I didn't want a full year to go by before I started up blogging again. I haven't quit training or racing (though this year has been minimal). I have been busy with another side of it-actually putting on two new trail races in the Santa Barbara area. It has been interesting and educational to see what goes into producing these events. I had no idea just how much work they were!
The Blue Canyon www.bluecanyontrailrace.com is the first race and is in June. Check out the website for specifics. I am heading up to Walnut Creek today to get my RD Certification through USAT. The course is 2 days and seems pretty interesting.
Can you believe how much rain we have been getting?? Lots of running in the rain, but I think that is always fun. I took the kids up to Figueroa on Friday to see the snow. It was snowing so much, my car was covered! We got to hike a bit in the snow and build a snowman. That's enough snow for me.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Looking for Inspiration
Yikes! What happened to the time. I wish I could say I have been too busy training to blog. The truth is I have been busy, but hardly training. I am looking for something to motivate me back to long hours of running, but haven't found much to inspire. I think I must have needed the rest and intend to go strong again any day now. I took inventory of all my supplies (gu, clif blocks, heed, etc) the other day and came up super short. Next, I tried to clean the hose part to my Nathan hydration pack bladder and melted the damn thing with boiling water. I did finally check out the Tequepis Trail, that has been on my list of places to explore. It's beautiful and fully overgrown. I had tons of stickers in my socks and shoes, but can't wait to do it again soon. The trail is across the highway from Lake Cachuma and climbs to a high elevation quickly. The views are awesome and the vegetation was a bit unusual for the area.
Swimming has been consistently good, with increasingly harder workouts. We have been doing more back, breast and fly than before and I feel (and see) my arms getting stronger. As my motivation to train returns, so will my desire to blog, I'm sure. Cheers.
Swimming has been consistently good, with increasingly harder workouts. We have been doing more back, breast and fly than before and I feel (and see) my arms getting stronger. As my motivation to train returns, so will my desire to blog, I'm sure. Cheers.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
2 x 400 swim
4 x 100 kick
4 x 200 swim on lane base (LB): 3:30 for my lane
4 x 100 kick, increasing speed
8 x 50 LB (:55) plus 10 seconds
cool down
I have made up my mind to do Angeles Crest again this year. Gail is on board for crewing and I have a couple of possible pacers, so looks like it will work out. Now, I just have to run. Gail wants a partner for crewing, so if anyone is interested.... let me know. Also, if anyone want to pace me, you have 4 months to train.
4 x 100 kick
4 x 200 swim on lane base (LB): 3:30 for my lane
4 x 100 kick, increasing speed
8 x 50 LB (:55) plus 10 seconds
cool down
I have made up my mind to do Angeles Crest again this year. Gail is on board for crewing and I have a couple of possible pacers, so looks like it will work out. Now, I just have to run. Gail wants a partner for crewing, so if anyone is interested.... let me know. Also, if anyone want to pace me, you have 4 months to train.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I'm back to swimming. I actually started back last week, but somehow feel more tired this week. I am finally getting a massage today. It will be the first one since Ironman. For someone who works with several massage therapists, it's amazing that it took me so long to get on someones schedule. I am so looking forward to it!
The Wildflower Triathlon is this weekend. I know several people competing, so I may bring the kids up there and cheer people on. I am going to work on being a fan and volunteer this year, more than just a competitor. That is not to say I will not do any races, but I am going to really limit my racing for a while.
Calvin wants to do another 5K and work his way up to a 10K, so I will be looking for some local short races for us to do. Any ideas?
SWIM:
800 free
400 kick
4 x 100 pull
800 free
4 x 100 pull
cool down
The second 800 was a bit tough for me. We were supposed to increase our speed, but I think I went out too fast and faded toward the end instead. I can still pull the 'I'm recovering from Ironman' card. I think that will be expired by next week, though. All the Wildflower people will be recovering from their event.
The Wildflower Triathlon is this weekend. I know several people competing, so I may bring the kids up there and cheer people on. I am going to work on being a fan and volunteer this year, more than just a competitor. That is not to say I will not do any races, but I am going to really limit my racing for a while.
Calvin wants to do another 5K and work his way up to a 10K, so I will be looking for some local short races for us to do. Any ideas?
SWIM:
800 free
400 kick
4 x 100 pull
800 free
4 x 100 pull
cool down
The second 800 was a bit tough for me. We were supposed to increase our speed, but I think I went out too fast and faded toward the end instead. I can still pull the 'I'm recovering from Ironman' card. I think that will be expired by next week, though. All the Wildflower people will be recovering from their event.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Now What?
People keep asking me 'what's next?'. I am asking myself the same question. There are still so many challenging events out there that I haven't tried. For now, I hope to get back to some serious trail running. I have missed it so much and need to get out there and explore again.
My recovery has been surprisingly easy, physically, but emotionally, I have been a train wreck. I think I put off dealing with some necessary life stuff to get ready for Ironman. Now I have to take care of so many things and spend more time on my business. Coming 'down' from such a big event is hell. Will I do another Ironman? Probably, yes. Mainly because I want to shave a couple of hours off of my time, now that I have the experience. I think I will wait a year or two, though.
My recovery has been surprisingly easy, physically, but emotionally, I have been a train wreck. I think I put off dealing with some necessary life stuff to get ready for Ironman. Now I have to take care of so many things and spend more time on my business. Coming 'down' from such a big event is hell. Will I do another Ironman? Probably, yes. Mainly because I want to shave a couple of hours off of my time, now that I have the experience. I think I will wait a year or two, though.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
AZIM Race Report
The swim...there I am! ha ha
The bike
The run, notice the well sunscreened legs.
The finish
Post finish...Iron Sandee aka IronmomUntil today, my post race depression has kept me from even wanting to recount the story of my first Ironman. But today I feel ready to share my story of one damn tough event. Aptly named, Ironman is a test of organizational skills, patience, proper clothing choices and of course, physical prowess. I need to start with what amuses me most about triathlon, and that is, the clothing. Do men really need to wear half shirts? Okay, I'll get right to it.
Saturday Night: I try to get to bed early, around 9:30. As I'm lying there, I start to feel my heart beating through my ribs. I start taking long slow breaths. Why am I so nervous? I never really get any sleep. I keep waking, thinking I've overslept, worrying about the swim, sure I have forgotten something important. Of course, I finally get to sleep when my alarm goes off at 3 AM.
Sunday: It's easy to get up. I am so anxious to finally start the race, so I can stop being nervous and worrying about the details. So many details. JLu has coffee waiting, but there is not much talking between us. "Did you sleep? No. Did you sleep? No." I make some oatmeal and try to eat it, but my stomach is quivery and dosen't let much in. I have my special needs bags packed and my wetsuit, goggles and pink swim cap. We are ready to go at 4:15. That gives us 30 minutes to drive to Tempe and 15 minutes to walk to the staging area, which opens at 5 AM.
5 AM: The triathletes are in line to get to their bikes, so they can load up their watter bottles, gu flasks, clif blocks and whatever else they need for the bike ride. I try to take it all in, knowing I have plenty of time. I load up my bike, then take it over to the mechanics to get my tires filled. It's still dark and you can feel the tension in the air, it's like a buzzing silence. I still need to get my shirt out of my swim to bike bag, since I mistakenly packed it the day before. So, I head over there and dig out my shirt. I proceed to the potty, to pee and change.
6:15: I guess it's time to get into my wetsuit and turn in my dry clothes bag. First, I get personal and generous with the body glide. I lube up my wrists and ankles, all the "dark" places where clothing might rub, lastly, my neck. I feel like I am stalling for time, watching everyone, some people frantic, some relaxed. I am in between, less nervous the closer I get to the water. Time to find JLu and Jerry J. I say I can't wait to get in the water so I can pee, but JLu says, just pee now, no one will know. I figure it's all part of the experience, so I do it. It's lovely and warm, standing there in my own urine. J says he has already peed three times. I start to notice others with the dry grass wet on their feet, others who are freely wetting themselves. We start to move toward the water and I see half moon heel marks on the concrete where all the experienced triathletes know to pee early and not wait for the water. So, basically, you keep stepping in other peoples urine and don't care. What a sport.
6:45 The Pros are off and now it's our turn to jump into the lake and swim to the start. Finally! I have misplaced the boys, since I wanted to see the pros start. I am now in race mode and not at all nervous about the two thousand people surrounding me in the water. I just want to start and get on with it. I am ready to experience my first Ironman, bring it on!
7:01 The gun goes off and it's somewhat slow going at first as everyone is looking for a spot they can comfortably swim. I soon find out that there are not really any spots like that. I'm also soon experiencing what I've been told by other Ironman survivors, severe brutality by your fellow competitors. I make it to the turnaround point with minor injuries, but for some reason, things get bad. I am kicked in the face several times, resulting in my goggles coming off of my face and a possible bloody nose, who can tell in the water. Next, I am slugged in the jaw several times. I should be pissed, but I am laughing to myself, thinking, well, this is ironman, all part of the experience. I finish the swim in 1:19. I am pulled out of the water and I start jogging to the wetsuit stripping area. I am unzipped and free of my wetsuit within seconds, about 3 to be exact. These people are good! Next I am handed my swim to bike bag and am off to the women's only tent to get ready for the bike.
8:25 Apparently I spent about 10 minutes in the tent before I emerge to find hands, all male, slathering me with sunscreen. Three men all to myself, worried about my tender skin. It was the most pleasurable part of the race, hands down. I embark on the 112 mile bike ride on my trusty steed. I am feeling great till about 5 miles in when I hit the blow dryer 20 mph winds. I pedal slowly uphill till the first of 3 turnarounds. Finally, some downhill, but wait, 40 mph wind gusts are making it hard to stay on the bike. I see one person blown over, I hold on tighter, determined not to go down. The second loop is ugly. My right foot is cramping so severely, I feel it to the tips of my toes. I can't even pedal and have to stop, massage my foot, move on. This happens several times. I am truly miserable, but loving the experience. Oh, how I love to suffer! I'm so sick! I was so glad this was hard. I finish the third loop, much stronger than the second and am very relieved and happy to be done with the bike. I give my bike to the peppy volunteer, grab my bike to run bag and head into the tent for the last time.
The Run: Just for the record, I did not pee on the bike. I tried, but couldn't relax enough to do it. I stopped and used the porta potty, which really helped to stretch my legs. Okay, so I changed into my running shorts and changed into running shoes and stepped out of the tent for another round of ooh la la: the men, the hands, the sunscreen. I was now ready for the run. I knew at this time, I would finish the race. I would follow the advice I got from the pro, Michelli Jones, and take it aid station to aid station. It was still really hot and maybe felt even hotter on the run than the bike. Bless those lovely sweet volunteers with the ice cold sponges. I think I took a sponge at every aid station. That's 26 aid stations, one every single mile. I ran like a true triathlete, kind of a hunched over shuffle. I managed to straighten up and do a little real running now and then. There were so many people walking, it was hard to keep up the run/shuffle. I like to tell myself, the faster you run, the faster you'll be done. I am half-way through my third, and last, loop and see a fellow athlete sitting on the side of the course at a picnic table, throwing up, boatloads of clear liquid. I am feeling fortunate and decide to pick up the pace and just finish this thing. I continue giving encouraging remarks to all the people I am passing, with no return love, but I'm used to it by now. Triathletes are not an overly friendly bunch.
The Finish: I find the love I am looking for at the finish line, in the form of dedicated fans, friends and my very own ribbon to run through. The photographer snaps my finishing photo and I get my very own volunteer to walk me through the sequence of finisher events. One person puts a ribbon over my head. My very own volunteer hands me some water, than walks me over to the other photographer taking the final finish picture. I am then led to the food tent, aahh, the fooood tent, where I leave my volunteer for the loving arms of Ray Ray and JLu. We eat the best pizza of my life and head back to the finish line to see Jerry J run across the finish line with his two daughters. We all finish. We are all Ironman finishers tonight. I am so proud of all of us. It was a tough day, but divine. Go team Bada Bing!
Saturday Night: I try to get to bed early, around 9:30. As I'm lying there, I start to feel my heart beating through my ribs. I start taking long slow breaths. Why am I so nervous? I never really get any sleep. I keep waking, thinking I've overslept, worrying about the swim, sure I have forgotten something important. Of course, I finally get to sleep when my alarm goes off at 3 AM.
Sunday: It's easy to get up. I am so anxious to finally start the race, so I can stop being nervous and worrying about the details. So many details. JLu has coffee waiting, but there is not much talking between us. "Did you sleep? No. Did you sleep? No." I make some oatmeal and try to eat it, but my stomach is quivery and dosen't let much in. I have my special needs bags packed and my wetsuit, goggles and pink swim cap. We are ready to go at 4:15. That gives us 30 minutes to drive to Tempe and 15 minutes to walk to the staging area, which opens at 5 AM.
5 AM: The triathletes are in line to get to their bikes, so they can load up their watter bottles, gu flasks, clif blocks and whatever else they need for the bike ride. I try to take it all in, knowing I have plenty of time. I load up my bike, then take it over to the mechanics to get my tires filled. It's still dark and you can feel the tension in the air, it's like a buzzing silence. I still need to get my shirt out of my swim to bike bag, since I mistakenly packed it the day before. So, I head over there and dig out my shirt. I proceed to the potty, to pee and change.
6:15: I guess it's time to get into my wetsuit and turn in my dry clothes bag. First, I get personal and generous with the body glide. I lube up my wrists and ankles, all the "dark" places where clothing might rub, lastly, my neck. I feel like I am stalling for time, watching everyone, some people frantic, some relaxed. I am in between, less nervous the closer I get to the water. Time to find JLu and Jerry J. I say I can't wait to get in the water so I can pee, but JLu says, just pee now, no one will know. I figure it's all part of the experience, so I do it. It's lovely and warm, standing there in my own urine. J says he has already peed three times. I start to notice others with the dry grass wet on their feet, others who are freely wetting themselves. We start to move toward the water and I see half moon heel marks on the concrete where all the experienced triathletes know to pee early and not wait for the water. So, basically, you keep stepping in other peoples urine and don't care. What a sport.
6:45 The Pros are off and now it's our turn to jump into the lake and swim to the start. Finally! I have misplaced the boys, since I wanted to see the pros start. I am now in race mode and not at all nervous about the two thousand people surrounding me in the water. I just want to start and get on with it. I am ready to experience my first Ironman, bring it on!
7:01 The gun goes off and it's somewhat slow going at first as everyone is looking for a spot they can comfortably swim. I soon find out that there are not really any spots like that. I'm also soon experiencing what I've been told by other Ironman survivors, severe brutality by your fellow competitors. I make it to the turnaround point with minor injuries, but for some reason, things get bad. I am kicked in the face several times, resulting in my goggles coming off of my face and a possible bloody nose, who can tell in the water. Next, I am slugged in the jaw several times. I should be pissed, but I am laughing to myself, thinking, well, this is ironman, all part of the experience. I finish the swim in 1:19. I am pulled out of the water and I start jogging to the wetsuit stripping area. I am unzipped and free of my wetsuit within seconds, about 3 to be exact. These people are good! Next I am handed my swim to bike bag and am off to the women's only tent to get ready for the bike.
8:25 Apparently I spent about 10 minutes in the tent before I emerge to find hands, all male, slathering me with sunscreen. Three men all to myself, worried about my tender skin. It was the most pleasurable part of the race, hands down. I embark on the 112 mile bike ride on my trusty steed. I am feeling great till about 5 miles in when I hit the blow dryer 20 mph winds. I pedal slowly uphill till the first of 3 turnarounds. Finally, some downhill, but wait, 40 mph wind gusts are making it hard to stay on the bike. I see one person blown over, I hold on tighter, determined not to go down. The second loop is ugly. My right foot is cramping so severely, I feel it to the tips of my toes. I can't even pedal and have to stop, massage my foot, move on. This happens several times. I am truly miserable, but loving the experience. Oh, how I love to suffer! I'm so sick! I was so glad this was hard. I finish the third loop, much stronger than the second and am very relieved and happy to be done with the bike. I give my bike to the peppy volunteer, grab my bike to run bag and head into the tent for the last time.
The Run: Just for the record, I did not pee on the bike. I tried, but couldn't relax enough to do it. I stopped and used the porta potty, which really helped to stretch my legs. Okay, so I changed into my running shorts and changed into running shoes and stepped out of the tent for another round of ooh la la: the men, the hands, the sunscreen. I was now ready for the run. I knew at this time, I would finish the race. I would follow the advice I got from the pro, Michelli Jones, and take it aid station to aid station. It was still really hot and maybe felt even hotter on the run than the bike. Bless those lovely sweet volunteers with the ice cold sponges. I think I took a sponge at every aid station. That's 26 aid stations, one every single mile. I ran like a true triathlete, kind of a hunched over shuffle. I managed to straighten up and do a little real running now and then. There were so many people walking, it was hard to keep up the run/shuffle. I like to tell myself, the faster you run, the faster you'll be done. I am half-way through my third, and last, loop and see a fellow athlete sitting on the side of the course at a picnic table, throwing up, boatloads of clear liquid. I am feeling fortunate and decide to pick up the pace and just finish this thing. I continue giving encouraging remarks to all the people I am passing, with no return love, but I'm used to it by now. Triathletes are not an overly friendly bunch.
The Finish: I find the love I am looking for at the finish line, in the form of dedicated fans, friends and my very own ribbon to run through. The photographer snaps my finishing photo and I get my very own volunteer to walk me through the sequence of finisher events. One person puts a ribbon over my head. My very own volunteer hands me some water, than walks me over to the other photographer taking the final finish picture. I am then led to the food tent, aahh, the fooood tent, where I leave my volunteer for the loving arms of Ray Ray and JLu. We eat the best pizza of my life and head back to the finish line to see Jerry J run across the finish line with his two daughters. We all finish. We are all Ironman finishers tonight. I am so proud of all of us. It was a tough day, but divine. Go team Bada Bing!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Look out for #2179
Practice swim with Jerry J
Much needed ART with Kevin
JLu duct taping my profile bottle to bike
We three are IronfolkTomorrow I get up at 3 am and off to Ironman I go. The day I have been anxiously anticipating for way too long. The preparation the last few days has been brutal.
Bike and transition bags are at the event area and we are just getting our "special needs" bags together and getting to bed early. You can follow our progress online at the Ironman AZ site. I am 2179, Justin is 1006 and Jerry J, 1108.
Send us positive energy and lot and lots of love!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Arizona Dreaming
I made it to Arizona today with my bike and all my other gear. I guess I'm really doing Ironman. Wow. Tomorrow I am going to do a practice swim in the river with Jerry J. Justin is not feeling very strong and is on the fence about even starting the race. I'm tired after a nine hour drive today, but will take pictures of the course and expo tomorrow to post. Sweet dreams.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Coach is out of town again. Kristine put up a Gail Bernhardt workout specifically for endurance triathletes. Here ya go:
Warm up
300 swim
300 kick
300 pull
6 x 75 (1:30)
300 pull
6 x 50 fast
300 kick
6 x 50 fast
200 cool down
On my way out of the YMCA this morning, I met 3 x Hawaii Ironman Champion Peter Reid. He is coaching my friend Charlie's Triathlon camp this week and they were all there to swim. They all seemed so tall. Even the girls.
I am so glad that Lisa is going to be supporting all of us at Ironman. I haven't seen her in way too long. If Lisa could finish Vineman Half with no bike training, then I can do this Ironman. She is a great source of inspiration. She is also the ultimate support person, maybe doing more than the people in the race. It seems like she is everywhere on the course cheering you on, taking photos. Yeah Lisa!!
Warm up
300 swim
300 kick
300 pull
6 x 75 (1:30)
300 pull
6 x 50 fast
300 kick
6 x 50 fast
200 cool down
On my way out of the YMCA this morning, I met 3 x Hawaii Ironman Champion Peter Reid. He is coaching my friend Charlie's Triathlon camp this week and they were all there to swim. They all seemed so tall. Even the girls.
I am so glad that Lisa is going to be supporting all of us at Ironman. I haven't seen her in way too long. If Lisa could finish Vineman Half with no bike training, then I can do this Ironman. She is a great source of inspiration. She is also the ultimate support person, maybe doing more than the people in the race. It seems like she is everywhere on the course cheering you on, taking photos. Yeah Lisa!!
Monday, March 31, 2008
I'm not entirely sure why, but my enthusiasm for my upcoming race just took a dive this weekend. It was like I could care less. I took all of Saturday off to spend with my daughter, while Calvin went fishing for the weekend for his birthday. I just couldn't face another long training day while juggling being mom, too. I really had to rally to get on the bike Sunday. I feel fine physically, but my heart wasn't in it. I just kept thinking, I'm as ready as I'm gonna be. Now, today, I started to get a little panicky about my lackadaisical attitude and went for two runs. AM and PM.
I hope my attitude continues to improve. It was bound to happen eventually. I am so self motivated normally. I truly enjoy the training, it's the racing that really freaks my out. Maybe as I am getting closer to the event I am trying to sabotage myself. Shit. Maybe it's my brother's wedding this weekend where I will have to see my whole family, yikes....
I hope my attitude continues to improve. It was bound to happen eventually. I am so self motivated normally. I truly enjoy the training, it's the racing that really freaks my out. Maybe as I am getting closer to the event I am trying to sabotage myself. Shit. Maybe it's my brother's wedding this weekend where I will have to see my whole family, yikes....
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wishful Thinking...
I battled the wild wind today on my bike. My nice short 20 mile ride felt like, oh, 40 miles. But, it was good training for AZ, right? Ugh, I can't wait to finally be on the road to Justin's house, where I will stay for Ironman. I wish I could transport myself to the running portion of the race and have the swim and bike behind me. I will have charged the course thus far, and be feeling great on the run. Well, wishful thinking gets you where? Nowhere but 2 weeks till the race, that's where!Here you go... the workout:
Warm-up
4 x 150 (100 free, 50 stroke)
4 x 150 kick (same as above)
6 x 150 free (50 moderate, 50 fast, 50 slow)
2 x 150 free (same as above)
200 cool down
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Spring Breakin'
The kids are on "spring break" this week, which means they are out of school and want to have some fun. Since I can't just drop everything at work or stop training, I signed them up for some tennis clinic, through the YMCA. I was a little hesitant, since you never know how your kids will respond to things. They love it! I'm relieved.
So, I ran yesterday after swimming, while the kids played tennis. I felt so strong, not wanting to stop after one short hour. I have been trying to do most of my runs on asphalt, so as not to completely shock my body in AZ. I considered running on the track yesterday, but there was such a crowd of football type people all over the field, I changed my mind.
I have truly enjoyed the cycling during my training and feeling the power I have gained in my legs and upper body. I will admit, though that I yearn for long trail runs, like a long lost lover. I see the beautiful green mountains and I want to spend the day with them, exploring their spring secrets. I read race results from ultras, like the Coyote Two Moon, that was just this past weekend in Ojai and I long to be there. It may sound corny, but I am not kidding. If triathlon training has taught me anything, it is that I am truly a trail runner. I see no other future for me. Sure, I'll ride my bikes and swim, always striving to get to lane one with Matt and Chris.
I will be out on the trail, though, to quiet my mind and find divine guidance and sanity.
So, I ran yesterday after swimming, while the kids played tennis. I felt so strong, not wanting to stop after one short hour. I have been trying to do most of my runs on asphalt, so as not to completely shock my body in AZ. I considered running on the track yesterday, but there was such a crowd of football type people all over the field, I changed my mind.
I have truly enjoyed the cycling during my training and feeling the power I have gained in my legs and upper body. I will admit, though that I yearn for long trail runs, like a long lost lover. I see the beautiful green mountains and I want to spend the day with them, exploring their spring secrets. I read race results from ultras, like the Coyote Two Moon, that was just this past weekend in Ojai and I long to be there. It may sound corny, but I am not kidding. If triathlon training has taught me anything, it is that I am truly a trail runner. I see no other future for me. Sure, I'll ride my bikes and swim, always striving to get to lane one with Matt and Chris.
I will be out on the trail, though, to quiet my mind and find divine guidance and sanity.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The coach was off buying grapes today, so we were on our own. We looked like we were modeling our various bad swimsuits on the "25 then get out of the pool set". There is a huge window that looks into the lobby from the pool. The early morning spin class always stares at us as they are leaving. Today they really got a good look at us strutting around the pool.
2 x 200 #1: swim #2: 25 free, 25 drill (scull, fingertip, catch up, zipper)
8 x 50 kick: odd: free even: fly, back, breast, fly on back
4 x100 pull, with buoy and paddles
Main:
8 x 75 free: moderate, fast, slow
8 x 50 free: moderate, fast
8 x 25 really fast, then get out of the pool and walk around to start
2 x 200: same as warm-up
I felt great today after the workout, like I had hardly done anything. I think this is about how I am supposed to be feeling about this point in my training. It was good to hear a guy in my lane say how tired he was from the workout. I plan on doing an open water swim this weekend. Brrr, talk about cold, the ocean is about 51 degrees.
2 x 200 #1: swim #2: 25 free, 25 drill (scull, fingertip, catch up, zipper)
8 x 50 kick: odd: free even: fly, back, breast, fly on back
4 x100 pull, with buoy and paddles
Main:
8 x 75 free: moderate, fast, slow
8 x 50 free: moderate, fast
8 x 25 really fast, then get out of the pool and walk around to start
2 x 200: same as warm-up
I felt great today after the workout, like I had hardly done anything. I think this is about how I am supposed to be feeling about this point in my training. It was good to hear a guy in my lane say how tired he was from the workout. I plan on doing an open water swim this weekend. Brrr, talk about cold, the ocean is about 51 degrees.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
Greetings from Phoebe the Easter Doggy. She looks miserable, don't you think?
It was another creative training weekend with the kids. I spent a grueling 3 + hours on the trainer yesterday, then 70 minutes swimming long intervals at the Y, with the kids, of course.
It was another creative training weekend with the kids. I spent a grueling 3 + hours on the trainer yesterday, then 70 minutes swimming long intervals at the Y, with the kids, of course. Today, I snuck out for a 2 hour run, doing loops so I was always within a short distance of the house. I then came home and the kids paced me with their bikes for another 30 or so minutes. It is warmer today then it has been for quite a while. The sun feels really good. I have been checking the Phoenix weather and it is always warmer than here. I think of the poor souls who will be coming from some truly cold place and how the shock of dry 80 degree weather is going to feel.
I think I'm gonna have me an Easter beer. Cheers!
Friday, March 21, 2008
My morning run this morning was divine. I was running to M. Ward's "End Of Amnesia", the perfect morning run music, and was feeling great. Phoebe and I both were wondering why we haven't made early Friday morning run a routine, like Wednesday night run. Well, off to our "Flatbread Pizza" on Friday routine. The kids and I tried to find the beavers on the rivers this evening, with no luck, but we are not giving up. More news on the Santa Ynes River beavers later....
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Well, Mike mixed it up a bit today. It was fun and tiring.
Swim
2 x 50 free/ drill
2 x 50 free/ back
2 x 50 free/ breast
2 x 50 free/ drill
Kick:
2 x 50 fly/ free
2 x 50 free/ back
2 x 50 back/ dolphin
2 x 50 breast/ breast
8 x 100 IM ( substitute free if you can't do fly)
8 x 50 pull descending 1-4, 5-8
4 x 50 descending
cool down
I was sitting at the Bulldog Cafe after swim this morning, like Kristine and I always do on Thursdays. A woman was wearing a bike jersey that said Hoodoo 500 or some such race, so we got to talking. Turns out that she is the Planet Ultra lady of planetultra.com. She is here doing a Santa Ynez Valley tour with a group of cyclists. She told us about a southern Utah tour in August that sounds just awesome. I am very interested, especially because she said they would really like to have a massage therapist in the group and they would haul my table around for me. It would be like a working vacation. Cycle all day, then massage a little in the evening and make some money. Hmmmm, I am definitely looking into this.
I'm not loving the weather right now, but I've got to get out on my bike for a couple of hours. Maybe the sun will come out soon.
Swim
2 x 50 free/ drill
2 x 50 free/ back
2 x 50 free/ breast
2 x 50 free/ drill
Kick:
2 x 50 fly/ free
2 x 50 free/ back
2 x 50 back/ dolphin
2 x 50 breast/ breast
8 x 100 IM ( substitute free if you can't do fly)
8 x 50 pull descending 1-4, 5-8
4 x 50 descending
cool down
I was sitting at the Bulldog Cafe after swim this morning, like Kristine and I always do on Thursdays. A woman was wearing a bike jersey that said Hoodoo 500 or some such race, so we got to talking. Turns out that she is the Planet Ultra lady of planetultra.com. She is here doing a Santa Ynez Valley tour with a group of cyclists. She told us about a southern Utah tour in August that sounds just awesome. I am very interested, especially because she said they would really like to have a massage therapist in the group and they would haul my table around for me. It would be like a working vacation. Cycle all day, then massage a little in the evening and make some money. Hmmmm, I am definitely looking into this.
I'm not loving the weather right now, but I've got to get out on my bike for a couple of hours. Maybe the sun will come out soon.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Disneyland, California Adventure, matching hats and all.
Back to the "real world" on Wednesday after being at the happiest place on earth. How they ever came up with that phrase is a complete enigma, since almost everyone there (Disneyland) looked completely miserable. I'm not joking, I made it a contest to find anyone who even looked remotely happy or had the hint of a smile on their face. It made me smile just to do this, which made the trip a bit more tolerable. I kept thinking, at least I won't have to do this again for a couple of years, at least.
So, it was a relief to get back to training on Wednesday. I tricked my friend Fiona into going on an easy trail run with me. She has never run trails before and I was planning on going up grass mountain, since the weather was so fantastic and I knew the flowers would be out in full force. I love this run and don't really consider the difficulty level compared to someone who is used to running flattish roads all the time. She was happy she went and cursed me the next morning at swim, telling the coach that it was all my fault that she was slow. It is a very steep hill and pretty technical, probably not the best choice for a first time trail run. Sorry Fiona, well, not really. She did awesome!
Thursday was swimming of course and then out on the bike for a couple of hours to battle the winds. Friday a short run is all I could squeeze into my day. Saturday, out on the bike by 8AM and ran into my friend Mike, who kicks ass on the bike and made me push way harder than I'm used to. This was really good for me, since I had to be home in time to make it to SB for a swim clinic by 1 PM.
I'm glad I went to the clinic. I was on the fence about going, but the woman putting it on, Mo Chambers, is an excellent coach and I really got some useful information and I think my stroke will be better already. She also coached us a bit about how to sight in open water. The only negative was that the pool was outside and it was freezing and the water was way colder than the 84 degrees I'm used to. I think they said it was 70 degrees. BRRRRRRR!!!! I now know how spoiled I am and will never complain again when the water is say 83 or even 82, which it sometimes is. I'm no polar bear.
Sunday, out on the bike again for a 3 hour ride, than a quick 2 1/2 run. I hoped to fit more biking in this weekend, but wanted to get that run in too. I don't know how people fit all this training in. I have laundry piled up and an empty refrigerator half the time. My kids are always out of socks and we had to eat tortillas and applesauce for breakfast the other day, because mommy's too busy training (and working, mind you) to go to the store. Ugh. But, I did take them to Disneyland. That's right. Priorities.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Solvang Century as Training Ride
I rode the Solvang Century yesterday and had a great time. The early morning was chilly and my hands were frozen, but the day warmed up to a nice 75 degrees by late morning. I now have a nice red "sleeve" on both arms. It's been awhile since my arms have seen the sun for any length of time. The ride was 104 miles, with 5,000 feet of climbing. I found myself looking forward to the hills after miles and miles of mainly flat road from mile 60 to 90. Around mile 80, I found myself really wanting to stretch and noticed other riders wiggling around on their bikes, standing, twisting. I think that is the hardest thing about cycling for hours, you get so damn uncomfortable from being in the same position. I felt like I could go for a nice long run when I finished, in fact, I kept thinking about running while I was riding.
So, tomorrow, I take the kids to Disneyland, a whole other kind of training. Wish me luck.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
It's so grand to feel well again!! Life is just better when you don't have to drag your sick, tired, sorry ass outta bed every morning. I woke up today at 4:50 am and thought, great, time to get up and go to the pool. And, it wasn't like Oh Great...time to get up, but just plain ole great.
200 free
200 drill: 6/3, scull, catch-up, zipper
200 kick: back/fly
200 pull
8 x 50 (:50)
4 x 100 (1:45)
2 x 200 (3:30)
400...keeping same pace as others
200 cool down
So, I received the "energ-ease" and have taken them twice before a workout. The first time I can't say I noticed a difference, but this morning I seemed to have a lot of energy. I don't know it that is because I am feeling better finally or if the stuff really works. I think I will have to keep testing it. I can say for sure, though, that the recover-ease is great. It was reviewed by industry watch dog Supplement Watch.com and got a great review. The ererg-ease also got a great review and I was surprised to see cordyceps as the first ingredient. I have been taking my cordyceps mostly as a hangover cure. Now I know another reason to take it. Ginseng (3 different types ) is also in the ingredients. I have always liked ginseng for energy. I think it affects everyone differently, though.
200 free
200 drill: 6/3, scull, catch-up, zipper
200 kick: back/fly
200 pull
8 x 50 (:50)
4 x 100 (1:45)
2 x 200 (3:30)
400...keeping same pace as others
200 cool down
So, I received the "energ-ease" and have taken them twice before a workout. The first time I can't say I noticed a difference, but this morning I seemed to have a lot of energy. I don't know it that is because I am feeling better finally or if the stuff really works. I think I will have to keep testing it. I can say for sure, though, that the recover-ease is great. It was reviewed by industry watch dog Supplement Watch.com and got a great review. The ererg-ease also got a great review and I was surprised to see cordyceps as the first ingredient. I have been taking my cordyceps mostly as a hangover cure. Now I know another reason to take it. Ginseng (3 different types ) is also in the ingredients. I have always liked ginseng for energy. I think it affects everyone differently, though.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Feelin' Froggy?
Abigail just turned 9 and this toad crashed her party. The girls named him "Rumpy".Go 4 it! (really lame, I know)
4 x 150: free, back, free
4 x 100 kick: free, back
4 x 75 pull (with paddles) breathing every 3, every 5, every 3
4 x 150 free, breast, free
4 x 100 kick: free, breast (no zoomers)
4 x 75 pull (same as above)
Green, because the breaststroke makes me feel so froggy.
Either the workout was tough or I was tired from the weekend. Stupid breaststroke, it makes you feel so slow. The paddles are great for building the strength in my arms. I can really feel it after pulling for a while. I spent some time in the pool on Sunday and mostly did pull with my paddles and my arms were fatigued. I rode 5 hours 5 minutes on Sunday as well. I felt strong till the end, which I know is a good sign. On Saturday I ran about 2 hours 45 minutes. It was a very hilly run and steep enough that I was able to keep up with some pro cyclists for a bit and shoot the shit. That rhymed, did you like that Justin? Anyhow, I ended up seeing the same group on Sunday while I was cycling. I wasn't able to stay with them very long on the bike, but I gave it my best shot. The weather is divine right now. Low 70's, slightly breezy, jasmine wafting through the air, okay, I don't know about the jasmine, but it is lovely here. Pro triathletes are here in full force right now.
Now that I have successfully moved my business, I hope to be more focused on my training as I am supposed to be in the peak stages of tough, long workouts. This weekend I hope to do the Solvang Century. I've lived here 8 years and have yet to participate in this ride. I usually just try to avoid all the asshole cyclist that come to town for this event. Yikes, am I one of them now?? Of course not, I'm still just a runner who rides a bike.
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