Training Log Archive: Carbons Offset

14.9

From the house to Goat Creek trailhead with Carbon. Met up with Jenn. Rode Goat Creek and Rundle Riverside, then followed Banff trail back to the Nordic Centre parking lot. I let the girls have some hang out time while I rode up to fetch Jenn’s car. One truck was awesome enough to slow down and offer me a lift but I wanted to ride more. Then Carbon and I rode home from the Nordic Centre. Big day.

Enjoyed the loop, even though Goat Creek isn’t a super exciting trail and then Rundle Riverside is quite rooty. The river was getting really close to the riverside trail at the two low points but there would still be an option to hike around on higher ground.

Met a runner friend on Goat Creek trail and she had been charged by a black bear.

C • Riverside 2

15.3

A really fun and sometimes punchy run with Myka, Dianne and Carbon. From Myka’s to Highline, Randy Savage (and the new trail, can’t remember its name) and Quebexican. Lots of climbing, felt good and attacked the climbs. Cranked up the speed on the last section, with Dianne keeping up behind me.
Good workout, feeling a little pooped after. Headed home for prime rib burgers on the BBQ and chocolate fudge brownie ice cream :)

C • Yummy! 2

16.0

CNC with Carbon, Melissa, Chelsea and Tom. EKG, Odyssey, the jumps, blue and black coal chutes, return on Long Road to Ruin.

15.5

60 minute massage
Lower back was getting super tight and sore, couldn’t ignore it longer. Also figured the hamstrings were tight plus left forearm was tight and painful from the weight lifting.

Therapist said the IT bands and quads were the worst, need to roll them more, or even just lay on the roller and use the pressure to loosen things up.
Hamstrings and calves weren’t too bad.
Forearm hurt like hell when she laid into it. She recommended rolling against a tennis ball against the wall (digging my thumb into it might cause the other forearm to tighten up).

Also tight around the left scapula.

Behind the house, heading up to Montane. I wasn’t looking for a hard run, the massage therapist told me to take it easy and recommended against the sprints at Dirtbags tonight that would cause rapid muscle contractions of my freshly massaged muscles, so I decided to give Carbon some company on her run instead. I stayed way behind her and went easy but she had a headache that wasn’t going away and felt worse with running, so I was content to call it quits when she did.

Got a message from Phatty that he was in town. He was looking for tips on a good trail to run. I wanted to see him (who doesn’t), catch up, and chat about his upcoming plans, so I gave him directions to meet me by Douglas Fir Trail where we could enjoy some nice forest/mountain style singletrack right here in the big city.
I was pretty tired from my past several days of workouts, so he may not have received the working over he was looking for but it was still great to get out for a run together.
Finished up just in time for me to go to my weights class feeling quite tired, and he went off to explore the outdoor retail scene of Calgary.

Tired from the big weekend, yesterday, and the run with Phatty. Still managed to do this workout.

Warm up
5 clean and press with 30 kg. One from floor, one from three.

Build cleans to 80 percent, 1 rep

5x
A series of depth drop box jumps, 7 in a row as fast as you can do the whole row, pausing and landing softly after the highest one so that you don’t blow your Achilles.
3 min rest
2 reps of 80 percent squat max. Then straight into depth drop row again.

3x5 Bulgarian split squats at a moderate weight

3x12 face pulls 24 lbs

2x4 toes to bar

5 min Blackburn

C • Small World 4

15.0

warm up:
Started by taking Carbon's bike for a ride to test all the gears after a tune up. Soon, my body seemed to be getting used to her saddle being about 2 inches higher than mine. When I hopped back on my bike, I was certain someone must have lowered my seat. It took me quite a while to feel normal on my bike again.

Met up with about 6 others from spin class for an outdoor training session near Springbank. Did an easy ride out to the spot where we would train, on Range Road 33, north of Airport Road.

Coach Jack marked out two 500 metre sections, one on slight uphill and the other on the opposite shoulder with a slight downhill. In both cases, the plan was to push a big gear, hard, and keep fighting to accelerate the whole time, with resistance like pushing on a leg press.

5x:
500 m up slight uphill in big gear, pushing hard, AnP, about 45 seconds up (took me about 50-58sec)
3:15 recovery (pushing hard enough that you need all of this rest)
500 m down slight downhill in big gear, coming in rolling, and then attacking to keep accelerating the whole time, AnP. Usually took me about 30 seconds.
3:15 recovery

Had my fastest climb on rep #2, then was battling to hang on to the end for all of the others, but managed.

Soft pedal back to the parking lot. Done about 15 minutes early.

Pretty awesome to be able to train with killer mountain views on the horizon past scenic prairie fields.

Highway 1A with Tom, Heather, John, Melissa, Houda and Carbon. A beautiful day and a great ride with a great crew. Rode as a group with occasional separations to tackle the hills at our own pace. Our plan was to check out whether the road was rideable (without cars) past the closure west of Baker Creek chalets but it wasn't. Watched one roadie go in to check it out and she came back pretty quickly. No worries, I need a lighter day before spin class tomorrow after a big weekend.
As I led the group back to the finish I heard some big cheering from behind. That could only mean one thing: Carbon was attacking the lead. She had started from the very back and by the time I saw her coming up, it took everything I had to try to bring my speed up to hers. I didn't have enough extra to reel her back in after she passed me, but she didn't have enough to hold it all the way to the end. The force is strong in this one. To be continued...

Finished on "Houda's patio": a row of comfy chairs he lines up outside his 5 Peaks sprinter van after the ride, with a cold beer in each cup holder. Better yet, Tom had cold chocolate milks for Carbon and I. Good times. A great weekend!

C • Yay, Carbon! 1