Training update! In which I swim! More than once!

So I'm starting to feel like a real triathlete here - last week's workouts included three runs, three bikes, and for the first time ever, two swims in one week. And you know what? I enjoyed the swimming. Like, a lot. As in I was really tempted to go get in another one on Saturday or Sunday (although I didn't - I don't want to rush the swimming too much on top of everything else I'm doing and injure a shoulder or something).

Running (39k)

I'm not going to lie, the runs this week were tough ones. There was a descending ladder interval workout that took every ounce of willpower to not quit after the 3rd round kind of sucked. Then a tempo run that went really well, but tempos are always tough. And a 20k long on a bitterly cold day where I swear my butt froze solid - the heated seats in my car afterwards actually hurt while I thawed out. But the runs all got done, and done pretty much on target. A successful week!

My 'track' for the winter - an 800m loop on a quiet residential street.

Cycling (3 hours 30 minutes)

Cycling on the trainer has been amazing. I've made huge progress following the sweet spot base plan on Trainerroad - I'm now running through it a second time, with 30 points added to my FTP since the first go around. But the workouts don't really feel harder, which means I've definitely made a lot of progress. The difference in my cadence and pedalstroke is also huge. I'm getting very excited to get back out on the road this spring and see how all this work translates!

Gotta teach the kid not to cut off the top of my head when taking action shots.

Swimming! Really! (2 swims, ~2km)

I did a solo swim at the pool near work that went well, and a coached swim with my tri club which was extremely encouraging. The coach said my stroke actually looks pretty good, which is comforting, but also gave me some tweaks and drills to work on. My current plan is to continue to swim one day a week at lunch and then the coached swim, for two swims a week. Still getting comfortable with the water, but I'm feeling very good about it so far. I'll probably add a third swim to my schedule in a few weeks.

What's really fun is how much I really LIKE swimming! I've been assuming swimming would prove to be a sort of necessary evil on the road to doing a triathlon, but it just feels so good to stretch out in the water, and the whole lap swimming thing is nice and meditative.

Of course, I did manage to lose my first pair of swim goggles by leaving them in the changeroom at the YMCA. Buy stock in Aqua Sphere, y'all, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do that a lot more.

This upcoming week will be similar. 3 runs, 3 trainer workouts, and 2 swims. Can't wait!

The spring/summer race schedule is starting to come together. First up is an indoor triathlon at the end of February - 15 minutes swim, 15 minutes bike, 15 minutes run, go as far as you can in the time allotted. Then Around the Bay, of course, where I may or may not go for a PB (undecided on that). 10k at Mississauga for funsies.

And then, the outdoor triathlons start. I'm about 99% sure I'll do the sprint at Welland in mid-June as the 'let's try this out and try not to panic in the swim', then the sprint at Guelph Lake I the following week. In July, the Kincardine women's triathlon (super sprint distance), and then sprint at Niagara from the Subaru series.

Now I need to go track down some food. So very very hungry...