Reality Sucks

This weekend was a real slap in the face with regard to my overall fitness.  I don't know if it is the rapid change in seasons that has occurred over the past two weeks (40F to 70F+ in that time span) or that I thought I was in better shape than I actually am.  Whatever it is, I felt like absolute crap this weekend during my first outdoor ride of the year on Saturday and then my Sunday "long" run.  I don't know what it was, I just felt beat, flat out exhausted and tired.

Let me start with Saturday, it was a gorgeous, sun was out, not a cloud in the sky.  My usual Saturday/Sunday routine is to get up around 6:45AM - 7:00AM, eat a bagel, drink some OJ or G2 while I was SportsCenter (before the kids get up), then get dressed and head out for my run or ride.  Well, this day was going to be a bit different....my in-laws we coming over early so we could all go out for breakfast at Sweet Lorraine's in Peddlar's Village.  I thought that there might be a chance to get my hour and twenty minute ride in before they showed up, but that notion was quickly squashed as a knock on the door came at 7:30AM.  No worries, at least I would have a full stomach and lots of fuel for my afternoon ride.

Breakfast was really good, it isn't too often that I get to have thick French toast and sausage.  We had a good time, the lot of us...even thought the waitress knocked over my father-in-laws grapefruit juice all over the table (no one got wet).  We then had to swing back home to put together a plan of attack for the day because we were going to be cruising around Bucks County looking for some things to do (I was unaware of the need for a "plan" as I initially thought it was going to just be breakfast). 

We spend the next few hours at various places, Peace Valley Lavendar Farm (my allergies were rough, Peace Valley Park (some hiking and tiring out of the girls), and lunch at M.O.M's (great place in Doylestown).  Then it was back home....dun-dun-dun...and finally time for my ride.  Of course I had to swap out the trainer tire on my rear wheel for a road tire first.  It was kind of a pain in tha butt; however it is good practice for changing a flat.  Then I was off around 3:30PM and loving the feeling of riding at 25MPH away from my house.  It ended up being just short of 1:20 in the saddle, there were plenty of hills, some flats, some downhills and a lot of frustration.  I wouldn't say that I was hurting, but I didn't feel as great as I thought I would.  Having been putting one or two days a week on my indoor trainer I expected to feel better than I did, I thought I would feel a bit quicker, my cadence a bit brisker.  It just didn't happen like that.  I will say that my climbing felt pretty good though.  I think I ended up going for just over 20 miles (17.5MPH) and I had my first outdoor ride of the year under my belt.

Flash forward to Sunday and my quest to get out for an early run was stimied by church.  I probably could have gotten it in early, but I didn't want to stress my wife out by dumping all of the responsibility of getting our daughters fed and ready by 9:00AM.  So instead of getting out at 7:30 for my 11 mile run, I had to put it off until the afternoon.  As is the case most weekends, if I don't get out early to get my bike or run it, it doesn't get done until after lunch.  After church I had the girls while my wife went to get tickets to my daughters dance recital and then a trip to the food store.  She got back around 12:30PM, and then everyone had to eat lunch and then the next thing you know it is 2:00PM and I am just getting out for my run...consequently the hottest day we have had this year - ~75F.

I could tell right away that I wasn't feeling it.  My legs were still a bit heavy from the ride on Saturday and I just wasn't getting the turn over.  This of course make my decision to run a relatively hilly route probably wasn't the best idea.  Regardless I pushed on and suffered through it at a pedestrian pace (8:30/mile).  I actually came up a bit short on my distance (10.58 miles), but I just didn't care.  I was hot and I was tired.  I really wanted to go out for a 30 minute bike ride following my run, but I just wanted to get inside and get a cool shower.

I am hoping that my training this past week was affected by the increase in temperature and not a lessening of my perceived of fitness.  The temperatures are supposed to fall back to normal over the next week or two, so I should be able to get a better gauge as to where my fitness is.  The Unite Half Marathon is only 27 days away, I am hoping to run in around 1:35:30.  I will be pretty disappointed if I don't come close to that, I feel like I have been training pretty hard and I should be able to reach that.

Oh, did 1,800 in the pool this morning (500M wu, 3 x 400, 100M cd).  I felt pretty good considering the lingering soreness in my legs.  I am looking into "Total Immersion" as a way to help me swim more efficiently (thanks Susietri!).  I need to do something because I need to get faster in the water without expending so much energy.  Work time!  Ciao!