Computrainer PIG Week 18

It's time to get back on PIG but with the legs still feeling the effects of the half on Sunday, I'm starting this week with the recovery ride. I know it's not the way to start the week but the quads are still feeling the downhill effort so I'll take the saddle time and start the hard work tomorrow.

Ralston Creek Half Marathon

After a week of recovery from the PIG, it was time for the in inaugural Ralston Creek Half Marathon. The race season for me usually waits until the end of April but this year, Racing Underground started a new half marathon in Arvada on the Ralston Creek bike path. The course runs west, around Arvada Reservoir and up the switchbacks.

I was worried with all the snow we've had the last couple weeks that the path would be covered in snow but early reports have the path as mostly clear with patches of snow and ice. Race morning and the temperature was around fifteen degrees and it wasn't supposed to get much higher.

After trying to say warm at the start, everyone was off. To make the temperature a little more bareable, the race had a late, 9:45, start time. The first mile was down a closed road to the path. Not wanting to start too fast, I picked someone I thought would be a good pacer and settled in. The first few cruised by and around mile five, I caught up to the first of the early starters. Up the southern hills of Arvada Reservior I met my pacer who was a two time CDA Ironman. I was going to make a move on the switchbacks, but I felt good on the descent so I decided to stretch it out.

I've ridden the switchbacks and they are about a mile long, five switchbacks and 4.5% grade. I like hills so I kept the cadence high and began to climb. By the time I was at the top, I had caught several people and was feeling good. The descent was long so I took it easy to not beat up the quads too much.

After looping all the way around the reservoir, the course joined back up with Ralston Creek and it was time to head for home. I was caught by one runner I passed going up the hill but I caught a couple more runners from my wave. Off the path and the last mile was back on the road with a slight uphill.

Overall the race went better than expected. I knew my fitness was good but I expected it to be my cycling that was improved. Even on the hard course with the rolling hills and switchbacks, I managed a PR with a 1:31:41, an improvement of about twenty seconds over last year's Westminster 13.1.

Computrainer PIG Week 18 Interrupted

Week eighteen of the PIG has been interrupted by a half marathon this upcoming weekend. All this training with no racing has me feeling flat so I'm taking this week as a recovery week so that I'll be somewhat fresh for the race on Sunday.

Sometimes I think with all the training and no racing you get flat and stale. Since most of my training has focused on the bike, I don't know how I'll do on the run but that's alright. It will be fun getting out and racing for a morning.

Computrainer versus Snow

Today's tempo session has been snowed out. Shoveling snow for over an hour wiped me out.

Seven inches of snow and still falling.

Computrainer PIG Week 17 Session 2 Tempo

The workout's been done for six hours and the legs still feel fuzzy. I'm sure glad I'm swimming at lunch.

Computrainer PIG Week 17 Tempo

Last week when this workout had ten minutes between the twenty minute efforts, it was called long intervals, today with only five between the twenties, it was called tempo. Whatever you call it, two twenty minute efforts at 98% of CP30 is tough. 

I don't think the hardest part is the physical although it's definitely not easy. I think the harder component is the mental aspect. Not only are you on a trainer but you have to stay mentally engage. If your mind starts to wander, your cadence drops and then you have to push the envelope to get back in the zone.

Last week, I was still feeling this workout five hours later. Let's see how long it stays in the legs today.

Computrainer PIG Week 16

I'm glad that the PIG program has recovery days built in. After yesterday's interval session, five mile run at lunch and four mile run in the evening, I don't think I could have don't a hard session this morning. This PIG program might be easier if I didn't try to keep up my running. Time for work and some rest.