Pacing
Assess Fitness
60
2800
WU: 500 warm up. 8 x 50 on 15 sec rest.

MS: 1000 yd TT (time trial) for time (I think I accidentally swam 950 instead). After TT - swim a very easy 100. After easy swim -3x200 at the same effort at the TT - on 15" rest.

CD: 200 - Your TT time for the 1,000 is divided by 10 , to get your avg. pace. This pace is now known as your T-Pace.

Doing the 1000 TT swim tonight after work.

So I'm feeling better today than I did yesterday. Thanks to you guys for the inspires. They help.

Last night Beth and I went for a ride. I don't remember the last time we rode our bikes together, but it has been a long time. I think close to 10 months. And it was nice. We went slow and I could have cared less. The trail was almost empty. We got to ride side by side for most of the ride. She is still having ghost shifting problems so I'm going to take it to LBS to see if they can figure it out. Might as well drop mine off too to get my rear derailer fine tuned. Still doesn't want to go into the biggest gear when on the big chain ring.

Anyway, today is a new day. Lots to do since I took off early yesterday.

I also think I know what I'm going to do on Saturday for the race. I figured out that I haven't been pushing myself enough. At Sullivan, I had WAY too much in the tank after the race. I think I've been trying to avoid pain, and if I want to improve, I need to learn to run with some discomfort. So I'm going to leave it all on the 5k course this Saturday to see what I can do. I know the base is there, and the speed work has been doing wonders for my stride. Now I just need to put it all together.

9:10 PM addition

So the swim tonight.  First I accidentally swam only a 950 instead of a 1000.  Oops.  But I got a good swim in otherwise.  1:51/100.  Not bad.  I think this is the first time I've gotten a good TT in.  I did short 2 of the 3 200's that I was supposed to do after the 1000.  I was just too tired.  And I figured since this is just a fluff month anyway and I don't really start till Monday, 400 yards won't matter that much.  

Then I took Beth to Ballagio's (local Italian restaurant) for dinner.  I think we both deserved it.  She also swam a 2100 tonight with a workout from her new book.   

Did the run this morning and will do the ride tonight when I get home. I'll record all the data then too.

So 1 year ago today, my brother died. Kevin Lee Crownover. Age 45. Heart attack.

I wouldn't say he and I were best friend. 10 year age difference kind of got in the way of that. But we did get close during the later years. Started when I was about 17 and just started to get better as each year went on. Sure we had our differences, but we still loved each other.

He was over weight and a smoker. He never could quit. He loved NASCAR and country music and rodeo's. He and a friend even had a Gay Rodeo website that they built and supported.

I miss him. I miss emailing him and talking to him. I miss his laugh. Kind of a half chortle with a snerk thrown in for good measure. I'm so glad he knew just how much I loved him, because I never let an opportunity pass to tell him. Every email. Every phone call. Every time we contacted each other.

He is the closest person, in my life, that I have lost. I consider myself lucky to still have both of my parents. My wife, she isn't so lucky. But she knows how I feel today. She knows what I'm going through.

Losing someone, so close, is hard. I find myself focusing, though, on all the good that was between us. Celebrating his life, not mourning my loss. Remembering my brother.

I love you Kevin.

Added at around 8:45 PM

Beth went with me on the ride.  It was so low and slow it didn't even register on my Zone 1 HR.  ;)  And it was so good for the both of us.  I got to spend time with her and it made both of us feel better.  QT with the wife is sometimes better than a workout and today was one of those days. 

Ok, so I was supposed to go for a nice, easy 45 minute run today.  And I just couldn't do it.  I couldn't bring myself to go out and do it.  So I took the day off.  Well, not really, because we worked in the yard again.  Nothing nearly as big as yesterday, but the yard looks loads better. 

I looked ahead at this coming week and I do LTHR tests in both run and bike and a 1000 TT in the pool on Tuesday.  So one day off won't kill me.  Still building some good workouts. 

Form Swim
Speed
60
3100
WU: 300 (add in some drills) & 4x50 on 20" rest.
MS:
1x800 on 1:00 rest
2x400 on 30" rest
4x200 on 20" rest
CD: 200

Bike Strength
Strength
45
45' ride on a hilly course. Push the uphills and recover on the downhills. HR on the uphills can hit low Z4. Keep HR in Zone 1-2 otherwise.

Kind of a pseudo swick. Did the swim and then drove home and rode the bike from home so there was a bit of a break, by about 30 minutes from the end of the swim.

Came home and then went straight to work on the yard with Beth. That was about 3 hours of work.

All in all, I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap and then we are going to a wine tasting. Yum!

Recovery day today. 

Thank goodness.  I need it.

So about yesterday.  Probably the worst case of the "post workout stupids" I think I have ever had.  Came out of the gym, with the shakes.  I KNOW my blood sugar had to be through the floor.  Got in the car and though, "I think I'll order pizza".  Called up the pizza joint and had them deliver.  They asked for my number, to look me up, and I actually couldn't remember my number.  It took me a while.  So then, when it was time to pay, I had my credit card out and went to start reading the numbers and I couldn't.  I literally didn't know what the words were for the numbers on the card.  The brain finally kicked in and I did it.  She must have thought there was something mentally wrong with me.  Well, other than the obvious.  ;)

Well, I finally ate, and it got a bit better, but really didn't level out till this morning.  So lessons learned, BRING FOOD!  I need to have a GU, or Accelerade with me on those long swims.   Preferably the Accelerade.  Something to keep up the energy so I don't bonk like that.  I think I'm lucky I drove home.  Or at least remembered where home was. 

Added later 

I just realized that Monday is the 1 year anniversary of my brother passing away.  Technically he was my half-brother, from my dad's first marriage, but I grew up only thinking of him as my brother and that is how I will always think of him.  He was 45.  Died of a heart attack.  It really wasn't a surprise, because he was over weight and he smoked.  

I miss him.  I miss emailing him.  That became our primary mode of communication.  And one didn't go buy without us ending it with an I love you.  And for that I am most happy.  When I was younger we didn't get along very well.  10 years apart so we didn't have much in common.  But as we got older, we got closer.  I won't say that we were the closest of brothers, but we were very close.  I'll never forget the day he called and came out of the closet.  Happened to be the day after the OKC bombing.  Coincidentally, that is when the letter arrived to my folks (they live in OKC, or at least they both did at the time).  That too wasn't a surprise.  Anyway, we talked and joked for at least an hour.  I know he was relieved when I told him I could care less as long as he found someone he loved. 

Anyway, I'm rambling now.  Don't know why I put all that up here.  I'm certain I will start to feel more down over the weekend as Monday approaches. 

Where ever you are Kevin, Love ya bro.  :)

Endurance
60
2800
WU: 400
MS:
3 * 200 0:45 rest
8 * 25 kick 0:10 rest
4 * 100 0:25 rest
8 * 25 kick 0:10 rest
5 * 50 0:10 rest
100 loosen easy swim
6 * 75 pull with paddles 0:20 rest
CD: 200

Easy Run. Just realized most of it was in zone 2. Should have been more zone 1.

So I realized this morning that, of the three workouts I can do, I like the following in order to do in the morning. Biking, running then swimming. I just don't swim well in the morning. I always feel like I am flopping around. I like running, but I like biking the most.

Calves are really sore this morning. Tight from the ride last night. Tried to stretch them out after the run, but it didn't work. Still tight.

I'll do the swim tonight after work. I'll go straight from work.

-------------7:30PM-------------------

 Note to self - Next time I have a swim workout on the same day as any other workout, DO THE SWIM FIRST! 

I have NEVER had food and calf cramps as bad as that.  Seriously.  Never.  I had them starting half way through and I know it had to do with the run this morning.

Secondly, I'm beat.  I mean really, really beat.   I've never done a more draining swim workout.  I've done harder, but I've recovered fairly quickly after it.  I've been done for over half an hour and I still
have the shakes.  I will also have Accelerade in my bottle next time. 

Long story short, I got more out of this workout than just the physical part.  I learned A LOT!!  Now, when is that pizza getting here.  I'M HUNGRY!!!! 

Big Gear
Power
40
WU: 5'
MS: 10x1' sprints - start standing and then sit, with 2' recovery.
CD: 5'

I'm such a goof.  I did an extra sprint today AND i had the Garmin set to run instead of bike.  Doh.  I would have loved to see the lap data, but it doesn't translate well.  Oops.  Oh well. 

First time I've ever done one of these kinds of workouts.  It was hard.  I mean, really hard.  My legs were absolutely screaming at me a few times.  I liked it.