First, I'm typing this up as I eat some granola with homemade yogurt that I cooked up last evening. Hopefully I didn't screw up the process and my stomach doesn't explode in a few hours. Anyhow, here's the latest update:

(Scene: Stacey and I are packing up our swim backs to head to Lifetime for a swim. Stacey asks what the workout is. I inform her that its a 5800m swim, followed by some weights and an easy run.)

Stacey: "You can tell Chuckie that I said he can bite it."

Me: "Okay, I'm not sure what exactly the 'it' is that you are referring to, but I will."

Stacey: "Really? No, you can't do that. You can't write that I said 'bite it.'"

Me: "Too bad."

I think yesterday's swim workout alone added an inch to my shoulder width. The workout called for 5800m of swimming with a whole lotta pulling: 200m w/u, 10 x 50m hard, 10 x 300 pulling, 10 x 150 with pull buoy but without paddles, 10 x 50 hard again, and a cool down. I did the first 10 x 50m in 42 seconds initially and dropped off to 44 sec by the end. Near the end of the 10 x 300m pullng, I was a bit worried about how my shoulders were doing, and I dropped the last 300m of pulling to be on the safe side. The 10 x 150 went fine, no shoulder issues. Though I felt like I was pulling myself through wet concrete during the last 10 x 50m, my times were initially good - 42 and 43 seconds for the first and second reps. But, my times dropped to 45 seconds near the 5th rep and 48 seconds near the 8th rep. I feel some soreness today, but only in a good way. Stacey, by the way, bailed after about 4000m to hang out in the hot tub with the making-out high school kids.

I followed the swim up with some leg-press. I did 3 x 15 of each leg individually at 75 pounds, 70 pounds and 65 pounds. Interestingly, my left leg is stronger than my right, whereas I'd have expected the opposite. Walking down the stairs from the weight room in my gym, I could feel some definite burning in the quads.

Finally, I did an easy 20 minute run to finish off the day.

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Monday only called for an easy 30 minute flop. Nothing much to report about that.

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Sunday included a 5 hour ride and 1 hour run. I did the first four hours of the ride at 131 bpm, then lowered the effort for the last hour resulting in an average HR of 129 for the entire effort. Despite my low effort and the steady wind, I covered 103 miles. My AVG power was 182 W, but when riding (as opposed to coasting or going downhill where my output is limited) at around 130 bpm I was putting out about 200 W. I'm thinking 200 W on flat terrain with no wind will get my 22-23 mph, which seems very good.

I did the ride by doing loops of the 11 mile Stoney Creek circuit, which I am thinking will be where I do race-practice rides in the future. I almost never have to stop in the park, even on a 100 mile ride, and it is about as hilly a route as can be found around here. The biggest draw back is that the pavement is really rough for one half-mile stretch.