Calgary 70.3 (2010) Program - Week 4

Welcome to the comeback train...

Week 4 was a resounding success in the sense that I didn't feel like a dog's breakfast after any of my workouts.  And what a nice change it was considering  the difficulties I had with fatigue in week 3.  "Slugging it out" and "surviving" were replaced with "pushing through" and "succeeding".

The biggest change was my only true focus for the week... nutrition and hydration.  Though I changed very little in what I ate, I changed a fair bit when it came to quantity.  Each night I estimated the calories I would need for the upcoming day (using old Garmin data, Fitday.com and the guidelines I put in my nutrition post), then I planned my meals accordingly.  This ensured I got exactly (or very close to) what I needed to sustain each workout.

It took a little bit of work, but moving forward, I would like to keep this focus.  As volume increases, nutrition and hydration needs will only become more important.

Swimming

I continued to focus on keeping power through the whole swim stroke this week.  Swimming, per se, hasn't felt a lot different (not as many highs and lows... much more consistent) through the program to this point.  So I'd like to keep this consistency moving forward (especially as the distance starts to creep up on the sets).
Biking

In week 3, the Bow Cycle spin class was described as "beginning of the end".  This week it just felt like the beginning.

Though I didn't get my heart rate as high as it has been in the past (peak wise), I felt great throughout the workout... and afterwards, I actually didn't feel all that fatigued (legs were tired, but I didn't feel as weary as I have in the past).  A lot of this good "feeling" would certainly be attributable to diet.  It's certainly a case in point for keeping diet a focus moving forward (as it optimizes workouts).
Running

Running was great this week, especially on the hill repeat workout. I not only killed my pacing, but I had to jack up the incline by the end of it.  It's ironic actually, as this was the workout I was most worried about.
Other

I ended up getting a nasty plantar blister on my right foot.  This swayed  my to stay away from barefoot running for the week, just to give my soles a few days to mend.