Bad Idea Bears

Steve and I often joke about the "bad idea bears" they're the little guys that tell you to turn off the alarm and go back to sleep rather than going to the gym - or the ones that say on a tuesday night - don't eat that grilled chicken - go to bw3's and get some wings and some beer. I'm sure you all know those guys. Well I must say i am very proud of myself this week - because i defeated the bad ideas several times - which is hard for me to do on a normal basis - let alone a week like last one where i got my schedule all out of whack.

Monday - rest day - dropped bike off for tuneup - ordered new running shoes and bought a wetsuit.

Tuesday - awful first open water swim - was upset - didn't do track workout afterwards

Wednesday - headed up to the local track (not a very nice track considering there were broken bottles and grass growing through cracks on the track -but hey it works.) I've never done a track workout by myself - b/c well they are hard and usually i don't push myself that hard by myself - i usually need the motivation of others - I got up there and did the same workout e speed had us do a couple of weeks ago -
1 mile warm up
800 meters strides
1 x 1600 6:59
2 x 800 3:28 and 3:27
2 x 400 1:38 and 1:39
with 1/2 distance recovery in between and 1600 cool down

oh and swam 1200 meters at lunch

Thursday - really wanted to just go for a run at lunch - stuck to the training plan of 2 easy 2 short tempo speed and 2 easy so...
i did
2 (17:00)
2 (7:12 and 7:03)
2 (17:00)

everything was a little faster than what it was suppose to be - but i'm just getting a hang of this pacing thing.

Swam 1200 meters at night - finally started to link a few more laps together - my endurances still stinks!

Friday - rest

Saturday - "easy" 3 mile run - had to work really hard a running a 9 minute pace - and not going too fast.

Sunday - was not free to run until around 3:00 when it started thundering and lightening - then had to go to dinner with the father in law - got back still raining. so the bad idea bears told me that my training doesn't technically start til today that i should not go out in the rain - that i should sit and relax - then i decided to go to the grocery store. Finally around nine o'clock - i said to myself - this is ridiculous - get out there and at least do something! So a little after nine - i headed out in to the rain to get a run in. I was suppose to do 11 miles at a 9:05 pace. I decided just to run and see what happened - it felt great! I was able to get 10 miles in at a 8:40 pace - too fast i know - but it was a great run. I cut it a mile short - b/c it was almost 10:30 - and i was starving and sleepy! but i got it in. I know it wasn't necessary to get it in - but i was proud of myself for at least sticking to my 3 key workout days this week! Also - really proud of pushing myself on my runs - this is the first time i am following a training plan that is more specific than "run 5 miles" I've never followed something that says "run 5 miles at mid-tempo pace" So - this is new for me - and hard - but i'm discovering that i am capable of a lot more thant i thought.... sixteen weeks and counting til towpath!!!
Hopefully this week will be a little better for getting all of my workouts in swimming, biking and running - but it will be tough - it's a rough week at work - so wish me luck!