Sunday, February 14, 2016

Back to Basics: Week 4

4 weeks. 24 workouts. Over 100 miles. And I did them all!  There have been days where I hurt like hell, but overall I feel incredible and I'm really looking forward to going another round with this base building plan. (Yes, I know this is a week late. Life got in the way of blogging.)

Monday:
Rest Day.  Sometimes I swear that the only thing getting me through the week is the prospect of a day off!  I worked, came home, got a 90 minute massage, scarfed down shrimp fried rice, and spent some quality time with Mr. R&R and the boys - listening to Nirvana and Jethro Tull on vinyl.

Tuesday:
1000 yard swim.  This is one of the best swims I've had yet - even if the drills felt like they were trying to kill me!  Leftover shrimp fried rice was on the menu again tonight - along with some really yummy chicken and cilantro wontons from Trader Joe's.  I think this whole 'cook a bunch of stuff on Sunday' thing is definitely helping.  I love not having to wait more than 5 minutes for food after a long day - and it keeps me from doing really stupid things like hitting the drive thru.


Wednesday:
Today was a 45 minute bike workout called Geiger. 3 blocks of Sweet Spot (just below FTP) work.  Really good, but really sweaty!


Thursday:
It finally happened.  I had to make peace with my nemesis: the treadmill.  It was cold, dark, and late by the time I got home from work, so my choices were track or treadmill.



I haven't been on one of these devices in a few years and once I settled in I ended up having one of the best runs I've had in a while and the people watching was pretty good too!

I also crammed in a quick strength workout after my run - trying desperately to remember all the things that my trainer had me do.  I think I need to take notes or something at my next session.

Friday:
The toughest swim yet. 1200 yards. Sets of 200. By the time I finished, I was exhausted, but happy. I'm definitely starting to feel more of a 'pull' with each stroke as opposed to just thrashing my way down the lane.

Saturday:
Last bike ride of Base Building: Monitor.  5 blocks of sweet spot work and I'm happy to say I. Nailed. Them.  I crawled off the bike, mopped up the puddle of sweat, stretched, and dragged myself up to the kitchen.  I stared at what was supposed to be dinner (a bunch of raw ingredients) and promptly reached for a package of refrigerated mushroom ravioli and a jar of puttanesca sauce.  Dinner in 20 minutes, 2 pots, and no chopping!

I also did some of the food prep for next week tonight because we've got Super Bowl plans for tomorrow.  I made a pot of Post Punk Kitchen's  Snobby Joes and a bunch of yogurt messes.  Snobby Joe's are a tried and true dish around here.  They're quite versatile in that they can be served sandwich style on a nice, crusty roll or eaten straight from a bowl - which was the plan for this week because rolls seem to go stale around here before they all get eaten!  My only modification from the original recipe is to increase the yellow mustard from 1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons.  This was an accident the first time I made them, but it turned out to be a good accident!  I'll do the remaining food prep on Monday - my rest day.

Sweet, Spicy, Lentil Goodness 

Sunday:
It's 40 degrees, sunny, and the only wind is a light breeze.  Easy choice: Run Outside.  I suited up and hit the roads.  It was a little disheartening to get passed by a septuagenarian in shorts with calves like tree trunks, but he was super nice and cheerful as he bounded past, so that helped a little!  I wasn't really planning on doing a tempo run, but that's how the splits shook out.

I got home from my run just as Mr. R&R got home from his training session and after brunch and showers we got to work making a really naughty macaroni and cheese to take to Maverick and Goose's house for the Super Bowl.  This dish contains 5 kinds of cheese, thick cut bacon, onions caramelized in bacon grease, and roasted portabella mushrooms.  It was a hit - even though the game was a miss.  2 beers, a serving of mac and cheese (with a healthy dose of Sriracha), and 4 of Goose's famous spicy jumbo shrimp later - I nearly lapsed into a food coma on the way home!

Maverick and Goose's parrots observed and commented on the proceedings

Week 4 Totals:
Swim: 2200 yards (1.24 miles)
Bike: 15.84 miles
Run: 6.02 miles
Strength Training: 1 session
Total Miles: 23.1 miles
Total Time: 3 hours, 33 minutes


2 comments:

April said...

Ooooh I love those wontons from Trader Joe's! Mix up some ginger/soy sauce and dip away!

Mary said...

I hadn't tried them before, but I'm definitely getting them again. I'm thinking wonton soup may be in the near-ish future.