Things have not been that great chez Shazza recently, and as a result I've been feeling stressed and grumpy. And for whatever reason, when I'm feeling down, I rebel against doing the things that would make me feel better. So instead of doing the things I know will help (hard training, not drinking, eating well), I've been busily doing the opposite (avoiding training, drinking lots and eating as much chocolate as I can fit into my body).
This weekend, I decided that some serious butt-kicking (my own) was needed. I don't like being in a funk and I wanted to get motivated again. I wanted to do a serious workout, something that would be a challenge and make me remember who I am and why I do it. My first choice was a mountain race up the Wasserfallen, which is just 7.8 k, but with 490 m height difference (click on this link to see the worst ever route map). However, for various reasons, I decided that this wasn't such a great plan.
Then, I had a better idea. I would do my first ever brick workout.
I've never quite understood why it's called a brick. Is it because you build one workout on top of another? Or because it makes you shit bricks (UK slang for being really scared)? Or is because your legs feel like bricks when you start trying to run? And no, I couldn't resist a picture of a brick.
I cycled 11 km (35 mins) and then ran about 3.6 km (22 mins). With a transition time of 3 mins (including locking my bike and taking my stuff indoors) that made the whole thing exactly 1 hour, which is kind of cool itself.
The bike leg was pretty easy, apart from the hill that I call the Predigerhof hill. I hardly felt like I'd worked out at all. I've learned now to stay in a lower gear that I think I should and keep a higher cadence (oooh, the new words I am learning), to keep from getting tired so quickly. Starting the run was hilarious! Of course I've read a million times about the bike/run transition, but I'd never actually experienced it for myself. I was happily laughing to myself "so this is what they all mean!" I can't even imagine what it must be like after 56 or 112 miles of cycling, although I intend to find out someday. I was surprised that it wasn't the hamstrings or quads that felt tired, it was the lower muscles in my calves, ankles and around my knees that were really complaining. It took almost the whole run before I felt like I wasn't running like a duck.
It wasn't quite the suicide workout I was looking for, almost too easy. But I have to confess that I felt kind of hardcore and triathlete-y . "Oh yeah, I'm doing a brick workout, training for a triathlon actually." I am a such a geek! I know that most of the people on my blogroll would eat me for breakfast. My hardcore weekend workout wouldn't even cause them to break into a sweat! On the other hand, in January I could only run 1o minutes without stopping, so I've come a long way baby. It's all relative and one day, I'll be where they are. (OK, I'll probably never be where Bree Wee is, but watch out the rest of you...)
The 50 m outdoor pool opened for the season yesterday, so I'm planning a swim session tomorrow. Swimming outdoors in April is pretty hardcore too. Yep, total geek!
