Swim, Spin, Run Forrest Run!

I have changed my workouts a bit. I have cut back on the distance of the swimming. I am trying to increase some speed and cover 1000 yards. This is going well. I have cut it down from 26 - 27 minutes to about 25 minutes. Need to let my left shoulder recover a bit, I think I have a touch of tendinitis. Nothing serious, just notice up around 1500 yards I have to be gentle with my pull through the water. I still enjoy the swimming, but with all the dry air of winter, I am not a fan of chlorine. Swimming is relaxing and challenging.

I have started to add between 30 to 40 minutes of spinning after my swim. I really try to focus on keeping my heart rate between 130 and 140 during this time. I am already warmed up from the swim, but since I don't kick much during my swimming, I allow for a 5 minute leg warm up on the bike. This is time to crank the tunes, and just get through the monotony of spinning and going nowhere. A spin bike does not compare to a road ride in the least. I can sit on my bike saddle for hours, but can only stand about 15 minutes on a stationary bike. The way around this is to post out of the saddle for 15 seconds every 15 minutes or so to ease the pressure on the tush.

Once the ride is over, it is time to work. Get on the running shoes and hit the track at the gym. 10 laps is a mile. I can run about seven laps comfortably with my heart rate between 150 and 160. I usually allow myself to walk one lap at a brisk pace, run the next, and then finish number 10 as a cool down. I really hope to start building up some base here. It is somewhere between a 12 and 15 minute mile depending on how much energy I have at the end of the workout.

All in all, I am tired after this, but I am not dead. It is good to leave the gym tired, but invigorated. There is not energy to waste on negative things this way. I do find that I need a recovery day after this type of workout though. I am looking forward to running outside, but if I don't have to worry about slipping on the ice, I am not going to.