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!

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

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!

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.

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! :)

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! :)

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... :)

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! :)

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! :)

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!