First Official Week of Training

Finished week one of my 20 week beginner IM training schedule.  The word beginner in a sentence with IM is simply nuts - one had better have had a little experience prior to jumping into an IM - but that is what the plan is called.
The week called for 4000 yards of swimming (1x2500 and 1x1500), 3 hours and 45 minutes on the bike (again this is split up into multiple sessions, the longest of which was to be 2 hours), 1 hour and 35 minutes of running (nothing too long at any one time) and 1 hour and 20 minutes of strength training.

This was to be quite a challenge as in the midst of it my husband had surgery to remove massive nasal polyps and repair a deviated septum - requiring at least some of my time to drive him and just to be there for him.  First night after the surgery we had little sleep - further making solid training hard.  I need my sleep!

I completed my required 4000 yards of swimming covering 2200 yards one day and 1800 another.  One has to do what one can to fit things around work and life.
I only managed 2 hours of cycling - one 45 minute session and one 75 minute session - the latter of which was quite challenging though with lots of climbing.
I did run more than 3 hours - including one run of 3.5 miles and a half marathon yesterday to raise funds for Breast Cancer research.  More on that half marathon in a separate post. 
Strength training was limited - just 45 minutes.

So, bike ended up a bit shy of plan but I made up for it on the run.  Eventually all of this will even out.  All in all a good week for training and getting back into a routine.

Weight is stuck where it was.  Frustrating.  Not enough to discourage though.
I feel good and know that as my activity level increases some of that will take care of itself. 

This week's schedule calls for 4300 yards of swimming spread out over 2 days, 4 hours and 30 minutes on the bike - two one hour sessions (one of them part of a brick workout) and one 2 hour 30 minute ride on the weekend and just one hour of running.  Strength training is 1 hour and 20 minutes again.

First swim was to be today but already there is a wrinkle in my schedule.  I swim after work. The pool is full of fit and fast people early in the am but usually empty right after work and being  a slug I like to have the area to myself - specifically I prefer not to share a lane and get lapped by some sleek fish.  Maybe as confidence builds that will be less of an issue.  Well, tonight I have a meeting right after work.  So, a full day of work and then a 2 hour meeting the day after a half marathon run - likely not a good setup for a great workout.  Better to rest and reschedule than to drudge through a low quality workout. 

So, rest today, then bike tomorrow, swim on Wednesday, brick on Thursday swim on Friday, and long bike on Saturday - should be doable - but then it is just only Monday.  The only way to get through the next 19 weeks of training will be to relax and take things in stride. Thankfully that is one of my strengths.

I will try to post about the half marathon later tonight and then again share my training stuff - maybe with a bit more detail next weekend.