered. I feel pretty good now, a little tired, but better then yesterday. I think it's really important to get that food in right away! And, now George is awake from his nap so I must get on with my day.
Here are my heart rate zones just so I don't lose them again:
RUNNING (Max HR 189)
Z4: 170 - 179
z3: 162 - 169 (this is the no-no zone)
z2: 141 - 160
Z1: 122 - 140
BIKING
Z4: 162 - 170
Z3: 155 - 161
Z2: 136 - 154
Z1: 118 - 135
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