So the off season commonly starts with an unknown period of time of not many workouts and just as much eating as when you were training and burning 2000 calories a day. This quickly adds up in ways that no one is ready for, and the next thing you know, you start making promises to yourself: I'm going to workout, I'm going to go back on a diet, I'm going to get off the couch/out of bed/etc etc. These promises go on for a little while and finally something happens that snaps you out of it and you get back to it.
While I can't pinpoint the exact moment that snapped me out of it, I conned myself into going to the pool... at least one step in the right direction, and lo and behold, I came out of the pool and felt like a different person. I bounced out that door, I jammed to music in the car, I came home and I ate a healthy lunch. And there it was... I am a better/nicer/happier person when I get my ass in gear. Sometimes sleep is so tempting, but neither an extra hour of sleep, nor any TV show that can reproduce that feeling.
Today I didn't sleep enough because of scheduling conflicts but didn't allow that to become an excuse, and again, I got myself not only out the door, but to the gym for a double workout. The run was so-so, nothing impressive, 9min run 1 min walk, 4 min/1min/4min/1min/4min to wrap up a 34 minute 5k. I was joined by a friend for a bit of it which gave me the confidence that I could absolutely keep going (Thanks C!).
I convinced myself to get into the pool afterwards (thankfully had put my swimsuit on underneath my running gear because otherwise I think it would have been easy to talk myself out of it. The first one hundred yards... wasn't pretty, the girl in the lane next to me was close to my speed and that made me push too hard. When I finally settled down I banged out a good mile, with each 100 on the 1:20. Can't complain about that. As usual I got a lot of thinking done and pondered a high school classmate's journey to Tempe this week for IMAZ on Sunday. I am so excited for him and wish him nothing but the best on his first Ironman. Myself, obviously I'm hooked again, didn't take much, but there is certainly no stopping me now! :)
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Final Race of the Year
So a very delayed race recap.... here we go!
Drove home on Friday with Tim, by the time we got out of the car I was convinced that I may have been less sore if I had sat on the bike for 12 hours instead of in the car! (Yes, the tired brings out the drama queen :) ) We spent a wonderful weekend with my family, seeing many family members I hadn't seen in years, what an incredible surprise and blessing. The only downside, because of the long travel schedule and the tight work schedule that led up to it... I did not get any training in the four days before the race. This made me more than a little nervous as to whether I would be ready. I knew I had done the work necessary in the swim and the bike, but the run still was out of reach. I had completed a 6 mile run earlier in the week, and it actually went pretty well. The thing is, a 6 mile run is very different from a 6 mile run after 2 hours of exercise. I knew that my lack of training in the run was going to bite back, I just didn't know how hard! :)
Sunday morning (race day) we woke up late. The night before I had triple checked with Tim that he had set an alarm (yes, he assured me), that he had set an alarm for 530 (yes), and then he had set an alarm for 530 AM (yes). Well, at 5:50 I woke up and checked my watch.... whoops! Lo and Behold, 530 PM would have been a very long restful sleep :)
We rushed through race prep, food prep, and getting the bike on the roof. Thankfully my packing had been done the night before and I just had to get dressed and do the last minute things and jump in the car and run. Sunday morning traffic also helped as we had smooth sailing all the way into Detroit and onto the Island. We unpacked and got me to check in with lots of time to spare.
The race was incredibly well organized, check in was a breeze and I got to Transition two where my bike to run transition would take place. It was a chilly morning at only 48 degrees, but was supposed to be 82 by noon, I planned carefully though as you never know with Michigan weather. With my shoes and hand water bottle I left a long sleeve shirt (turns out, I definitely would not need that.)
We then headed 3/4 of a mile down the road to Transition one (I knew that it was going to be this far and I had planned on bringing a pair of shoes to walk this distance in but the late wake up found that second pair still on the floor next to where my bag sat.) Instead I rode slowly next to Dad and Tim as we made our way down. I set up transition one and got my markings (288). They went a little overboard marking both arms, both legs and both hands, holy moly, there would not be a missed body by the end of that day! :)
By this time, the nerves had kicked in and I was just ready to go. Finally it was race time, we lined up only to find out that the river was much more shallow than had been predicted. As I got going on the swim, after about 100yds, it was too shallow to swim anymore and the whole field waded through knee/thigh deep water for 150-200 yards. We got to the first turn and the depth dropped significantly and off we went. Nice easy swim, could have kept going, the swim certainly is my strong point. Off I went to transition, out of the wetsuit and into my helmet and bike shoes, clipped in and off I went on a 4 loop circuit of the grand prix track. Really flat, only a couple windy bumps in the road where I had to shift at all. I pumped my way through it, but it was harder than one would expect a flat race to be. I ride all hills here at home and forget that these hills allow me time out of the saddle, time coasting, etc etc. A flat race doesn't allow for any of these things, so I was a little less comfortable than usual. All in all though, I felt very strong and was pushing pretty hard. I thought about backing off a bit (and probably should have) but I figured that the run was going to stink no matter what, so I may as well kick butt on the bike. I came flying into transition, jumped off the bike and jogged in to ditch the helmet and sunglasses and change shoes.
The run.... at transition, I thought about sitting down to put on my shoes and thank goodness I didn't, I don't know if I would have been able to get back up again. Out on the run I went, and about a half mile in I knew it was going to be a rough road, I was behind on my fluids and my IT band was so tight. I ended up running 2 minutes and walking 1 for much of the race, on a couple of occasions walking for even longer. The reality was that I was going to finish no matter what, and I did. It was very emotional and overwhelming, tearing up at the end of the race. It was awesome!
Swim: 27 minutes for one mile
Bike: 19.9 mph for 25 miles
Run: 13.5 minute/mile for 6.2 miles
Finished in just over 3 hours
As I packed up my things, I was dizzy and had to sit down several times. I learned a lot on this race, the greatest lesson however, was that I am hooked and that I will definitely do it again!
Now I am looking into early in the season half ironman races for next year. If the schedule allows, I will definitely head back to Belle Isle for another Olympic distance, a great course, a great group that puts on the race, lots of support throughout the course, and of course, a little support for Detroit! :)
Pictures to come... they are stuck on Tim's phone :)
Drove home on Friday with Tim, by the time we got out of the car I was convinced that I may have been less sore if I had sat on the bike for 12 hours instead of in the car! (Yes, the tired brings out the drama queen :) ) We spent a wonderful weekend with my family, seeing many family members I hadn't seen in years, what an incredible surprise and blessing. The only downside, because of the long travel schedule and the tight work schedule that led up to it... I did not get any training in the four days before the race. This made me more than a little nervous as to whether I would be ready. I knew I had done the work necessary in the swim and the bike, but the run still was out of reach. I had completed a 6 mile run earlier in the week, and it actually went pretty well. The thing is, a 6 mile run is very different from a 6 mile run after 2 hours of exercise. I knew that my lack of training in the run was going to bite back, I just didn't know how hard! :)
Sunday morning (race day) we woke up late. The night before I had triple checked with Tim that he had set an alarm (yes, he assured me), that he had set an alarm for 530 (yes), and then he had set an alarm for 530 AM (yes). Well, at 5:50 I woke up and checked my watch.... whoops! Lo and Behold, 530 PM would have been a very long restful sleep :)
We rushed through race prep, food prep, and getting the bike on the roof. Thankfully my packing had been done the night before and I just had to get dressed and do the last minute things and jump in the car and run. Sunday morning traffic also helped as we had smooth sailing all the way into Detroit and onto the Island. We unpacked and got me to check in with lots of time to spare.
The race was incredibly well organized, check in was a breeze and I got to Transition two where my bike to run transition would take place. It was a chilly morning at only 48 degrees, but was supposed to be 82 by noon, I planned carefully though as you never know with Michigan weather. With my shoes and hand water bottle I left a long sleeve shirt (turns out, I definitely would not need that.)
We then headed 3/4 of a mile down the road to Transition one (I knew that it was going to be this far and I had planned on bringing a pair of shoes to walk this distance in but the late wake up found that second pair still on the floor next to where my bag sat.) Instead I rode slowly next to Dad and Tim as we made our way down. I set up transition one and got my markings (288). They went a little overboard marking both arms, both legs and both hands, holy moly, there would not be a missed body by the end of that day! :)
By this time, the nerves had kicked in and I was just ready to go. Finally it was race time, we lined up only to find out that the river was much more shallow than had been predicted. As I got going on the swim, after about 100yds, it was too shallow to swim anymore and the whole field waded through knee/thigh deep water for 150-200 yards. We got to the first turn and the depth dropped significantly and off we went. Nice easy swim, could have kept going, the swim certainly is my strong point. Off I went to transition, out of the wetsuit and into my helmet and bike shoes, clipped in and off I went on a 4 loop circuit of the grand prix track. Really flat, only a couple windy bumps in the road where I had to shift at all. I pumped my way through it, but it was harder than one would expect a flat race to be. I ride all hills here at home and forget that these hills allow me time out of the saddle, time coasting, etc etc. A flat race doesn't allow for any of these things, so I was a little less comfortable than usual. All in all though, I felt very strong and was pushing pretty hard. I thought about backing off a bit (and probably should have) but I figured that the run was going to stink no matter what, so I may as well kick butt on the bike. I came flying into transition, jumped off the bike and jogged in to ditch the helmet and sunglasses and change shoes.
The run.... at transition, I thought about sitting down to put on my shoes and thank goodness I didn't, I don't know if I would have been able to get back up again. Out on the run I went, and about a half mile in I knew it was going to be a rough road, I was behind on my fluids and my IT band was so tight. I ended up running 2 minutes and walking 1 for much of the race, on a couple of occasions walking for even longer. The reality was that I was going to finish no matter what, and I did. It was very emotional and overwhelming, tearing up at the end of the race. It was awesome!
Swim: 27 minutes for one mile
Bike: 19.9 mph for 25 miles
Run: 13.5 minute/mile for 6.2 miles
Finished in just over 3 hours
As I packed up my things, I was dizzy and had to sit down several times. I learned a lot on this race, the greatest lesson however, was that I am hooked and that I will definitely do it again!
Now I am looking into early in the season half ironman races for next year. If the schedule allows, I will definitely head back to Belle Isle for another Olympic distance, a great course, a great group that puts on the race, lots of support throughout the course, and of course, a little support for Detroit! :)
Pictures to come... they are stuck on Tim's phone :)
Monday, September 10, 2012
A well timed trip home
Michigan was really an awesome place to grow up. Lots of land, incredibly nice people, strong sports teams, great community, and of course family and friends nearby. Moving to Connecticut was both one of the easiest and one of the hardest things I have ever done, and because of that, every few months I will get a little homesick and in need of a taste of Michigan. So thank goodness a trip home is only 4 days away.
Training hit a bump in the road last week when this hellish cold showed up. Wednesday I knew something was wrong and tried overdosing on OJ and Zinc and yet, Thursday came and I was feeling worse. I had a double workout slated and needed to preview the Madison tri bike course, and I wasn't about to give in to a measly cold. I hit the pool and put in over 1.5 miles and felt pretty good. I then moved on to the bike course, a 13 mile loop that I would do twice to get the long bike in. I averaged just over 17 mph, but by the end, was not at my best. Thursday night the cold had me in its grip and I got little to no sleep both Thursday and Friday nights. Saturday (race day) rolled in and I felt so crummy that I considered not even going. I could not imagine throwing away the entrance fee, so decided to load up and go, especially since Pseuodoephedrine and Afrin had reined in my symptoms a bit.
Call it fate, call it a sign, call it what you will, I got there, registered and went down to take a dip and saw the boats struggling to even get the buoys in the water, not long after this they announced that the chop was too dangerous and they would be cancelling the swim and converting the race into a duathalon. That made me so nervous, I have practiced and built up muscle memory for the bike to run transition, not the opposite. Combined with not feeling even 50% and a 12 hour work shift ahead, I turned in my chip and planned on heading home. In the end, a coworker and I decided to run a relay, I ran, he biked, and we had a good time. At the end of the total day, I didn't feel great, but I hadn't done any damage either and was content. The best news was that Sunday morning I woke up feeling a hair better, and this morning even a little better. I am still not one hundred percent, but at least am moving in the right direction.
So Saturday saw a mini-workout, and Sunday I took to recover and stretch, but today I hit the road hard, running 6 miles in 65 minutes, could have been a few minutes faster if I felt better and had hydrated better this morning and/or brought water with me on the run. Good news is that I am feeling ready for Sunday. I have completed all of the distances multiple times, I have the strength and the stamina, the mental game will likely be more of a player in this longer distance, but that will be Sunday's hurdle. For now I am enjoying the recovery from this cold (probably at about 75% now), and my runner's high from tonight's workout. Stretch, shower, dinner on the docket, perhaps a jump on the trainers with Timmy for some Monday night football spinning style.
Most importantly, the count-down to Michigan has begun. Its a quick weekend with a long race in the middle of it, but I'm really looking forward to it.
Training hit a bump in the road last week when this hellish cold showed up. Wednesday I knew something was wrong and tried overdosing on OJ and Zinc and yet, Thursday came and I was feeling worse. I had a double workout slated and needed to preview the Madison tri bike course, and I wasn't about to give in to a measly cold. I hit the pool and put in over 1.5 miles and felt pretty good. I then moved on to the bike course, a 13 mile loop that I would do twice to get the long bike in. I averaged just over 17 mph, but by the end, was not at my best. Thursday night the cold had me in its grip and I got little to no sleep both Thursday and Friday nights. Saturday (race day) rolled in and I felt so crummy that I considered not even going. I could not imagine throwing away the entrance fee, so decided to load up and go, especially since Pseuodoephedrine and Afrin had reined in my symptoms a bit.
Call it fate, call it a sign, call it what you will, I got there, registered and went down to take a dip and saw the boats struggling to even get the buoys in the water, not long after this they announced that the chop was too dangerous and they would be cancelling the swim and converting the race into a duathalon. That made me so nervous, I have practiced and built up muscle memory for the bike to run transition, not the opposite. Combined with not feeling even 50% and a 12 hour work shift ahead, I turned in my chip and planned on heading home. In the end, a coworker and I decided to run a relay, I ran, he biked, and we had a good time. At the end of the total day, I didn't feel great, but I hadn't done any damage either and was content. The best news was that Sunday morning I woke up feeling a hair better, and this morning even a little better. I am still not one hundred percent, but at least am moving in the right direction.
So Saturday saw a mini-workout, and Sunday I took to recover and stretch, but today I hit the road hard, running 6 miles in 65 minutes, could have been a few minutes faster if I felt better and had hydrated better this morning and/or brought water with me on the run. Good news is that I am feeling ready for Sunday. I have completed all of the distances multiple times, I have the strength and the stamina, the mental game will likely be more of a player in this longer distance, but that will be Sunday's hurdle. For now I am enjoying the recovery from this cold (probably at about 75% now), and my runner's high from tonight's workout. Stretch, shower, dinner on the docket, perhaps a jump on the trainers with Timmy for some Monday night football spinning style.
Most importantly, the count-down to Michigan has begun. Its a quick weekend with a long race in the middle of it, but I'm really looking forward to it.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
DKH Tri Race Results
Ok, now that I am up from my nap, a race update :)
Poor Timmy was all heart and his body just didn't quite keep up with his goals. He wasn't ready for the race, and to be honest, I was relieved. I was worried about him, since he had only been in the water once before the race. His back is tight enough to make a set of six pack abs very jealous, and the poor guy is hobbling around here, still needs to get used to the bike and stretching out his back. So he was a good sport and tagged along as my paparazzi/pit crew/time keeper/cheerleader.
Me, I was exhausted, in bed after 1 am, alarm going off at 5, its not a great combination for race day. Woke up and feet felt ok, not great, but better than previous races. Hour commute to the race location and by the time we got there I was actually awake, but still yawning. It was a nice race, a little disorganized, but not bad at all, especially since it was sponsored by a local hospital and was only their second year running this event. They has MORE VOLUNTEERS than any other race I have been to, which speaks highly to their hospital system, nice to see everyone unite around this.
The swim was great, an easy half mile lake swim. Having Tim with me on the lake swim this past week he noticed something about my stroke that I always auto-corrected when there was a line on the bottom of the pool. I pull to the right. It makes sense if you think about it, with my left shoulder being the disaster one, my stroke on the right is much stronger, so off I go to the left. This made this past swim much easier, because instead of being surprised and frustrated with my veering off course, I was able to adjust for it frequently. It worked well. Also, for the first time in the swim, I pushed it pretty hard, out of the water in 12 minutes, just a hair slower than what I do in the pool.
The bike, I had to catch find my legs the first couple miles and get down some water but I started cruising along pretty well and got the 12 miles done in 40 minutes, not my fastest, but 18mph, I'll take it. Especially since I was slowed up on one section of the race where the marking and directions were poor and I quite literally had to stop to ask a volunteer whether I was supposed to turn or go straight. Like I said, not perfect organization, but a nice race. My bike, well, she is fabulous :) talk about an awesome ride, comfortable, stretched out, I think I could have problems if I ever had an impressively hilly ride- just not enough gears to drop, but she gave me a great ride today!
The run, well, as usual, not my strong point, 32 minutes, just a hair over 10 minute miles for 3.1 miles. The first 200 yards were not pretty, with my left calf in a tight ball and not heeding to my pathetic pleas of "stop, please stop, pretty pretty please with sugar on top?" Eventually it did let go but it made me very cautious for that first mile. The one big difference I noted was that my body felt better and stronger on the run, I think at least in part due to the fact that I carried water with me instead of trying to chug a glass at the water stations. My stomach handled this much better, and overall I just felt better. My feet, well, they weren't perfect, but they weren't bad at all, they didn't hold me up, thats for certain. The last quarter mile I came across a guy walking, and I have to give props to him, after a little prodding I got him to not only run with me, but actually push pretty hard to the finish, no way I could have finished the way I did without your help, so thanks nameless man :)
I came across at 1:29:45, very happy with that, and then come to find out I was 4th in my age group, 2nd in the big girl category :) and 11 woman overall, not half bad! :)
Beautiful day, awesome race, very glad that I did it, but also very glad that I was able to be lazy the rest of the day. Next up, Madison in 2 weeks, Detroit in 3. The plan? In the meantime I need to get some longer workouts in. I have been cramming in the bikes, doing 25+ miles at least a couple times a week. But I also need to get some longer runs in, at least 4 or 5 before the Detroit race. Madison will be a good warm up for me, but I need some longer workouts to get a feel for the endurance aspect of this race, as it will likely take me 3+ hours. For now... nothing but rest and rehydration. :)
Poor Timmy was all heart and his body just didn't quite keep up with his goals. He wasn't ready for the race, and to be honest, I was relieved. I was worried about him, since he had only been in the water once before the race. His back is tight enough to make a set of six pack abs very jealous, and the poor guy is hobbling around here, still needs to get used to the bike and stretching out his back. So he was a good sport and tagged along as my paparazzi/pit crew/time keeper/cheerleader.
Me, I was exhausted, in bed after 1 am, alarm going off at 5, its not a great combination for race day. Woke up and feet felt ok, not great, but better than previous races. Hour commute to the race location and by the time we got there I was actually awake, but still yawning. It was a nice race, a little disorganized, but not bad at all, especially since it was sponsored by a local hospital and was only their second year running this event. They has MORE VOLUNTEERS than any other race I have been to, which speaks highly to their hospital system, nice to see everyone unite around this.
The swim was great, an easy half mile lake swim. Having Tim with me on the lake swim this past week he noticed something about my stroke that I always auto-corrected when there was a line on the bottom of the pool. I pull to the right. It makes sense if you think about it, with my left shoulder being the disaster one, my stroke on the right is much stronger, so off I go to the left. This made this past swim much easier, because instead of being surprised and frustrated with my veering off course, I was able to adjust for it frequently. It worked well. Also, for the first time in the swim, I pushed it pretty hard, out of the water in 12 minutes, just a hair slower than what I do in the pool. 
I came across at 1:29:45, very happy with that, and then come to find out I was 4th in my age group, 2nd in the big girl category :) and 11 woman overall, not half bad! :)
Beautiful day, awesome race, very glad that I did it, but also very glad that I was able to be lazy the rest of the day. Next up, Madison in 2 weeks, Detroit in 3. The plan? In the meantime I need to get some longer workouts in. I have been cramming in the bikes, doing 25+ miles at least a couple times a week. But I also need to get some longer runs in, at least 4 or 5 before the Detroit race. Madison will be a good warm up for me, but I need some longer workouts to get a feel for the endurance aspect of this race, as it will likely take me 3+ hours. For now... nothing but rest and rehydration. :)
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Doctor Heal Thyself
So.... I'm ready, hit me with the "I told you so's."
I went to the Podiatrist today. After much research, different methods, stretches, socks, frozen lacrosse balls, shoes, rest, conversations with really smart people, and prayers, my feet didn't fix themselves, so off to the doctor I went. He sat down, talked to me for 2 minutes, asked me about activity level, work requirements, etc, and then halted abruptly saying, "You must be kidding me... you're a healthcare provider and a triathlete? You are my worst nightmare..." We then chatted some more about my hopes and dreams, he took some x-rays and there they were. A well callused and healed right first metatarsal fracture (thank you sophomore year flip turn gone wrong) and a much more recent, but healed Navicular fracture (guess I did more than fracture my proximal fibula back in January after all). More applicable to my current situation however are the very very small bone spurs that are just starting to form, what does this mean? Symptomatic treatment, arch supports and perhaps eventually orthotics should be all I need to make my feet stop hurting. Also he told me to stop walking around in flip flops and barefoot- shit. So I am currently behaving myself, but am going to have to put some research into flip-flops with arch support, any suggestions welcomed! He did steroid injections and scheduled me for follow up in a few weeks. In the meantime, following instructions, icing, stretching and anti-inflammatories. We'll see how it goes.
Many many smart people told me that orthotics were probably my next step, but my hard head didn't hear it. I think that my ego finally had to just give in. I'll let you know in a week or so how my feet are feeling during runs and especially in the morning when I wake up. I think this is the curse of being in healthcare. We know what the answer is, or in general at least one solution to the problem, and our egos get in the way. We either ignore it, or we only participate in half the solution, or just put it off saying, "I'll do it next week." Doctor heal thyself... yes indeed, but be smart enough to ask for help- its only a co-pay away. Lesson learned... this time... :)
I went to the Podiatrist today. After much research, different methods, stretches, socks, frozen lacrosse balls, shoes, rest, conversations with really smart people, and prayers, my feet didn't fix themselves, so off to the doctor I went. He sat down, talked to me for 2 minutes, asked me about activity level, work requirements, etc, and then halted abruptly saying, "You must be kidding me... you're a healthcare provider and a triathlete? You are my worst nightmare..." We then chatted some more about my hopes and dreams, he took some x-rays and there they were. A well callused and healed right first metatarsal fracture (thank you sophomore year flip turn gone wrong) and a much more recent, but healed Navicular fracture (guess I did more than fracture my proximal fibula back in January after all). More applicable to my current situation however are the very very small bone spurs that are just starting to form, what does this mean? Symptomatic treatment, arch supports and perhaps eventually orthotics should be all I need to make my feet stop hurting. Also he told me to stop walking around in flip flops and barefoot- shit. So I am currently behaving myself, but am going to have to put some research into flip-flops with arch support, any suggestions welcomed! He did steroid injections and scheduled me for follow up in a few weeks. In the meantime, following instructions, icing, stretching and anti-inflammatories. We'll see how it goes.
Many many smart people told me that orthotics were probably my next step, but my hard head didn't hear it. I think that my ego finally had to just give in. I'll let you know in a week or so how my feet are feeling during runs and especially in the morning when I wake up. I think this is the curse of being in healthcare. We know what the answer is, or in general at least one solution to the problem, and our egos get in the way. We either ignore it, or we only participate in half the solution, or just put it off saying, "I'll do it next week." Doctor heal thyself... yes indeed, but be smart enough to ask for help- its only a co-pay away. Lesson learned... this time... :)
Monday, August 13, 2012
Hey Hey Pretty Lady!
So Tim is on board. Bike fitted and ordered, first tri signed up for, and less than two weeks away! I guess we are going to have to do some serious intensive swim training, although I don't think he fully realizes that just yet. This means that I have added two more sprints to my summer schedule and also had some encouragement and support in buying a new bike. When I bought my first bike six months ago, I went reasonable so that if I hated this whole thing, I wouldn't hate myself for spending too much money on a bike. The more time I spent on the bike, the more I realized I loved it, and that it was worth the investment, so I made it, here she is!
The bike certainly doesn't make me faster, but it makes me more comfortable, no more compression of my radial nerve, My rear cassette is only 8 gears, so I imagine that eventually that will need to change, but for now, it does the trick.
One brutal ride on Saturday, 38 miles, of which more than half were on very hilly roads, up, up, up and more up. There was one road that I couldn't even make it up on my road bike, maybe one day. Yesterday a short ride to break in the new bike, and today a longer ride, 26.2 miles in 85 minutes. I am by no stretch of the imagination a speed demon, but I feel great! Next step is getting better on the longer runs and still find some time to get into the pool and bang out some longer laps.
For now, I feel good about myself, working out, sleeping and eating well, and now the love of my life joining me in the craze, I love it! Life is good :)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Niantic Bay Race Recap
Ok, so this race should be a lesson to me. Ocean Beach obviously wasn't enough of a lesson in not-preparedness! :) If I had any doubt in my mind, Niantic cleared that for me. I can go out and complete the race without training much, but I can't compete. It was the hardest course I have run yet, the swim was a piece of cake, but I wasn't able to push as hard as I wanted to. The bike was tougher than I expected, I wasn't ready for that, and then... I lost my chain. Rookie shifting mistake on a hill and next thing I knew my chain was on the ground. It took me a couple minutes to get it back in place and to get myself up the hill. The run... well, I wanted to die. I looked at the people running past me on a couple sections of the run and couldn't help but think... no one would know if I just turned around and follow them. But I didn't, I finished it out, and despite walking along a couple of sections of the race, I still finished it with a pace of 10 minute miles. Now of course that pace is still slower than most on the course. Swim rank was 187, bike 294 and run 410.
Now, on to training for the Olympic. I need to be more serious about this and get my time in, because I can bandaid my way through a sprint, but its never going to work in the longer distance. The reality that I am facing is that it is no longer enough to just go out and put in the distance, not if I want to compete, I need to do intervals, hill repeats, and a lot of leg work. No more amateur hour, I have five weeks to get it in gear and see what I can do.
In the meantime, we need to hunt down a bike for Tim. He has started talking about training with me and maybe getting into the triathlons next year. I am very excited to not only have this thing in common, but also to have a training partner, especially someone who will definitely be able to push me on the bike and the run.
For now though, off on a bike, swim later. Ready to go!
Now, on to training for the Olympic. I need to be more serious about this and get my time in, because I can bandaid my way through a sprint, but its never going to work in the longer distance. The reality that I am facing is that it is no longer enough to just go out and put in the distance, not if I want to compete, I need to do intervals, hill repeats, and a lot of leg work. No more amateur hour, I have five weeks to get it in gear and see what I can do.
In the meantime, we need to hunt down a bike for Tim. He has started talking about training with me and maybe getting into the triathlons next year. I am very excited to not only have this thing in common, but also to have a training partner, especially someone who will definitely be able to push me on the bike and the run.
For now though, off on a bike, swim later. Ready to go!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Setting Priorities
So there is a commercial out right now that I am sure you have all seen. It features Olympic athletes, one of which says, "I haven't had a morning off, much less a day off, another that says, "I haven't watched TV in over a year." These are both incredibly powerful statements, the first I think we can all relate to. Most people who have ever dreamed about a shot at an Olympic berth have thought, "Man, if that was my job, I would be happy to do it every day, I wouldn't even complain." The thing is, for most of these athletes, the work and training that goes into this probably counts for nearly double your/my work week. Between the actual time committed to that sport, the weight lifting, the cross training, and the studying, it all adds up. For me, this really makes my pathetic excuses for why I didn't bang out a quick run or bike, well exactly that, pathetic.
The truth is, I feel better after a sweet bike, my day at work goes much smoother if I emptied out all my stress in the pool before my shift. Despite 60 hour work weeks, it is important for my sanity to get the workout in. This week was the culmination of this. I spent the week at work, both jobs, different shifts, and when I wasn't at work, for the most part, I was plunked in front of the TV, not that there was anything good on TV, but more because I was just being lazy. How is it possible that the TV and/or the internet is a priority for me?
We all complain that there are not enough hours in the day, but the truth is, we all need to do a little analysis into how much time we are WASTING. I waste a good 3-4 hours per day. Now granted, some of this time, I need down time, Pinterest time, or just boring background TV time. But four hours, I think not. Now of course there are exceptions to the rule, such as, the Olympics, where people across the country salute our world class athletes by sitting on our butts. I think, if nothing else this week, I will set the bike up on the trainer and bike while I watch, or plan on doing some core work.
This week is a busy one, but somehow I need to reset my priorities and keep them at the forefront. I work 4 12 hour shifts in a row and then have to get the house ready for our post-tri shin-dig on Sunday... oh yeah, and get ready for the tri too :)
I banged out 18.2 miles today in 61 minutes, including a 2 minute stop waiting for traffic to clear so I could make a left. The bike is getting better, a hair easier, but mostly just gaining experience and knowing when to do what. My left knee has started pulling a little bit while I ride, so I will need to adjust my seat a little higher, taking some of the bend and some of the stress out of my knees.
Priorities, priorities, what are yours?
The truth is, I feel better after a sweet bike, my day at work goes much smoother if I emptied out all my stress in the pool before my shift. Despite 60 hour work weeks, it is important for my sanity to get the workout in. This week was the culmination of this. I spent the week at work, both jobs, different shifts, and when I wasn't at work, for the most part, I was plunked in front of the TV, not that there was anything good on TV, but more because I was just being lazy. How is it possible that the TV and/or the internet is a priority for me?
We all complain that there are not enough hours in the day, but the truth is, we all need to do a little analysis into how much time we are WASTING. I waste a good 3-4 hours per day. Now granted, some of this time, I need down time, Pinterest time, or just boring background TV time. But four hours, I think not. Now of course there are exceptions to the rule, such as, the Olympics, where people across the country salute our world class athletes by sitting on our butts. I think, if nothing else this week, I will set the bike up on the trainer and bike while I watch, or plan on doing some core work.
This week is a busy one, but somehow I need to reset my priorities and keep them at the forefront. I work 4 12 hour shifts in a row and then have to get the house ready for our post-tri shin-dig on Sunday... oh yeah, and get ready for the tri too :)
I banged out 18.2 miles today in 61 minutes, including a 2 minute stop waiting for traffic to clear so I could make a left. The bike is getting better, a hair easier, but mostly just gaining experience and knowing when to do what. My left knee has started pulling a little bit while I ride, so I will need to adjust my seat a little higher, taking some of the bend and some of the stress out of my knees.
Priorities, priorities, what are yours?
Monday, July 23, 2012
Frankie Says Yes, Stomach Says No
I have been struggling with my stomach here recently. The past few months have been a whirlwind of changes, mostly with level of activity, but on a background note, my nutrition has improved as well. Less heavy greasy fatty sugary foods, and more of the good stuff. The problem is, now, on a whim when I go to eat an abundance of these bad things, my stomach is more than a little pissed. I have been struggling with this, thinking, sheesh, is it bread, or dairy? But then a very wise friend of mine said, "Maybe its just the fatty foods Kris..." Jeeze, why didn't I think of that? Well, lets be honest, because I didn't want to. :) So I am going to need to compromise, and take these other things in small portions. Part of becoming better at this whole thing is going to need to be from a nutritional standpoint as well.
On a sort-of related topic, I cannot imagine what happens to swallowed gum! This sounds like a completely random thought, but bear with me. The other morning when I went for a ride in the hot sun, it was 95+ outside (but cooler than the body's normal temperature). The ride was awesome, I felt great, right up until the end when suddenly every little rock, grain of sand and well... everything, was flying off of my wheel and hitting me in the legs, for about a half of a second I entertained the idea that I was going "just that fast!" that thought quickly faded and I puzzled the rest of the ride home as to why this was happening. When I got home and knelt down to take off my shoes, I was overwhelmed by the smell of spearamint..... oh no... it all made sense! Gum.... EVERYWHERE. In the wonderfully hot temperature the green stringy stuff had wound itself around every component of my bike (which of course had just gotten a greasy tune up). So my girl got some major TLC that night, during which time, all I could think about was... holy cow, if this happens to a bike, what happens when you swallow the gum. Needless to say I will likely induce vomiting if I ever happen to swallow a piece of gum.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Chilly Morning Ride
With the recent heat wave, I haven't had to deal with goosebumps on a ride. This morning, I was wide awake at 630 and couldn't ease back to sleep, so I figured the weather looked nice, beautiful sunny morning and so I headed out. Banged out a quick 18.1 in 62 minutes. It was more than a little chilly to start and I almost turned back to get a long sleeve shirt, by mid-ride however, I warmed up and it made for an incredible ride. Not many people out on the roads, and an absolutely beautiful morning. What a great way to start the day, now off to work I go!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thirsty Thursday
The epitome of thirsty Thursday was yesterday! :) Busy day, early morning swim, work and meetings in the AM, quick nap, and then off to the races- literally. There was a local triathlon last night, 500m swim, 10.75 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. It was a beautiful day, and the water was so warm I didn't need to wear a wetsuit. That was the first time I raced without a wetsuit, and it was all kinds of wonderful! The absence of stress of getting out of the damn thing was a beautiful thing! Third female out of the water, 9 minutes to swim and transition out onto the bike. The bike was excellent, the temperature perfect, I biked at about 19 mph, and felt good going into transition. The run was hard in the start, but got better and I felt really strong the second half and was actually able to push at the end. Bike transition and run took 32 minutes, taking transition out, probably just under ten minute miles.
What a great race, I felt so good at the end. Looking at results today, I was 62nd overall (out of 92), 23rd in the swim, 60th in the bike and 83rd in the run. HAHAHAHA. What I am finding is while I have been very happy with my run times, they are a little bit of a joke when compared with the rest of the field. Now the truth is that I am a swimmer who learned how to bike, so that is where the majority of my workouts go, but its going to be time to start working on the run a bit. Trimming just a couple minutes would make a really big difference, we'll see if I can do that before Niantic.
The real challenge for the evening was not indeed the race, but the race and the 10 hour night shift afterwards. Yes, that may not have been my wisest decision, but, I'll tell you, going in, I had a heck of an adrenaline rush, but I hit a major wall at 1am. I made it through until 7, and drove home, somehow managing to stay awake. By the time I hit the door, I was ready to hit the bed... and did! :) As far as thirsty goes, I had stayed well hydrated all day, but during the race, didn't drink much. As I was driving into work I drank 72 ounces of water in an attempt to catch up. Around Midnight I had to pee so bad I couldn't even see straight :)
All in all, I made it, I did it, and I had a blast while I was at it. What's next? Who knows?! But for today, I think its time for a day off- and perhaps a nap.
What a great race, I felt so good at the end. Looking at results today, I was 62nd overall (out of 92), 23rd in the swim, 60th in the bike and 83rd in the run. HAHAHAHA. What I am finding is while I have been very happy with my run times, they are a little bit of a joke when compared with the rest of the field. Now the truth is that I am a swimmer who learned how to bike, so that is where the majority of my workouts go, but its going to be time to start working on the run a bit. Trimming just a couple minutes would make a really big difference, we'll see if I can do that before Niantic.
The real challenge for the evening was not indeed the race, but the race and the 10 hour night shift afterwards. Yes, that may not have been my wisest decision, but, I'll tell you, going in, I had a heck of an adrenaline rush, but I hit a major wall at 1am. I made it through until 7, and drove home, somehow managing to stay awake. By the time I hit the door, I was ready to hit the bed... and did! :) As far as thirsty goes, I had stayed well hydrated all day, but during the race, didn't drink much. As I was driving into work I drank 72 ounces of water in an attempt to catch up. Around Midnight I had to pee so bad I couldn't even see straight :)
All in all, I made it, I did it, and I had a blast while I was at it. What's next? Who knows?! But for today, I think its time for a day off- and perhaps a nap.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Days after a race
So, I bragged after my first race about not being terribly tired, or sore, and I thought I was in some kind of incredible shape or something. It turns out, I just didn't race hard enough :) I woke up yesterday morning and felt every single mile! I laughed at myself as I crawled out of bed. I made it to the pool and banged out a quick mile before heading into work. The swim felt good, arms a little sore, but not terrible, and really didn't slow me down at all. I did 100 repeats, 6 swim, 6 pull, 3 kick and 3 swim.
The one thing I know I did wrong on Sunday is I didn't engage my abs and so my back is screaming. I am still working on stretching it out, its still not thrilled :) Another ride today, hopefully that will finish stretching things out, also give me an idea of the hill for Thursday.
Cedar Lake has a triathlon series on Thursdays during the summer, unfortunately, I'm not off the work schedule for any of them, BUT, I am only on nights this Thursday, which means that I can run the tri and go to work afterwards. So its a quick turn around, but it keeps my training on schedule, and gives me another chance at the run. The swim is a hair shorter at 500 yards, and the bike is only 11 miles, with a 5k run. All in all, very doable, maybe a quick picnic after the race, shower and off to work.
For now, stretch, hydrate, and let the weather cool down a hair, then I'll hit the road.
The one thing I know I did wrong on Sunday is I didn't engage my abs and so my back is screaming. I am still working on stretching it out, its still not thrilled :) Another ride today, hopefully that will finish stretching things out, also give me an idea of the hill for Thursday.
Cedar Lake has a triathlon series on Thursdays during the summer, unfortunately, I'm not off the work schedule for any of them, BUT, I am only on nights this Thursday, which means that I can run the tri and go to work afterwards. So its a quick turn around, but it keeps my training on schedule, and gives me another chance at the run. The swim is a hair shorter at 500 yards, and the bike is only 11 miles, with a 5k run. All in all, very doable, maybe a quick picnic after the race, shower and off to work.
For now, stretch, hydrate, and let the weather cool down a hair, then I'll hit the road.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Update: Race Results
So, final race results are in!
Swim plus the run up the beach to transition: 18:50 (128/321)
T1 2: 2:06
Bike: 53:59 (184/321)
T2: 1:37
Run: 35:10 (290/321)
So, rocking the swim, good good, bike better than expected, excellent, run with significant room for improvement.
The more I have thought about the race and the more that I have talked to people, I think I have a game plan for my next race. I need to do one full brick per week and at least one 4+ mile run per week, being careful to stretch and take care of my feet and calves as much as possible. I made the mistake of training two sports for this race, and the results showed, so time to live and learn.
Transitions, as slow as I feel, I am actually moving pretty good in transition, not going to make any big changes there.
The biggest change right now comes in a trip to the bike shop to talk to the guys about a pair of tri-bars. Then its simply getting back on a good training schedule, especially with the Olympic distance looming only two months away.
I'm hooked, I can't stop, now I'll just have to motivate myself out of bed in the morning to keep the game plan on track :)
Swim plus the run up the beach to transition: 18:50 (128/321)
T1 2: 2:06
Bike: 53:59 (184/321)
T2: 1:37
Run: 35:10 (290/321)
So, rocking the swim, good good, bike better than expected, excellent, run with significant room for improvement.
The more I have thought about the race and the more that I have talked to people, I think I have a game plan for my next race. I need to do one full brick per week and at least one 4+ mile run per week, being careful to stretch and take care of my feet and calves as much as possible. I made the mistake of training two sports for this race, and the results showed, so time to live and learn.
Transitions, as slow as I feel, I am actually moving pretty good in transition, not going to make any big changes there.
The biggest change right now comes in a trip to the bike shop to talk to the guys about a pair of tri-bars. Then its simply getting back on a good training schedule, especially with the Olympic distance looming only two months away.
I'm hooked, I can't stop, now I'll just have to motivate myself out of bed in the morning to keep the game plan on track :)
Ocean Beach Tri
Well another race down, and I am finding that, as usual, I am far too competitive! :)
I worked 12 hours yesterday and somehow made it to bed just before midnight, alarm went off at 5am, dogs fed and kenneled, water bottles filled, and breakfast/coffee made and out the door we went. I drank my smoothie on the way down to the beach, and while I didn't finish it, it also didn't want to come back up the entire race, so a definite move in the right direction from the PB&J that wanted out PRONTO on the start of the run. :) Bad news? The bowl of ice cream I splurged on before bed... my stomach was not thrilled with that choice. Thankfully we got to the beach with time to spare for me to use the facilities!
This has been something that I have been struggling with, and unfortunately I have pretty much narrowed it down to breads/wheats or dairy. The failure of the ice cream certainly points in one direction, but I am hoping that with appropriate changes and with taking only small portions... I will be able to continue with my passion for both of these food groups :)
Back to the race, set my slot up and got down to the beach. I was in the 4th wave and watched the first few waves go out and watched how the current seemed to be dragging. I also watched the 3 small jellyfish bob around in the shallow water in front of me. Now for those who don't know, I have a terrible irrational fear regarding jellyfish. The trouble is... I have never been around them. I am a Michigander, so I have only heard the horror stories... because those are the only ones that ever get told. So in my head, jellyfish=bad. Somehow, I held it together... probably because no one around me seemed to be terribly concerned by their presence, although one girl got pretty jumpy, and I was motivated to avoid looking that panicked :)
The horn went off and off into the water we went. A much easier swim this time around, no episodes of panic, although the current took some figuring out. All in all, it was a good stage. It went by quickly and thankfully without injury or exhaustion. I made it to the front of my wave and passed several in the wave before me. By the time I hit the shore, I was trying to peel out of the wetsuit... one day I will figure out the right way to do this, in the meantime I will just pull and tug and somehow manage to get the silly thing off.
Transition, somehow this time didn't seem to go as smoothly, I still got in and out relatively quickly, but found myself actually standing still for a couple moments and trying to think... what comes next?
The bike, I rocked! All of the hard work that I have been putting in and all those silly hills have made me much faster. The one hill that I was dreading ended up being relatively easy, and certainly much easier than when Carly and I rode it a couple weeks back. I knew I was probably pushing a little too hard, but I felt so good, I didn't know how I could NOT take advantage of it! By the end of the bike I was still feeling very good. I changed, slipped socks/shoes/number and my dad's hat on and off I went.
The run... well, I made it. I averaged just over 11 minute miles, certainly no speed demon, however, a few things. 1) I pushed too hard on the bike, 2) I did ONE training run in between the Bridgeport triathlon and today's- thats right, one, and it was a 6 mile spur of the moment run, so not nearly enough training 3) I have done a few brick workouts- but they were wimpy bricks, with a hard bike followed by a short run. I blamed this on wanting to avoid foot problems, but the reality is, the run is becoming my weak point- I need to start training for this again, and appropriately!
In the end, I came across with a final time of 1:50. Half mile swim, 16.1 bike and 3.1 run. Not half bad! :) Tim was there to watch and to cheer me on and call out splits and take the all important pictures. Thank goodness for him, it is very grounding to have someone on the other side of the fence when your brain is not quite a full functioning capacity, just knowing that he wouldn't let me run out of transition without my helmet... very reassuring! :)
Amica gave us medals, how cool. Something about getting a finisher's medal never gets old. I'll take it, thats for sure :)
Oh and just for kicks and giggles... look at the ride-along I had on the bike. My luck, right? Someone's helmet sticker flies off and hits my half inch wide tire... and stays there... for the next 15 miles. Why not? Very irritating noise, but if nothing else, it helped me with cadence ;)
I worked 12 hours yesterday and somehow made it to bed just before midnight, alarm went off at 5am, dogs fed and kenneled, water bottles filled, and breakfast/coffee made and out the door we went. I drank my smoothie on the way down to the beach, and while I didn't finish it, it also didn't want to come back up the entire race, so a definite move in the right direction from the PB&J that wanted out PRONTO on the start of the run. :) Bad news? The bowl of ice cream I splurged on before bed... my stomach was not thrilled with that choice. Thankfully we got to the beach with time to spare for me to use the facilities!
This has been something that I have been struggling with, and unfortunately I have pretty much narrowed it down to breads/wheats or dairy. The failure of the ice cream certainly points in one direction, but I am hoping that with appropriate changes and with taking only small portions... I will be able to continue with my passion for both of these food groups :)
Back to the race, set my slot up and got down to the beach. I was in the 4th wave and watched the first few waves go out and watched how the current seemed to be dragging. I also watched the 3 small jellyfish bob around in the shallow water in front of me. Now for those who don't know, I have a terrible irrational fear regarding jellyfish. The trouble is... I have never been around them. I am a Michigander, so I have only heard the horror stories... because those are the only ones that ever get told. So in my head, jellyfish=bad. Somehow, I held it together... probably because no one around me seemed to be terribly concerned by their presence, although one girl got pretty jumpy, and I was motivated to avoid looking that panicked :)
The horn went off and off into the water we went. A much easier swim this time around, no episodes of panic, although the current took some figuring out. All in all, it was a good stage. It went by quickly and thankfully without injury or exhaustion. I made it to the front of my wave and passed several in the wave before me. By the time I hit the shore, I was trying to peel out of the wetsuit... one day I will figure out the right way to do this, in the meantime I will just pull and tug and somehow manage to get the silly thing off.
Transition, somehow this time didn't seem to go as smoothly, I still got in and out relatively quickly, but found myself actually standing still for a couple moments and trying to think... what comes next?
The bike, I rocked! All of the hard work that I have been putting in and all those silly hills have made me much faster. The one hill that I was dreading ended up being relatively easy, and certainly much easier than when Carly and I rode it a couple weeks back. I knew I was probably pushing a little too hard, but I felt so good, I didn't know how I could NOT take advantage of it! By the end of the bike I was still feeling very good. I changed, slipped socks/shoes/number and my dad's hat on and off I went.
The run... well, I made it. I averaged just over 11 minute miles, certainly no speed demon, however, a few things. 1) I pushed too hard on the bike, 2) I did ONE training run in between the Bridgeport triathlon and today's- thats right, one, and it was a 6 mile spur of the moment run, so not nearly enough training 3) I have done a few brick workouts- but they were wimpy bricks, with a hard bike followed by a short run. I blamed this on wanting to avoid foot problems, but the reality is, the run is becoming my weak point- I need to start training for this again, and appropriately!
In the end, I came across with a final time of 1:50. Half mile swim, 16.1 bike and 3.1 run. Not half bad! :) Tim was there to watch and to cheer me on and call out splits and take the all important pictures. Thank goodness for him, it is very grounding to have someone on the other side of the fence when your brain is not quite a full functioning capacity, just knowing that he wouldn't let me run out of transition without my helmet... very reassuring! :)
Amica gave us medals, how cool. Something about getting a finisher's medal never gets old. I'll take it, thats for sure :)
Oh and just for kicks and giggles... look at the ride-along I had on the bike. My luck, right? Someone's helmet sticker flies off and hits my half inch wide tire... and stays there... for the next 15 miles. Why not? Very irritating noise, but if nothing else, it helped me with cadence ;)
Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday the 13th
Well, at the end of this superstitious day the only bad thing that happened was getting a headache from a little too much wine at lunch :) All in all, a great day. Went for a hard sprint brick this morning, biked 13 miles and ran one. Felt good, felt refreshed, and all in all, feel ready for Sunday. I plan to hit the pool tomorrow before work and get the bike to the shop for a quick tune up. Unfortunately working until 11pm the night before a race of course is not ideal, but I'm making the best of it. I am getting everything together tonight and packing the car so I just have to roll out of bed, get dressed and grab water and Gu's on Sunday morning. Also, I plan to hit the sack terribly boring-ly early tonight so that I am as well rested as possible going into this.
I have to give a big thanks to all my friends who have tolerated my stories and kept track of my races, and the ones who, when I am trying not to let my tri's consume the conversation, ask me how training is going and let me ramble on :) I appreciate your love and support more than you know. It means so much to have you behind me in all of this, and it truly has gotten me this far.
Tim has been amazing, as he is constantly drowning in tri conversations, listening to me go on and on about plans, rides, pains, races, fears, accomplishments, routes, hills.... and so much more. He has understood this very weird journey, and been with me every step of the way, and for that, I could not possibly be more grateful.
Now as for me, I am just... well... happy. This training has added so much to my life. I never really realized that something was missing until I filled the void, and finally feel complete again. I have only done the one race, and I will have to update you after Sunday, the racing is certainly fun, but the training is almost more fun, more challenging, pushing hills and times and figuring out this crazy sport.
For now, that is all, need to pack, hydrate and head to bed, long couple of days ahead of me! Race is in New London on Sunday morning, at Ocean Beach, half mile swim, 16.1 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. I'm ready and I just can't wait! :)
I have to give a big thanks to all my friends who have tolerated my stories and kept track of my races, and the ones who, when I am trying not to let my tri's consume the conversation, ask me how training is going and let me ramble on :) I appreciate your love and support more than you know. It means so much to have you behind me in all of this, and it truly has gotten me this far.
Tim has been amazing, as he is constantly drowning in tri conversations, listening to me go on and on about plans, rides, pains, races, fears, accomplishments, routes, hills.... and so much more. He has understood this very weird journey, and been with me every step of the way, and for that, I could not possibly be more grateful.
Now as for me, I am just... well... happy. This training has added so much to my life. I never really realized that something was missing until I filled the void, and finally feel complete again. I have only done the one race, and I will have to update you after Sunday, the racing is certainly fun, but the training is almost more fun, more challenging, pushing hills and times and figuring out this crazy sport.
For now, that is all, need to pack, hydrate and head to bed, long couple of days ahead of me! Race is in New London on Sunday morning, at Ocean Beach, half mile swim, 16.1 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. I'm ready and I just can't wait! :)
Monday, July 2, 2012
Hit the Road
Amidst a weird work schedule I am fitting in the workouts. I slept in this morning, which led to a workout in an environment that was much too hot (better planning next time). However, I was completely motivated by a good friend who has been kicking ass in her own running/work-out/weight-loss journey. So out the door I went and headed out for a quick 3 miles, but at a mile and a half I was feeling pretty good and headed up to the next cross road and continued "around the block," which around here means I ended up running 6 miles. I trudged through at a 12 minute pace, but I did it.
The biggest mistake about this was because I had planned on half the distance, I didn't bring any water with me- next time, better planning in the heat. Thankfully I made it just fine, came home 2 pounds of sweat lighter, so I'll be busy catching up on hydration all day. What the rest of the day will hold, I'm not sure.
Next race is 2 weeks away, another sprint, longer bike this time, a few gentle hills and one good climb. Rode the course with a friend the other day, going to have to do a few hill sprints to get ready for that hill, I'm still not very good at the steep work. Might take my bike to work with me tonight so I can do a little work tomorrow morning before heading home and to bed!
For now, I'll stretch out my feet and then I think its time to go pick up a couple tree straps and hang the hammock and do a little relaxing! :)
The biggest mistake about this was because I had planned on half the distance, I didn't bring any water with me- next time, better planning in the heat. Thankfully I made it just fine, came home 2 pounds of sweat lighter, so I'll be busy catching up on hydration all day. What the rest of the day will hold, I'm not sure.
Next race is 2 weeks away, another sprint, longer bike this time, a few gentle hills and one good climb. Rode the course with a friend the other day, going to have to do a few hill sprints to get ready for that hill, I'm still not very good at the steep work. Might take my bike to work with me tonight so I can do a little work tomorrow morning before heading home and to bed!
For now, I'll stretch out my feet and then I think its time to go pick up a couple tree straps and hang the hammock and do a little relaxing! :)
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Core Work
If you aren't strong in the middle, you can't be strong anywhere else. Up until this point, I have gotten in cardio work whenever I could and 10 minutes of core work maybe once or twice a week. Now I am starting to make room for a little bit more core work, knowing that if I can rein in some energy from my midsection, I will have a faster back half.
I have been a little all over the place the last couple weeks, not very consistent, but I am back at it and going hard. I am holding off on a half-ironman for this year. I realized I would have to forego the Belle Isle Olympic distance, and that means way too much to me to not do. To be able to do that race close to home, with family and friends able to make the race, it sounds like something that could quickly become a tradition! Its certainly not something I am willing to give up this year. So I will have to start looking at 2013 Half Irons, and who knows, perhaps a full. For now though, enjoying training and learning something new everyday.
For now though, I am tired, and need a little rest before a morning bike ride with a good friend. Can't believe the difference that this has made in my life, and would never turn back!
I have been a little all over the place the last couple weeks, not very consistent, but I am back at it and going hard. I am holding off on a half-ironman for this year. I realized I would have to forego the Belle Isle Olympic distance, and that means way too much to me to not do. To be able to do that race close to home, with family and friends able to make the race, it sounds like something that could quickly become a tradition! Its certainly not something I am willing to give up this year. So I will have to start looking at 2013 Half Irons, and who knows, perhaps a full. For now though, enjoying training and learning something new everyday.
For now though, I am tired, and need a little rest before a morning bike ride with a good friend. Can't believe the difference that this has made in my life, and would never turn back!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Clip Clip Clip
Oh dear, after a really rough week on the work end (too many hours super-girl), I took an unscheduled break from training. I biked last Tuesday and swam on Thursday, but that was it. So today it was time to get back on track. I topped off the bike tires and set out on a route that I hadn't yet attempted. It was a good route, getting in some good hill work as well as some time in the big ring, a nice balance. Everything was going fine until I came to the bottom of a hill that I planned to coast through the corner on, but had a car coming, so had to stop, that was not the problem, I had backed off and it was easy for me to come to a stop, however, I didn't exactly think through the clips. Whoops! I managed to kick one foot out and catch myself from hitting the pavement, but it was a close call. Lesson learned, anytime I take some time off, clip in and out multiple times at the beginning and ends of rides to keep the movement ingrained in my memory, and that of my feet! Clip Clip Clip...
All in all a great ride, 18 miles in 68 minutes, 16 mph, its progress! :) I changed and headed to the pool and got in some sprint work. Grocery store, dinner, and now a little blog time before I head for the shower and off to work tonight.
I have not registered for the half iron yet, and I don't think I am going to. Not this year, maybe next spring, and a full next fall. I didn't budget vacation time, and I want to be able to take 10 days off allotting for prep, travel, race and recovery. If I am going to do this, it is worth doing right, and I am hooked as much on the training as the races, so its alright if I put it off. I am still planning on the Olympic Distance in Michigan Mid-September. I am really looking forward to this one as it is home! I talked to my dad about possibly doing a sprint-relay with my brother and sister, which would make it even more special.
For now, feet are doing well, glad to be back to training, still figuring out the right balance between training and sleeping. All in all, great day, endorphins soaring, and back to my old stomping ground to hang out with good friends tonight, I mean, work with old friends :)
Oh, and clip clip clip... can't ever think about it enough to avoid something bad down the road.... clip clip clip
All in all a great ride, 18 miles in 68 minutes, 16 mph, its progress! :) I changed and headed to the pool and got in some sprint work. Grocery store, dinner, and now a little blog time before I head for the shower and off to work tonight.
I have not registered for the half iron yet, and I don't think I am going to. Not this year, maybe next spring, and a full next fall. I didn't budget vacation time, and I want to be able to take 10 days off allotting for prep, travel, race and recovery. If I am going to do this, it is worth doing right, and I am hooked as much on the training as the races, so its alright if I put it off. I am still planning on the Olympic Distance in Michigan Mid-September. I am really looking forward to this one as it is home! I talked to my dad about possibly doing a sprint-relay with my brother and sister, which would make it even more special.
For now, feet are doing well, glad to be back to training, still figuring out the right balance between training and sleeping. All in all, great day, endorphins soaring, and back to my old stomping ground to hang out with good friends tonight, I mean, work with old friends :)
Oh, and clip clip clip... can't ever think about it enough to avoid something bad down the road.... clip clip clip
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Back at It
I had every intention of getting back on my training yesterday, however, upon getting out of bed I could not put my feet on the floor. This, obviously, was not conducive to going to work, much less tack on a workout of some sort. As the day went on and I tried to figure out what the hell I did, I realized that the walk through the sand to the start and the run through the sand to the transition shredded the stabilizer muscles in a foot that is already having problems. Work was ok, not great, on the foot, hobbled most of the shift, but by the end of it actually felt halfway decent. The biggest improvement, however, was this morning when I climbed out of bed and felt a little pull, but nothing terrible. This is very very reassuring to me, and I am going to take a few steps forward in my training. I am going to head out for a long bike today, and then I am going to come home and sign up for HalfIron Pocono.
I am bubbling over, and driving anyone who will listen absolutely crazy with repetitive stories from the race and from my training. It all seems very possible now with one behind me, and I am hooked. I want more. I will listen to my body first and foremost, and ensure that I can stay healthy and do this, but this seems like a challenge that I can meet.
In the meantime, I have a couple Half training plans that I am going over and tweaking to fit this crazy lifestyle of mine. With my feet, until I get them under better control, I am only going to be able to run once a week, which makes building up mileage a little tough, but not impossible. The bike is my weak point and the place where I have the most room to improve. I ran 10 minute miles on Sunday, not great, but for the end of the race I was very happy with that. I don't expect to be much faster than that. The swim, there is only so much room for improvement there. To be honest, once I got past the anxiety portion of the swim, it was really fun, almost meditative, and I felt so damn good coming out of the water. As long as I keep feeling that way, I'm happy with the swim.
So the bike it is, thats where I am going to put my focus while I am training for this thing. Between morning bikes before work and hitting the trainer after work if needed, I want to pick my cadence up and start learning how to push on the bike. The two plans I am looking at are based on 9 workouts a week, 3 swim, 3 bike, 3 run. I already know that I can't run three times a week, so it will be cut back to 7 workouts a week, except that I think I will add a bike in when I can to make it 8. All in all, I think this is pretty reasonable, and very doable. We'll see whether my body agrees or not :) For now, I'm having a blast!
I am bubbling over, and driving anyone who will listen absolutely crazy with repetitive stories from the race and from my training. It all seems very possible now with one behind me, and I am hooked. I want more. I will listen to my body first and foremost, and ensure that I can stay healthy and do this, but this seems like a challenge that I can meet.
In the meantime, I have a couple Half training plans that I am going over and tweaking to fit this crazy lifestyle of mine. With my feet, until I get them under better control, I am only going to be able to run once a week, which makes building up mileage a little tough, but not impossible. The bike is my weak point and the place where I have the most room to improve. I ran 10 minute miles on Sunday, not great, but for the end of the race I was very happy with that. I don't expect to be much faster than that. The swim, there is only so much room for improvement there. To be honest, once I got past the anxiety portion of the swim, it was really fun, almost meditative, and I felt so damn good coming out of the water. As long as I keep feeling that way, I'm happy with the swim.
So the bike it is, thats where I am going to put my focus while I am training for this thing. Between morning bikes before work and hitting the trainer after work if needed, I want to pick my cadence up and start learning how to push on the bike. The two plans I am looking at are based on 9 workouts a week, 3 swim, 3 bike, 3 run. I already know that I can't run three times a week, so it will be cut back to 7 workouts a week, except that I think I will add a bike in when I can to make it 8. All in all, I think this is pretty reasonable, and very doable. We'll see whether my body agrees or not :) For now, I'm having a blast!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Triathlete I am!
Well, it was awesome! I feel so good! It was a great course to do your first race on, a little chaotic start in the swim, but the bike and the run were flat and fast.
I was so excited when I got there, talking with the other people and getting psyched up. I couldn't wait to race, can you tell?
My head was a little screwy in the swim, it was so shallow for so long, that most were running when I was swimming, and I have been hit, kicked, ran over and tugged while swimming, but not once, ever, have I be STEPPED on! Thats right, Stepped on, multiple times. That is something that can totally screw with your mind, I was so nervous by the end of this ordeal that I was breathing every other stroke and was feeling so out of breath that I had to give myself a mini-pep talk: Kristin, get your shit together, breathe every 3rd, look for that buoy, you are fine. After that, I was fine, I cooked through the swim at a nice relaxed pace that felt good, no shoulder problems, before I knew it, the water was shallow again and I was up and on my feet, peeling off the wetsuit and running.
I was so excited when I got there, talking with the other people and getting psyched up. I couldn't wait to race, can you tell?
My head was a little screwy in the swim, it was so shallow for so long, that most were running when I was swimming, and I have been hit, kicked, ran over and tugged while swimming, but not once, ever, have I be STEPPED on! Thats right, Stepped on, multiple times. That is something that can totally screw with your mind, I was so nervous by the end of this ordeal that I was breathing every other stroke and was feeling so out of breath that I had to give myself a mini-pep talk: Kristin, get your shit together, breathe every 3rd, look for that buoy, you are fine. After that, I was fine, I cooked through the swim at a nice relaxed pace that felt good, no shoulder problems, before I knew it, the water was shallow again and I was up and on my feet, peeling off the wetsuit and running.
The bike was refreshing, I pushed, but not too hard. I think looking back on it, I probably could have shaved some time off there. The transition... its a good thing I had it set up ahead of time, there is really no thought process at all in transition... just, get in get your shit on and get the heck out... oh and don't forget anything. I didn't :)
Clipped out and back to transition without killing myself, or anyone else!
Back into transition I went, again, nothing on my mind, no thoughts, just, hat, socks/shoes and number, hat socks/shoes number. It was a mantra, thank goodness Timmy was standing outside the transition area next to my bike because I almost forgot to look for it!
The run was not pretty, but it actually wasn't bad, held a nice steady pace despite feeling like I was going to throw up for the first 1.5 miles.
Final race time, 1:24. I was aiming for 1:35 so I am very happy with that! All in all, it was great, I had so much fun, I feel awesome, and I am totally game for more, BRING IT ON! :)
Case of Nerves
So, as predicted, sleep came difficult last night, ended up with only 4 hours or so courtesy of the neighbor kid and his newfound Diesel 7.3L. I should have taken a Benadryl, oh well, next time.
I am packed up though, just need to feed the pups, somehow convince my contacts to go in, and put my sunglasses on my head so I don't forget them.
I am ready as I am going to be, lets see how this goes! :)
I am packed up though, just need to feed the pups, somehow convince my contacts to go in, and put my sunglasses on my head so I don't forget them.
I am ready as I am going to be, lets see how this goes! :)
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Pre-Race
Well, yesterday was incredibly successful, awesome ride, great swim. I have gotten the ride down to between 15 and 16 mph, no great feat, but for me, I feel like this is a true accomplishment! The swim, I jumped in the pool yesterday afternoon and as usual, timed it perfectly that I only had 10 minutes until the age groupers' practice started, so went as far as I could in 10 minutes at a nice slightly pushed pace, ended up doing a 750yds, just short of a half mile. The open water of course will be different, however, should be ok.
I went down and picked up my race packet, and started plotting out my race day. My age group puts me in the first wave of the swim, which I am happy with. Head out into open water to get my bearings before people start mowing me over :). I can barely contain my excitement! I am so looking forward to this race.
Last night I slept well, got up this morning and headed out for a leisurely run with my trusty companion. Mack of course was all wound up and much more interested in birds, rabbits, squirrels, rocks skittering down the road and road grates than he was in going in, say, a straight line?! :) However, it was a nice pace, about 10:30's for 2 miles, and my feet were sore, but not terrible. I stretched out, walked the other dogs and then headed for the pool to stretch everything out a bit. All in all, I was feeling pretty good. So as long as the muscles were working, nice and warm, why not.... jump in an ice bath? Oh Dear God... what an idea. I threw on a swim suit and several long sleeve shirts and a sweatshirt and jumped on in.
Thankfully, about 2 minutes in, my teeth chattering away, my book not quite interesting enough, and my hot apple cider not hot enough, my bestie called and distracted me the rest of the way through a good 20 minutes. I got out, cold, but muscles feeling rejuvenated and my feet, actually feeling a bit better, I'll take it :)
Now, roasted chicken and tossed salad for an early dinner, packing my bags and the car, and off to bed for what I expect to be a fitful night of sleep. Race starts at 630, with transition closing at 6, which means out the door at 415 or so... makes me tired thinking about it. Tomorrow, I become a triathlete! :)
I went down and picked up my race packet, and started plotting out my race day. My age group puts me in the first wave of the swim, which I am happy with. Head out into open water to get my bearings before people start mowing me over :). I can barely contain my excitement! I am so looking forward to this race.
Last night I slept well, got up this morning and headed out for a leisurely run with my trusty companion. Mack of course was all wound up and much more interested in birds, rabbits, squirrels, rocks skittering down the road and road grates than he was in going in, say, a straight line?! :) However, it was a nice pace, about 10:30's for 2 miles, and my feet were sore, but not terrible. I stretched out, walked the other dogs and then headed for the pool to stretch everything out a bit. All in all, I was feeling pretty good. So as long as the muscles were working, nice and warm, why not.... jump in an ice bath? Oh Dear God... what an idea. I threw on a swim suit and several long sleeve shirts and a sweatshirt and jumped on in.
Thankfully, about 2 minutes in, my teeth chattering away, my book not quite interesting enough, and my hot apple cider not hot enough, my bestie called and distracted me the rest of the way through a good 20 minutes. I got out, cold, but muscles feeling rejuvenated and my feet, actually feeling a bit better, I'll take it :)
Now, roasted chicken and tossed salad for an early dinner, packing my bags and the car, and off to bed for what I expect to be a fitful night of sleep. Race starts at 630, with transition closing at 6, which means out the door at 415 or so... makes me tired thinking about it. Tomorrow, I become a triathlete! :)
Friday, June 8, 2012
Resting Heartrate
In just a few short weeks I have changed how my body operates, sitting here typing my heart-rate is ranging between 55-60 bpm, but if I kick back and watch a little TV, rate drops to a low of 43. I don't think I have ever seen a heart-rate not in 3rd degree block that low, and certainly not my own, although I suspect that BJ's bpm count lives in that general vicinity. :)
The race is two days away, am I ready? I would like to think so, in reality, who knows? I am having so much fun training that I have let the race kind of fall to the back of my mind, which I suppose is mostly a good thing as I would like to put off the impending case of nerves for as long as possible.
On tap for today? A Bike ride, a transition run, and then a swim tonight to stretch everything out. Tomorrow, perhaps a short run in the morning, an afternoon swim and then packing my bags. The last thing I need to do before I race is change a damn tire. Thats right, I can change a car tire without batting an eye, but the thought of having to change a bike tire mid-race scares the daylights out of me, I have never done it, and I can't imagine doing it for the first time with a heart-rate of 150 and sweat dripping off my forehead, not to mention being pissed off. So I guess I'll do it tonight, want some entertainment, swing by the garage around 9 or so, there is bound to be at least a little screaming... :)
The race is two days away, am I ready? I would like to think so, in reality, who knows? I am having so much fun training that I have let the race kind of fall to the back of my mind, which I suppose is mostly a good thing as I would like to put off the impending case of nerves for as long as possible.
On tap for today? A Bike ride, a transition run, and then a swim tonight to stretch everything out. Tomorrow, perhaps a short run in the morning, an afternoon swim and then packing my bags. The last thing I need to do before I race is change a damn tire. Thats right, I can change a car tire without batting an eye, but the thought of having to change a bike tire mid-race scares the daylights out of me, I have never done it, and I can't imagine doing it for the first time with a heart-rate of 150 and sweat dripping off my forehead, not to mention being pissed off. So I guess I'll do it tonight, want some entertainment, swing by the garage around 9 or so, there is bound to be at least a little screaming... :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Life Changes
This whole triathlon thing is a life changer, from the way I spend my hours on a day to day basis, to the food I am buying/eating, and to what gathers on my counter. I have realized this slowly but surely, as I found one or two things piling up, but today takes the cake when I went to grab my keys and head to the pool and saw this stash on my counter:
Thats right, deoderant, biofreeze, anti-chafe, Zyrtec, Hair-ties, sunglasses, banana and lacrosse ball for my foot stretches (safely on the counter because if it makes it to the floor unattended it becomes a dog toy).
A few of these things, sure, but all? No way... my life really has changed.
My best friend asked me today if I was ready, and I really think I am. I have changed my mindset, I'm not out there to win, but to finish (see my previous blog for this thought process.) I love the challenge of this all, I love the changes I see in myself. I work the next two days, planning a long bike for the morning and perhaps a quick swim if I can get out of work on time. The next day, who knows. But Friday, I plan to head down and pick up my packet and get the layout of the race, transitions, etc. 5 days and counting, will take any and all friendly faces who want to come down on Sunday for a way too early race, but supposed to have beautiful weather! :)
Thats right, deoderant, biofreeze, anti-chafe, Zyrtec, Hair-ties, sunglasses, banana and lacrosse ball for my foot stretches (safely on the counter because if it makes it to the floor unattended it becomes a dog toy).
A few of these things, sure, but all? No way... my life really has changed.
My best friend asked me today if I was ready, and I really think I am. I have changed my mindset, I'm not out there to win, but to finish (see my previous blog for this thought process.) I love the challenge of this all, I love the changes I see in myself. I work the next two days, planning a long bike for the morning and perhaps a quick swim if I can get out of work on time. The next day, who knows. But Friday, I plan to head down and pick up my packet and get the layout of the race, transitions, etc. 5 days and counting, will take any and all friendly faces who want to come down on Sunday for a way too early race, but supposed to have beautiful weather! :)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Feed Your Need, Starve your Fear
Up and at 'em early this morning, the dogs got up and so did we. Timmy off to the couch to watch sportscenter before heading off to work, and me onto the bike to bang out some work before a busy day. I woke up feeling much better than when I went to bed in the wee hours of this morning. My back was far from perfect, but it was more malleable and I could change positions without too much difficulty or pain. I set up my transition in the back of the car and checked my tire pressure and headed off. All in all a good ride, still getting used to clipping in and out, not quite second nature yet. The exciting part was when I glanced down at my watch at the end of the ride. I had been listening to the incessant beeps and trying to keep my heartrate in zone, and aside from the hills, I seemed to be successful in doing so. Even then, I shaved 2 minutes off my fastest time for the 12.1 miles. I clipped out and went to hop off the bike, and in doing so, clipped back in on my right foot, nice work right? I almost face planted in the driveway, but thankfully was able to bang my foot out and get it down.
The transition... left something to be desired, it was fast, under 90 seconds, but thinking to how awkward it was.... and painful... I can't help but wonder how fast I could be in perfect conditions. Now my back felt ok getting onto the bike, but after 48 minutes of one position, standing upright was not agreeable, much less bending over to unstrap my shoes, put on socks and running shoes. I did it, and it worked, and I got the feel for the transition and after about 2 minutes of jogging, had loosened up my back enough that I was able to start picking up my pace, so I turned around and came back home- no need to push any farther- I got what I came for :)
Now I lay with BioFreeze on my back and powerade/banana/ibuprofen on the coffee table beside me. I can't help but think of all of the things I have learned over the course of long workouts and challenges. Most have been things that I have discovered about myself, some have made me laugh, some have made me change even what I do/the attitude I have on a daily basis, but I think the most important one of all has been this: I am not out there to win this, I love this, my body loves this, and as long as I finish- I met my goal. Sure I have goals for the fall, and will need to gain some speed in order to not get kicked off the course, but in reality, I am here to finish, to enjoy the journey, not to compete. Now, that coming from someone who in general is very very competitive is a goal in itself. I guess we'll have to see :)
For now, I need to stretch and do some core work to try and take the pull off my back... because its too early for Bacardi! :)
The transition... left something to be desired, it was fast, under 90 seconds, but thinking to how awkward it was.... and painful... I can't help but wonder how fast I could be in perfect conditions. Now my back felt ok getting onto the bike, but after 48 minutes of one position, standing upright was not agreeable, much less bending over to unstrap my shoes, put on socks and running shoes. I did it, and it worked, and I got the feel for the transition and after about 2 minutes of jogging, had loosened up my back enough that I was able to start picking up my pace, so I turned around and came back home- no need to push any farther- I got what I came for :)
Now I lay with BioFreeze on my back and powerade/banana/ibuprofen on the coffee table beside me. I can't help but think of all of the things I have learned over the course of long workouts and challenges. Most have been things that I have discovered about myself, some have made me laugh, some have made me change even what I do/the attitude I have on a daily basis, but I think the most important one of all has been this: I am not out there to win this, I love this, my body loves this, and as long as I finish- I met my goal. Sure I have goals for the fall, and will need to gain some speed in order to not get kicked off the course, but in reality, I am here to finish, to enjoy the journey, not to compete. Now, that coming from someone who in general is very very competitive is a goal in itself. I guess we'll have to see :)
For now, I need to stretch and do some core work to try and take the pull off my back... because its too early for Bacardi! :)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Weird Week
So, I worked a ton this week. 60+ hours and no energy or willpower to workout. No matter how good it feels, this week, I could not make myself sacrifice a few hours of sleep for a workout, swim, bike or run. This presented a unique problem as I came to the end of the week having a double workout on Monday and not one since then. Where do I start? Panic set in a little bit as I face my first race a week from tomorrow.
Extracurricular activities made my back more than a little sore, moving from supine to sitting, sitting to standing makes me want to cry, but that being said, I knew I was in no position to take yet another day off. Off to the gym I went given the fact that it was pouring outside. I banged out a 3.5 mile run, varying inclines and speed with negative splits on every half mile. My back felt overall ok, perhaps a little better and I figured it might actually help to jump in the pool and stretch everything out, so in I went. I swam just under a mile with no breaks, the first few flip turns made me want to cry but after that, in the end the swim was nice and easy, smooth, and all in all reassuring. My anxiety will be my only contender in the swim, physically, I am ready for it.
Tonight, no amount of Ibuprofen was putting a dent in the backache, but a couple shots of Bacardi and I can sit on the couch and type this out :). I am excited and so ready for Sunday. I need to get in a couple really good bikes and a few transitions over the course of the week. I might jam out one run this week, but I don't want to push it as (shhhh, don't say it too loud) it seems my feet may actually be on the mend. For now, a whole lot of fluids, anti-inflammatories and stretching, Strassburg socks every night, no excuses, and all in all just getting excited and ready for next weekend!
Extracurricular activities made my back more than a little sore, moving from supine to sitting, sitting to standing makes me want to cry, but that being said, I knew I was in no position to take yet another day off. Off to the gym I went given the fact that it was pouring outside. I banged out a 3.5 mile run, varying inclines and speed with negative splits on every half mile. My back felt overall ok, perhaps a little better and I figured it might actually help to jump in the pool and stretch everything out, so in I went. I swam just under a mile with no breaks, the first few flip turns made me want to cry but after that, in the end the swim was nice and easy, smooth, and all in all reassuring. My anxiety will be my only contender in the swim, physically, I am ready for it.
Tonight, no amount of Ibuprofen was putting a dent in the backache, but a couple shots of Bacardi and I can sit on the couch and type this out :). I am excited and so ready for Sunday. I need to get in a couple really good bikes and a few transitions over the course of the week. I might jam out one run this week, but I don't want to push it as (shhhh, don't say it too loud) it seems my feet may actually be on the mend. For now, a whole lot of fluids, anti-inflammatories and stretching, Strassburg socks every night, no excuses, and all in all just getting excited and ready for next weekend!
Friday, May 25, 2012
I'm not a kid anymore
So over the course of the past couple days it has hit me hard that I'm not a kiddo anymore. On my way into work, saw my first gray hair. Then when I got my wetsuit and dove into the water for something that I would have never thought twice about, I got a little panicky. I have done open water swims before but it has been a long time. When I got into the choppy water yesterday by myself and couldn't see the bottom, I panicked, didn't last in the water for very long. I never dreamed that the swim was going to be a problem, but mentally, it looks like its going to be a little bit of a challenge. I eased back into it today, got into the nice smooth waters of the lake and still couldn't see the bottom, but made myself relax and breathe and was able to get in a 20 minute swim followed by a 10 mile bike.
Age. With Age comes Wisdom... and Fear. There was a time when I never thought about consequences, I wanted to do something and I did it. A quick open water swim by myself, no problem. Now I get into the open water and think about currents and cramps and anything else that makes open water swimming by yourself a really bad idea. I really think that during the race this won't be an issue, obviously there will be lots of other people there, lifeguards included and then there is always the adrenaline of the race itself to push me through.
In good news, I seem to have picked up the clip less pedals without too much excitement. I have done three rides now with them and clipped in and out over 100 times on each foot, so my neuromuscular memory is being formed, I still think that in a quick instant if I had to kick off the bike I would be in trouble, but in stopping quickly and the regular movement on the bike, I'm doing pretty well. Plus it really has helped my stroke a lot. Its more than a little crazy that it isn't acceptable to rest on the upstroke, but that being said, a little force on the upstroke really does speed things up. Curious to see what my time will be for my 12 mile loop. Maybe I will do that Sunday before work.
All in all things are going well and I think I can definitely finish the race, and I am starting to plot out the rest of the summer and see if I have the time to train for a half iron the first weekend in October. I'm hooked, we're all in trouble now! :)
Age. With Age comes Wisdom... and Fear. There was a time when I never thought about consequences, I wanted to do something and I did it. A quick open water swim by myself, no problem. Now I get into the open water and think about currents and cramps and anything else that makes open water swimming by yourself a really bad idea. I really think that during the race this won't be an issue, obviously there will be lots of other people there, lifeguards included and then there is always the adrenaline of the race itself to push me through.
In good news, I seem to have picked up the clip less pedals without too much excitement. I have done three rides now with them and clipped in and out over 100 times on each foot, so my neuromuscular memory is being formed, I still think that in a quick instant if I had to kick off the bike I would be in trouble, but in stopping quickly and the regular movement on the bike, I'm doing pretty well. Plus it really has helped my stroke a lot. Its more than a little crazy that it isn't acceptable to rest on the upstroke, but that being said, a little force on the upstroke really does speed things up. Curious to see what my time will be for my 12 mile loop. Maybe I will do that Sunday before work.
All in all things are going well and I think I can definitely finish the race, and I am starting to plot out the rest of the summer and see if I have the time to train for a half iron the first weekend in October. I'm hooked, we're all in trouble now! :)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Bike Shoes
So, I have been biking for a couple months now and am still by every definition very amateur and very green. However, I have been getting better and have seen marked improvement, so its about time I set myself back a few pegs, right? Why not bring clip less pedals into the picture? I know that it will improve my bike, that it will decrease my overall energy exerted and make each rotation more effective, I also know that it locks me onto my bike! AHHHHH! :) The game plan for this? Going up to the shop to pick up shoes and pedals, install and then head out to Old Saybrook to cruise the back roads down by the shore- not much traffic and plenty of soft places to land.
I drove down to Bridgeport yesterday and did a brick on the course. Very, very flat, honestly the first time I have engaged the larger gear for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. It felt good, but very different, no uphills means no downhills, and no coasting along. I tried to be very intentional about hydrating every 7 or 8 minutes which felt good and overall should be a good pace to maintain myself for the rest of the race. I kept the run short, I knew my feet needed a break, not another run, so I backed off and just got the feel of the bike/run transition.
With the course being very flat, I'm going to have to drive and train down by the shore a little bit more given the fact that there is nowhere flat nearby. Wetsuit is scheduled to come today, and I am really looking forward to getting into the water and getting my feet wet in a little open water swim. Soon I am going to need to practice transitions and figure out how this all works. I am so excited for this new challenge, and am looking toward the next and next and next, thinking its possible that I could do a half-iron by the end of the year, and perhaps a whole next year. I know, I am getting so far ahead of myself, one step at a time, but I am hooked, I'm ready to go!
After all that, I work 6p-2a, of course, but I can't resist using my new toys! :) Going to be a long day methinks!
I drove down to Bridgeport yesterday and did a brick on the course. Very, very flat, honestly the first time I have engaged the larger gear for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. It felt good, but very different, no uphills means no downhills, and no coasting along. I tried to be very intentional about hydrating every 7 or 8 minutes which felt good and overall should be a good pace to maintain myself for the rest of the race. I kept the run short, I knew my feet needed a break, not another run, so I backed off and just got the feel of the bike/run transition.
With the course being very flat, I'm going to have to drive and train down by the shore a little bit more given the fact that there is nowhere flat nearby. Wetsuit is scheduled to come today, and I am really looking forward to getting into the water and getting my feet wet in a little open water swim. Soon I am going to need to practice transitions and figure out how this all works. I am so excited for this new challenge, and am looking toward the next and next and next, thinking its possible that I could do a half-iron by the end of the year, and perhaps a whole next year. I know, I am getting so far ahead of myself, one step at a time, but I am hooked, I'm ready to go!
After all that, I work 6p-2a, of course, but I can't resist using my new toys! :) Going to be a long day methinks!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Not Born to Run?
Well, it has been a good week. Bike on Sunday, Run on Monday and Swim on Tuesday, all good workouts, felt relatively easy, trying to keep my heartrate in the zone. The only hold up? These silly feet. The run went ok, I could feel them complaining a little in the beginning but then after that it was fine. However, the 12 hours of work that followed they screamed the entire time. Yesterday wasn't much better. Now it seems to be split, partially my calves, partially my feet.
Not sure what the answer is, probably one I don't want to hear and one that isn't at all feasible with a job that keeps me on my feet 40 hours per week. I can't help but think, I wasn't born to run. The problem is, I have to figure out how to run with feet that don't want to. I have tried changing stride, increasing cadence, and as of yet, nothing has made too much of a difference. So in the meantime, I will stretch and roll out my feet and calves and hope that persistence and anti-inflammatories do the trick :)
Today I have the day off, and although I slept in I still only got about 7 hours, but I can't imagine not getting going! The weather is not supposed to be perfect, but the rain is holding off, unlike the past several days. So, going to throw my bike in the car, and take a ride down to the site of the race and hopefully do a brick workout, we'll see if my feet agree with the plan. Then its back to the shop for a tune up. Aside from that, a few errands, and marinating the steaks to throw on the grill for dinner!
Off I go, should be a fun day! :)
Not sure what the answer is, probably one I don't want to hear and one that isn't at all feasible with a job that keeps me on my feet 40 hours per week. I can't help but think, I wasn't born to run. The problem is, I have to figure out how to run with feet that don't want to. I have tried changing stride, increasing cadence, and as of yet, nothing has made too much of a difference. So in the meantime, I will stretch and roll out my feet and calves and hope that persistence and anti-inflammatories do the trick :)
Today I have the day off, and although I slept in I still only got about 7 hours, but I can't imagine not getting going! The weather is not supposed to be perfect, but the rain is holding off, unlike the past several days. So, going to throw my bike in the car, and take a ride down to the site of the race and hopefully do a brick workout, we'll see if my feet agree with the plan. Then its back to the shop for a tune up. Aside from that, a few errands, and marinating the steaks to throw on the grill for dinner!
Off I go, should be a fun day! :)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Three Weeks
Well, three weeks from today is my first race. I don't think I am ready, but I think that I will be. This past week was tough, picked up too many overtime hours which limited the amount of training that I even felt like doing. I don't have any more overtime between now and then and I think its probably for the best.
Went out for a bike today. Thanks to the rain and the late hours it was my first ride off the trainer in a little more than a week. The good news is that the trainer has made me stronger and the bike was easier. I did 12 miles in about the same time, but felt better while doing it. Also, I am pretty certain I won't have any problems doing the bike after the swim, the run, however, has me a bit worried. I am stretching and rolling my feet and calves as much as possible, but I don't know that it will be enough. Going to take it easy, and worse comes to worst, its only three miles, and I'm sure I can tough it out. The good news is that I am getting better at not looking like an idiot when I try to run coming off the bike. I tried explaining this phenomenon to my parents and my dad wasn't buying it until he actually tried it. I talked to him yesterday and he told me the story of nearly falling over trying to jog after biking 6 miles! :)
Considering going down to Bridgeport today to take a look at the course, get a feel for any hills, etc etc. Maybe I'll even go for a bit of a run while I'm down there, depends on how my feet feel. For now, some core work, a shower, breakfast and a softball game. Should be a good Sunday, going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Went out for a bike today. Thanks to the rain and the late hours it was my first ride off the trainer in a little more than a week. The good news is that the trainer has made me stronger and the bike was easier. I did 12 miles in about the same time, but felt better while doing it. Also, I am pretty certain I won't have any problems doing the bike after the swim, the run, however, has me a bit worried. I am stretching and rolling my feet and calves as much as possible, but I don't know that it will be enough. Going to take it easy, and worse comes to worst, its only three miles, and I'm sure I can tough it out. The good news is that I am getting better at not looking like an idiot when I try to run coming off the bike. I tried explaining this phenomenon to my parents and my dad wasn't buying it until he actually tried it. I talked to him yesterday and he told me the story of nearly falling over trying to jog after biking 6 miles! :)
Considering going down to Bridgeport today to take a look at the course, get a feel for any hills, etc etc. Maybe I'll even go for a bit of a run while I'm down there, depends on how my feet feel. For now, some core work, a shower, breakfast and a softball game. Should be a good Sunday, going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Treadmills
I despise treadmills... I really do. They are dangerous, they make me want to go faster than I should, push intervals harder than I need to be doing, and overall... I think I just want to get off the damn thing as fast as I can so I book it! I ran on a treadmill on Friday and now again today and I am resolving not to do it again unless safety requires that I not run outside. Friday was hideous, I got onto a treadmill that unbeknownst to me had an upper time limit of 30 minutes when I realized this, the reasonable pace I had been keeping was not going to allow me to finish my full 3.12 miles within the time limit. I didn't realize this until minute 25 of my workout, so what did I do? You guessed it, picked up the pace far too much and tried (and of course) failed to finish the full 5k in the 30 minutes despite an average speed of 7.5 miles per hour for the last five minute. Stupid me, there is a 5 minute cool down built in to the clock, and I could have easily finished and cooled down within this allotted time.
Today, not as bad, but still, not good. No time limit problems, instead my brain kept watching the pace, and instead of thinking, "Jeeze, my heels and achilles feel really good at this pace, this is right in the zone I should stay." No no no, I thought, "I should really be going faster than this, I used to be able to run faster than this." I finished it, hard and fast and a 5k in 31 minutes, but my heels have been screaming ever since... two steps forward, one step back (maybe one and a half steps back today).
The swims however, have been going well, technique is getting stronger and I can feel myself actually pulling myself beyond my hand and not just pulling the water alongside my body. This is a very vague sounding differentiation, however, it matters significantly. If you are just pulling the water alongside you, chances are you are taking many more strokes per length than you need to be. The next step is the wetsuit, and I need to wait for it to get a little warmer before I embark on that journey... :)
I have been working far more hours than what is conducive to this idea of training, but somehow it is seeming to work. What I need to figure out is how to get myself to train before work. It is really difficult somehow to drag myself out when I am facing a 12-14 hour shift ahead of me, adding a 2.5 hour workout/shower/change is not exactly appealing. But I am getting it figured out, little by little.
The next step is the heart rate and zones. This might actually help me on the treadmill, if I know where my heart rate is supposed to be, I can back it off. So much of these triathlons have to do with aerobic and anaerobic training, which is all dependent on zones. Figuring my way out on this day by day and having a blast along the way.
Today, not as bad, but still, not good. No time limit problems, instead my brain kept watching the pace, and instead of thinking, "Jeeze, my heels and achilles feel really good at this pace, this is right in the zone I should stay." No no no, I thought, "I should really be going faster than this, I used to be able to run faster than this." I finished it, hard and fast and a 5k in 31 minutes, but my heels have been screaming ever since... two steps forward, one step back (maybe one and a half steps back today).
The swims however, have been going well, technique is getting stronger and I can feel myself actually pulling myself beyond my hand and not just pulling the water alongside my body. This is a very vague sounding differentiation, however, it matters significantly. If you are just pulling the water alongside you, chances are you are taking many more strokes per length than you need to be. The next step is the wetsuit, and I need to wait for it to get a little warmer before I embark on that journey... :)
I have been working far more hours than what is conducive to this idea of training, but somehow it is seeming to work. What I need to figure out is how to get myself to train before work. It is really difficult somehow to drag myself out when I am facing a 12-14 hour shift ahead of me, adding a 2.5 hour workout/shower/change is not exactly appealing. But I am getting it figured out, little by little.
The next step is the heart rate and zones. This might actually help me on the treadmill, if I know where my heart rate is supposed to be, I can back it off. So much of these triathlons have to do with aerobic and anaerobic training, which is all dependent on zones. Figuring my way out on this day by day and having a blast along the way.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hunger
Yesterday was the epitome of how much hunger is a mental game. The body needs fuel, and appropriate fuel, especially with the things I am doing to mine these days. However, a bag of chips, box of pastries or half gallon of ice cream is not that fuel. These are all things that can be succumbed to on a "hunger binge." You know? One of those moments where you say, "I'm so hungry" and off you go to the pantry or the fridge without really deciding if you are indeed hungry. The next thing you know, the entire container of food of your choice is gone because you were so engrossed in the TV. Then the impact of regret hits.
On my days off hunger and I battle. I stay as busy as I can, which helps to force the feeling of "hunger" out of my mind. Now, why am I putting hunger in quotations? Because so often it isn't actually hunger, its boredom. For instance, on a rainy day, having a 300 calorie protein packed breakfast, cleaning up and sitting down to read a book and within the hour thinking, "hmmm, I'm hungry." No, I'm not! Hunger is a mental game, so often it is thirst, or an improperly balanced diet (too many carbs, not enough protein), or many many time, it is simply boredom. It is the fact that when I was growing up, I watched my mother, and father for that matter. They were both going constantly, but when they had down time, no matter how much it was, they grabbed a snack, never healthy, and they ate. This is that nature/nurture idea. This is how I was raised, and they didn't shove a snack in my face, I had that choice, but I saw what they did and learned the behavior. It is very hard to unlearn that!
Yesterday was an incredibly busy day in the office, certainly didn't feel like a Thursday, we ran non-stop the whole day. All in all a good day, but by about 8pm (11 hours after my last meal) my stomach was voraciously growling. I was actually hungry. Thats the thing, I was indeed hungry. I snuck a few bites of my yogurt, and got back to work, not eating a full dinner of chili until I got home around 1 am. Now, was this the right solution? No way, I had two balanced meals in an 18 hour day. Not exactly acceptable or appropriate, but it proved a point to me. When I am taking a chill moment/afternoon/day, I am not always hungry, and I need to do an assessment of that before I get up for the fridge. I think a lot of us struggle with this, and hopefully my rambling thoughts helped someone today :)
On that note, off to the pool, perhaps a run as well?
On my days off hunger and I battle. I stay as busy as I can, which helps to force the feeling of "hunger" out of my mind. Now, why am I putting hunger in quotations? Because so often it isn't actually hunger, its boredom. For instance, on a rainy day, having a 300 calorie protein packed breakfast, cleaning up and sitting down to read a book and within the hour thinking, "hmmm, I'm hungry." No, I'm not! Hunger is a mental game, so often it is thirst, or an improperly balanced diet (too many carbs, not enough protein), or many many time, it is simply boredom. It is the fact that when I was growing up, I watched my mother, and father for that matter. They were both going constantly, but when they had down time, no matter how much it was, they grabbed a snack, never healthy, and they ate. This is that nature/nurture idea. This is how I was raised, and they didn't shove a snack in my face, I had that choice, but I saw what they did and learned the behavior. It is very hard to unlearn that!
Yesterday was an incredibly busy day in the office, certainly didn't feel like a Thursday, we ran non-stop the whole day. All in all a good day, but by about 8pm (11 hours after my last meal) my stomach was voraciously growling. I was actually hungry. Thats the thing, I was indeed hungry. I snuck a few bites of my yogurt, and got back to work, not eating a full dinner of chili until I got home around 1 am. Now, was this the right solution? No way, I had two balanced meals in an 18 hour day. Not exactly acceptable or appropriate, but it proved a point to me. When I am taking a chill moment/afternoon/day, I am not always hungry, and I need to do an assessment of that before I get up for the fridge. I think a lot of us struggle with this, and hopefully my rambling thoughts helped someone today :)
On that note, off to the pool, perhaps a run as well?
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