This was a great week. Every workout was completed as planned, 2 of them were significantly better. I had a run that wasn’t my fastest, but showed me I was close, something it feels like I haven’t seen for ages. I had a bike ride where I far exceeded the expectations I set for myself.
What Happened?
I wasn’t feeling great after a late Sunday night. I took the day off work and didn’t do the swim but I did work in extra strength training from last week. Other than that the weekly went much as planned with the exception of missing out on the open water group at Lake Pleasant. I had a great 5K time trial on Wednesday and an awesome ride on Sunday. For Weight Watchers, I saved most of my weekly points for the weekend, especially Sunday, I stayed within points while enjoying some treats I was starting to crave.
What Worked?
Adjusting my workout routine a bit to get everything done when I didn’t go swimming worked out well. My Tuesday is normally my core strength training followed by treadmill incline. I was able to do the core strength training then swim on Tuesday and the treadmill incline then swim on Friday.
A 5K time trial on Wednesday morning (should have been a rest day) was a good challenge. I wanted to see where I was at and make sure I stay strong before the Pat’s Run. I have a separate post on those details but it was a very good time for me and hopefully the sign of more to come.
I was originally hoping to make it to telegraph pass (3.8 miles, up 620 feet). I did a bit of riding Saturday before trying to meet up with the open water group so as soon as I got on my bike Sunday morning I had pretty low expectations. I ended up making it to the first pullout area to rest and realized I was only 0.7 miles from Telegraph Pass. After that, I knew I could make it a bit further, but I wasn’t planning on Dobbins lookout. After a few more rest stops, I ended up making it all the way to Dobbins lookout on my first attempt, it was awesome! 5.7 Miles (one way), up 1,001 feet.
What Didn’t?
I didn’t meet up with the open water swim group at Lake Pleasant, I should have gotten more detailed instructions on where to meet. I wish I would have met them so I can start with next year, though the water was too cold (65 degrees) to do much anyways. In the end, I still got a good bike ride with some short and steep climbs. I also got into the water a bit on my own. I will look at other options this summer to get back to OWS but also keep riding/hiking while I make those trips so far away from home.
What am I going to do about it?
Perform another 5K Time Trial without the warm up and applying what I learned about my pace to start stronger earlier.
Ride ‘everything’ at South Mountain next Sunday
Visitor Center to Gila Valley Lookout 7.6 Miles, 1,283 Feet Elevation Gain
Gila Valley Lookout to Buena Vista Lookout 1.8 Miles, 16 Feet Elevation Gain
Buena Vista Lookout to Dobbins Lookout 1.6 Miles, 125 Feet Elevation Gain
Dobbins Lookout to San Juan Lookout 7.7 Miles, 138 Feet Elevation Gain
San Juan Lookout to Visitor Center 6.1 Miles, 384 Feet Elevation Gain
What do the numbers say?
I set a lot of records with my running and my cycling. In addition, I lost 1.6 pounds and 1 inch off my belly. It was a great week all around and I look forward to keeping up the momentum as I have a few weeks before our trip to Page. In Page, I will still do some working out and still make some healthier choices, but I won’t have the same workout options and I tend to eat more unhealthy food than I should, that is part of vacation afterall.
Summary
This was a wonderful week of achievements. While I won’t say I’ve lost motivation before, it definitely ebbs and flows. This week was a great week for inspiration and staying strong. I set some new records which supports more goal development. I knew things were getting better, but when you don’t see the progress you hope for, it can be discouraging. Keep your head down and keep going.