I'm three weeks out from my second triathlon. Yay! Tentative schedule for this week barring sore body parts:
Monday - 30 min. weights, 2 mile easy run
Tuesday - 2500-3000 yard swim practice
Wednesday - 5 mile run (either easy or tempo), 30 min. weights
Thursday - probably rest as it's Girls' Night
Friday - 30 min. weights, easy 6 mile run
Saturday - wedding, on my feet for 12+ hours
Sunday - rest or easy bike ride; quick run-through of transitions at home
The weather for this tri will probably be remarkably cooler than the last one. Need to look into this and figure out what to wear.
I was looking at the girls in my age group signed up for this tri and some of them are FAST. Holy crap. Like regional leaders fast. I think my original "realistic" goal of placing in the top 15 of my age group is still reasonable. My "preferred" goal of placing in the top 7 of my age group is probably a little unreasonable. I will be happy to get top 10. My "holy crap" goal of top 3 is still that - holy crap and highly unlikely. But it's all good. It should be a cool experience to meet such fast girls and see how they race.
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Crazy.
A big shout out from this humble rookie to Miss Bree Wee of Hawaii for taking home the women's title at Lavaman this weekend. Her results from the website, only 10 seconds behind the overall winner of the race:
Swim - 21:29 Bike - 1:05:30 Run - 41:19 Total - 2:08:18
Damn! I love this woman. And of course she's got a mad killer crazy awesome stomach to boot. And that's after having a child!
Swim - 21:29 Bike - 1:05:30 Run - 41:19 Total - 2:08:18
Damn! I love this woman. And of course she's got a mad killer crazy awesome stomach to boot. And that's after having a child!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Hello, hello.
Training for the last week and a half (note: all runs include a 1 min. walk break after each mile):
Friday, 9/4 - 30 min. strength training
Saturday, 9/5 - easy 4 mile run... Not going to lie, this was rough. I did a poor job of hydrating/fueling beforehand, didn't bring anything with me, and went out during the heat of the day so by the time I was done, I felt light-headed and kind of sick. Went home and slowly rehydrated and ate. I kept a 10:46 avg. pace, right around the 10:53 my plan called for.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:21
Mile 2 - 10:53
Mile 3 - 10:50
Mile 4 - 10:59
Sunday, 9/6 - Rest
Monday, 9/7 - easy 2 mile run in the morning, 30 min. strength training
Mile 1 - 10:11
Mile 2 - 10:55
Avg. pace - 10:33
Tuesday, 9/8 - Rest - The plan was to join up with the local tri team for swim practice but that afternoon I suddenly started feeling really nauseous, headachey, dehydrated, tired. So I skipped and took a nap. I'm thinking it may have been exhaustion even though I don't feel like my workouts are enough to wear me out so much. Bodies have a funny way of communicating with you.
Wednesday, 9/9 - 3 mile easy run in the morning (I needed the endorphins to get me through a lunchtime dentist appointment!), 30 min. strength training
Mile 1 - 10:21
Mile 2 - 1o:55
Mile 3 - 10:53
Avg. pace - 10:43
Thursday, 9/10 - Rest - Met with my event planning partner and a bride with an upcoming wedding to go over last-minute details. No time to work out. After Tuesday's episode, I decided extra rest this week was probably a good thing. I'm all for HTFU and was a card-carrying member as a teenage athlete but I'm trying to break that mindset now. I keep reading articles and books that emphasize a healthy balance of rest and easy training along with hard workouts in order to maximize results so I'm trying it out.
Friday, 9/11 - 30 min. strength training, 10 miles on the stationary bike. I've been feeling bad about how much I'm neglecting my bike. It was dark out so that's better than nothing, right? Holy crap, talk about sore sit bones.
Saturday, 9/12 -easy 5 mile run. This time I was sufficiently fueled and waited until the early evening to do my run so the weather was just perfect for running. I felt so good that I had a hard time holding back to keep the 10:53 pace my plan calls for. I felt like I could have gone a lot faster. I know it's important to build my aerobic fitness but I'm pumped that next week marks the beginning of faster paced runs!
Nutrition: I ate normally beforehand and had a GU (carbs) immediately afterward, then some sips of Powerade (carbs) when I got home followed by a meal replacement shake (some carbs, lot of protein). I was trying to reach a 2:1 ratio of carbs to proteins for post-workout recovery fuel. I'm out of my favorite powdered recovery shake but have reordered and it's on the way.
Mile 1 - 10:33
Mile 2 - 9:58
Mile 3 - 10:50
Mile 4 - 10:33
Mile 5 - 11:01
Avg. pace - 10:35
Sunday, 9/13 - 15.5 miles biked trying to keep an aerobic HR so my avg. speed was pretty low. Nutrition: low sugar granola bar & water during the ride as I felt my blood sugar dipping, then a mixture of carbs and protein via whatever I had on hand at home.
...
On an equipment front, my new sushi swimsuit arrived and it's pretty sweet. I can tell the quality of the suit (ClubSwim - mostly nylon) is a bit lower than the Dolfin Uglies suit I have, which is mostly polyester. However, for a super fun $21 practice suit, it's totally worth it! I can't wait to wear it this week.
My Xterra sale wetsuit also arrived and I really like it. I'm a little concerned about the neck tightness but I keep hearing that all wetsuits are like that and that it will ease up a bit in the water. I need to test this. In the meantime, I feel like a plastic superhero!
...
In biking news, I'm struggling a bit. Reasons:
- I am scared of cars.
- I suck at changing gears although I'm a little better after the short tutorial my friend gave me.
- I am not very fast - I don't think I have adequate leg power.
- I don't know what I don't know and I don't have anyone around on a regular basis to guide me. Most of my cycling friends are either WAY above me or have completely packed schedules.
Basically, I have no confidence in myself because I feel sort of like I'm floundering. I *hate* this feeling so I dread riding my bike. It shouldn't be that way.
I talked to D about it and came up with a couple of temporary solutions:
- I am going to buy a bike trainer for the winter. The #1 thing that stands in my way between riding and not riding is my fear of cars. The #2 thing is daylight/weather. I will be much more likely to ride my bike if I remove these two hurdles. I'm going to try to find a good used one.
- I will try to start attending one or two spinning classes per week at the gym after my races are over.
- I may hire a temporary cycling coach to give me some pointers and feedback on where I'm doing well and where I'm falling short.
As I get stronger and more comfortable on my bike, my confidence should increase. As my confidence grows, I will probably be more likely to seek out group rides and road riding again. I know a trainer is not a perfect substitute for road riding but, seriously, right now I think this is the best way to get me on the bike more often.
I realized today that the way I feel about biking is probably similar to how a lot of triathletes feel about swimming. I read about their struggles and breakdowns and fears and constant working, working, working to improve. This is how I feel about the bike right now. I am afraid I won't conquer it enough to get me to where I want to be.
However, on a positive note, my running is coming along really well. That 5 mile run I did yesterday was the farthest I've gone in 10 years. How about that! :) My fitness and breathing felt so good yesterday. I'm becoming better acquainted with the subtle signals my body gives when my HR reaches the high 160's. I'm learning how to tackle hills. The best part? My knees continue to feel awesome! I get a little bit of achiness in the last mile of these long Saturday runs but once I finish and walk they're fine. I keep hearing my physical therapist's words, "As long as the pain is at a 4 or less, go ahead and keep doing what you're doing." I'd say the pain is a 1, maybe a 2 max in that last half mile. I stretch and ice afterward and they're golden. LOVES IT!
...
On the racing front, I have officially signed up for the Richmond Sprint Tri. W00t! Can't wait. I finally bit the bullet after attempting to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon 10K on Friday only to be denied. AGH. I was soo disappointed because I'd decided that would be the perfect venue for my first 10K. I'd been on the site the day before and it was open. Anyway, that lit the fire under me and I immediately got my spot at the tri before that sold out, too.
Crossing my fingers that a spot in the MCM 10K will open up soon. I would really, really like to run it. Otherwise I'll have to find another 10K that weekend.
...
I'm leaving you with this pretty souvenir from my 11 mile ride last week. Eat it up, roadies!
Friday, 9/4 - 30 min. strength training
Saturday, 9/5 - easy 4 mile run... Not going to lie, this was rough. I did a poor job of hydrating/fueling beforehand, didn't bring anything with me, and went out during the heat of the day so by the time I was done, I felt light-headed and kind of sick. Went home and slowly rehydrated and ate. I kept a 10:46 avg. pace, right around the 10:53 my plan called for.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:21
Mile 2 - 10:53
Mile 3 - 10:50
Mile 4 - 10:59
Sunday, 9/6 - Rest
Monday, 9/7 - easy 2 mile run in the morning, 30 min. strength training
Mile 1 - 10:11
Mile 2 - 10:55
Avg. pace - 10:33
Tuesday, 9/8 - Rest - The plan was to join up with the local tri team for swim practice but that afternoon I suddenly started feeling really nauseous, headachey, dehydrated, tired. So I skipped and took a nap. I'm thinking it may have been exhaustion even though I don't feel like my workouts are enough to wear me out so much. Bodies have a funny way of communicating with you.
Wednesday, 9/9 - 3 mile easy run in the morning (I needed the endorphins to get me through a lunchtime dentist appointment!), 30 min. strength training
Mile 1 - 10:21
Mile 2 - 1o:55
Mile 3 - 10:53
Avg. pace - 10:43
Thursday, 9/10 - Rest - Met with my event planning partner and a bride with an upcoming wedding to go over last-minute details. No time to work out. After Tuesday's episode, I decided extra rest this week was probably a good thing. I'm all for HTFU and was a card-carrying member as a teenage athlete but I'm trying to break that mindset now. I keep reading articles and books that emphasize a healthy balance of rest and easy training along with hard workouts in order to maximize results so I'm trying it out.
Friday, 9/11 - 30 min. strength training, 10 miles on the stationary bike. I've been feeling bad about how much I'm neglecting my bike. It was dark out so that's better than nothing, right? Holy crap, talk about sore sit bones.
Saturday, 9/12 -easy 5 mile run. This time I was sufficiently fueled and waited until the early evening to do my run so the weather was just perfect for running. I felt so good that I had a hard time holding back to keep the 10:53 pace my plan calls for. I felt like I could have gone a lot faster. I know it's important to build my aerobic fitness but I'm pumped that next week marks the beginning of faster paced runs!
Nutrition: I ate normally beforehand and had a GU (carbs) immediately afterward, then some sips of Powerade (carbs) when I got home followed by a meal replacement shake (some carbs, lot of protein). I was trying to reach a 2:1 ratio of carbs to proteins for post-workout recovery fuel. I'm out of my favorite powdered recovery shake but have reordered and it's on the way.
Mile 1 - 10:33
Mile 2 - 9:58
Mile 3 - 10:50
Mile 4 - 10:33
Mile 5 - 11:01
Avg. pace - 10:35
Sunday, 9/13 - 15.5 miles biked trying to keep an aerobic HR so my avg. speed was pretty low. Nutrition: low sugar granola bar & water during the ride as I felt my blood sugar dipping, then a mixture of carbs and protein via whatever I had on hand at home.
...
On an equipment front, my new sushi swimsuit arrived and it's pretty sweet. I can tell the quality of the suit (ClubSwim - mostly nylon) is a bit lower than the Dolfin Uglies suit I have, which is mostly polyester. However, for a super fun $21 practice suit, it's totally worth it! I can't wait to wear it this week.
My Xterra sale wetsuit also arrived and I really like it. I'm a little concerned about the neck tightness but I keep hearing that all wetsuits are like that and that it will ease up a bit in the water. I need to test this. In the meantime, I feel like a plastic superhero!
...
In biking news, I'm struggling a bit. Reasons:
- I am scared of cars.
- I suck at changing gears although I'm a little better after the short tutorial my friend gave me.
- I am not very fast - I don't think I have adequate leg power.
- I don't know what I don't know and I don't have anyone around on a regular basis to guide me. Most of my cycling friends are either WAY above me or have completely packed schedules.
Basically, I have no confidence in myself because I feel sort of like I'm floundering. I *hate* this feeling so I dread riding my bike. It shouldn't be that way.
I talked to D about it and came up with a couple of temporary solutions:
- I am going to buy a bike trainer for the winter. The #1 thing that stands in my way between riding and not riding is my fear of cars. The #2 thing is daylight/weather. I will be much more likely to ride my bike if I remove these two hurdles. I'm going to try to find a good used one.
- I will try to start attending one or two spinning classes per week at the gym after my races are over.
- I may hire a temporary cycling coach to give me some pointers and feedback on where I'm doing well and where I'm falling short.
As I get stronger and more comfortable on my bike, my confidence should increase. As my confidence grows, I will probably be more likely to seek out group rides and road riding again. I know a trainer is not a perfect substitute for road riding but, seriously, right now I think this is the best way to get me on the bike more often.
I realized today that the way I feel about biking is probably similar to how a lot of triathletes feel about swimming. I read about their struggles and breakdowns and fears and constant working, working, working to improve. This is how I feel about the bike right now. I am afraid I won't conquer it enough to get me to where I want to be.
However, on a positive note, my running is coming along really well. That 5 mile run I did yesterday was the farthest I've gone in 10 years. How about that! :) My fitness and breathing felt so good yesterday. I'm becoming better acquainted with the subtle signals my body gives when my HR reaches the high 160's. I'm learning how to tackle hills. The best part? My knees continue to feel awesome! I get a little bit of achiness in the last mile of these long Saturday runs but once I finish and walk they're fine. I keep hearing my physical therapist's words, "As long as the pain is at a 4 or less, go ahead and keep doing what you're doing." I'd say the pain is a 1, maybe a 2 max in that last half mile. I stretch and ice afterward and they're golden. LOVES IT!
...
On the racing front, I have officially signed up for the Richmond Sprint Tri. W00t! Can't wait. I finally bit the bullet after attempting to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon 10K on Friday only to be denied. AGH. I was soo disappointed because I'd decided that would be the perfect venue for my first 10K. I'd been on the site the day before and it was open. Anyway, that lit the fire under me and I immediately got my spot at the tri before that sold out, too.
Crossing my fingers that a spot in the MCM 10K will open up soon. I would really, really like to run it. Otherwise I'll have to find another 10K that weekend.
...
I'm leaving you with this pretty souvenir from my 11 mile ride last week. Eat it up, roadies!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Goals
Yesterday's spaghetti squash dinner was tonight's leftovers and they were just as good.
I also made another batch of chocolate hazelnut bites because we've already eaten the entire other batch *blush*. In our defense it doesn't make a ton but, still, we did eat more than we should have. This time I'm trying it with homemade granola that I bought at the farmer's market this weekend. It is much less sweet than commercial granola, and also a bit softer, so I'm hoping it will create the particular taste and texture I'm looking for.
I'm well into my 10K training plan now and enjoying it, although having to keep to a fairly specific running schedule to allow for enough recovery time does make it a bit difficult to fit other exercising in. I shouldn't do heavy legs on a run day of more than 2 or 3 miles. I shouldn't do a long bike ride after a long run. I shouldn't bike and run on the same day. I shouldn't bike or run every single day. These are all self-imposed rules designed to protect my knees as they continue to heal. Along with all of that, I have friends and triathlon club members doing runs and rides of their own on which I would love to tag along, except it's almost impossible for my schedule and their plans to overlap just right.
Anyway, because of that, I find myself a bit restricted in exactly what I can do each day. And usually I find myself doing it alone. However, D has started doing some of my runs with me and that is really nice.
I haven't signed up for my next triathlon yet. It takes place on October 11. I'm sort of scared to make the commitment just in case something goes wrong in my 10K training and I tear up my knees. I am 4.5 weeks out from it and just realized that, if I'm going to switch over to clipless pedals anytime soon, it needs to be ASAP.
Here are some of my short-term goals. It's nerve-wracking putting these in writing instead of keeping them in my head but now that I've stated them I've gotta make them!
October Sprint Tri
Realistic goal: Place top 15 in my age group
Preferred goal: Place top 7 in my age group
Holy crap goal: Place top 3 in my age group
October 10K
Realistic goal: Break 56 min.
Preferred goal: Break 54 min.
Holy crap goal: Break 53 min.
December 5K
Realistic goal: Break 26:50
Preferred goal: Break 26:20
Holy crap goal: Break 26 min.
I also made another batch of chocolate hazelnut bites because we've already eaten the entire other batch *blush*. In our defense it doesn't make a ton but, still, we did eat more than we should have. This time I'm trying it with homemade granola that I bought at the farmer's market this weekend. It is much less sweet than commercial granola, and also a bit softer, so I'm hoping it will create the particular taste and texture I'm looking for.
I'm well into my 10K training plan now and enjoying it, although having to keep to a fairly specific running schedule to allow for enough recovery time does make it a bit difficult to fit other exercising in. I shouldn't do heavy legs on a run day of more than 2 or 3 miles. I shouldn't do a long bike ride after a long run. I shouldn't bike and run on the same day. I shouldn't bike or run every single day. These are all self-imposed rules designed to protect my knees as they continue to heal. Along with all of that, I have friends and triathlon club members doing runs and rides of their own on which I would love to tag along, except it's almost impossible for my schedule and their plans to overlap just right.
Anyway, because of that, I find myself a bit restricted in exactly what I can do each day. And usually I find myself doing it alone. However, D has started doing some of my runs with me and that is really nice.
I haven't signed up for my next triathlon yet. It takes place on October 11. I'm sort of scared to make the commitment just in case something goes wrong in my 10K training and I tear up my knees. I am 4.5 weeks out from it and just realized that, if I'm going to switch over to clipless pedals anytime soon, it needs to be ASAP.
Here are some of my short-term goals. It's nerve-wracking putting these in writing instead of keeping them in my head but now that I've stated them I've gotta make them!
October Sprint Tri
Realistic goal: Place top 15 in my age group
Preferred goal: Place top 7 in my age group
Holy crap goal: Place top 3 in my age group
October 10K
Realistic goal: Break 56 min.
Preferred goal: Break 54 min.
Holy crap goal: Break 53 min.
December 5K
Realistic goal: Break 26:50
Preferred goal: Break 26:20
Holy crap goal: Break 26 min.
Monday, August 17, 2009
My First Tri: Super Sprint Tri Race Report
I'm so behind on this race report it's embarrassing. It's been a busy week+. So...here is how the tri went:
Splits & Rank:
Swim - 6:22, Rank: 1
T1 - 1:04
Bike - 26:57, Rank: 6
T2 - :36
Run - 16:38
Overall time - 51:34, Rank: 3 - I got a medal!
25-29 year old rank: 3/15
Overall rank: 21/148 women
Originally I was ranked 2nd and received a 2nd place medal at the awards ceremony, but later the official results came out and both the girl in 1st place and I were bumped down to make room for another girl who pwnd both of us.
RACE DAY
I stayed at a friend's house the night before so I made a sprouted grain eng. muffin with PB and bananas for breakfast and ate it in the car on the way there. I ran out of time to get coffee and "process" it before the race started so I took an Excedrin instead. Had some water and a few sips of Gatorade. Filled and chilled bike water bottle with a water/Gatorade mixture the night before.
The race was to start at 7:30 so I got there around 6:40. Wheeled my bike over to my transition area, which was assigned to me and quite convenient, and racked it. Laid everything out and was all set. Hit the bathroom, then picked up my timing chip and got marked. The one person I "knew" (met on a triathlon forum and exchanged race #s for a possible meetup) happened to be right behind me in the marking line so it was nice to meet him. It was his first tri, too. I met his wife and kids later and they were all very sweet.
Jogged in the grass and stretched a lot beforehand. The weather was pretty good so I was about as comfortable as someone who gets cold easily could be at 7am.
SWIM - 400 yard snake swim
I was so glad that "my" event was first because I knew what to expect. It was like a pseudo swim meet, except without the starter, dives, flip turns....okay, so not much. I managed to stay ahead of the rest of my age group (AG) and was only passed by one guy seeded a couple of spots behind me. However, I went out much too fast for my own good and was thrilled when I got to the end of the lanes. At this point my heart was GOING. My final time is a lot slower than my entry time of 5:45 but I think it's due to the lack of flip turns and having to touch twice at each end.
T1
I hauled ass to T1. No wetsuit since it was a pool swim. I had decided at the last minute to forgo socks so my wet feet gave me some difficulty slipping into my running shoes (no bike shoes, sneakers had elastic laces), but otherwise the transition went smoothly. Threw on mesh shorts, helmet, sunglasses. I had 2 Shot Bloks laid out so I ate one on my way out and stuck the other under the edge of my swim suit near my shoulder. I had trained once with Shot Bloks and they seemed to digest well.
BIKE - 8 miles
Because I'd gone out too fast in the swim and am already not a great biker, I was a little fried at this point. I struggled to keep my avg. pace above 15 mph. The course was mostly flat with very gradual inclines/declines and I actually found myself wishing for hills so that I could at least recover instead of mashing pedals the whole time. I took one sip of my water/Gatorade mixture.
T2
Walked/jogged my bike in to get my heart rate down, racked bike, helmet down, grabbed race belt, go.
Run - 1.8/1.86 miles
If I'd been able to catch my breath better in the first mile, I would have established a nice albeit slow pace. Finally got a decent one established during the second mile and was able to sprint home. I would definitely have liked to reach a faster comfortable pace. My calculated pace was either 8:55/mi. or 9:13/mi. depending on which distance is used. I didn't have my Garmin with me. Walked through a water stop and took a bunch of other quick walk breaks.
After I finished and finally caught my breath, I did some light jogging, stretching, drank lots of water and Gatorade, had some snacks, and my second Shot Blok. Mmm, wet, sweaty Shot Blok. Cheered for my tri buddy, watched the kids' tri, and hung out until the awards ceremony and door prizes. I thought I perhaps had a chance of placing in my AG since I hadn't seen a ton of people pass me. Turns out I was right and it was awesome. I also won a door prize - $15 Road ID gift cert. I already have one so I gave the cert. to a friend.
The limiting factors in my race: the facts that I went out too fast in the swim and that I'm not a strong cyclist.
The bottom line: I think I had a good start into the adult tri world but I really really really need to work on my bike. That makes it or breaks it. Either way, I had a great time at this race when I wasn't dying and would love to do another. Perhaps something a little longer to allow me to pace better.
Splits & Rank:
Swim - 6:22, Rank: 1
T1 - 1:04
Bike - 26:57, Rank: 6
T2 - :36
Run - 16:38
Overall time - 51:34, Rank: 3 - I got a medal!
25-29 year old rank: 3/15
Overall rank: 21/148 women
Originally I was ranked 2nd and received a 2nd place medal at the awards ceremony, but later the official results came out and both the girl in 1st place and I were bumped down to make room for another girl who pwnd both of us.
RACE DAY
I stayed at a friend's house the night before so I made a sprouted grain eng. muffin with PB and bananas for breakfast and ate it in the car on the way there. I ran out of time to get coffee and "process" it before the race started so I took an Excedrin instead. Had some water and a few sips of Gatorade. Filled and chilled bike water bottle with a water/Gatorade mixture the night before.
The race was to start at 7:30 so I got there around 6:40. Wheeled my bike over to my transition area, which was assigned to me and quite convenient, and racked it. Laid everything out and was all set. Hit the bathroom, then picked up my timing chip and got marked. The one person I "knew" (met on a triathlon forum and exchanged race #s for a possible meetup) happened to be right behind me in the marking line so it was nice to meet him. It was his first tri, too. I met his wife and kids later and they were all very sweet.
Jogged in the grass and stretched a lot beforehand. The weather was pretty good so I was about as comfortable as someone who gets cold easily could be at 7am.
SWIM - 400 yard snake swim
I was so glad that "my" event was first because I knew what to expect. It was like a pseudo swim meet, except without the starter, dives, flip turns....okay, so not much. I managed to stay ahead of the rest of my age group (AG) and was only passed by one guy seeded a couple of spots behind me. However, I went out much too fast for my own good and was thrilled when I got to the end of the lanes. At this point my heart was GOING. My final time is a lot slower than my entry time of 5:45 but I think it's due to the lack of flip turns and having to touch twice at each end.
T1
I hauled ass to T1. No wetsuit since it was a pool swim. I had decided at the last minute to forgo socks so my wet feet gave me some difficulty slipping into my running shoes (no bike shoes, sneakers had elastic laces), but otherwise the transition went smoothly. Threw on mesh shorts, helmet, sunglasses. I had 2 Shot Bloks laid out so I ate one on my way out and stuck the other under the edge of my swim suit near my shoulder. I had trained once with Shot Bloks and they seemed to digest well.
BIKE - 8 miles
Because I'd gone out too fast in the swim and am already not a great biker, I was a little fried at this point. I struggled to keep my avg. pace above 15 mph. The course was mostly flat with very gradual inclines/declines and I actually found myself wishing for hills so that I could at least recover instead of mashing pedals the whole time. I took one sip of my water/Gatorade mixture.
T2
Walked/jogged my bike in to get my heart rate down, racked bike, helmet down, grabbed race belt, go.
Run - 1.8/1.86 miles
If I'd been able to catch my breath better in the first mile, I would have established a nice albeit slow pace. Finally got a decent one established during the second mile and was able to sprint home. I would definitely have liked to reach a faster comfortable pace. My calculated pace was either 8:55/mi. or 9:13/mi. depending on which distance is used. I didn't have my Garmin with me. Walked through a water stop and took a bunch of other quick walk breaks.
After I finished and finally caught my breath, I did some light jogging, stretching, drank lots of water and Gatorade, had some snacks, and my second Shot Blok. Mmm, wet, sweaty Shot Blok. Cheered for my tri buddy, watched the kids' tri, and hung out until the awards ceremony and door prizes. I thought I perhaps had a chance of placing in my AG since I hadn't seen a ton of people pass me. Turns out I was right and it was awesome. I also won a door prize - $15 Road ID gift cert. I already have one so I gave the cert. to a friend.
The limiting factors in my race: the facts that I went out too fast in the swim and that I'm not a strong cyclist.
The bottom line: I think I had a good start into the adult tri world but I really really really need to work on my bike. That makes it or breaks it. Either way, I had a great time at this race when I wasn't dying and would love to do another. Perhaps something a little longer to allow me to pace better.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Tapering and Tired
Yesterday was my last workout before my race this weekend. 15 min. bike and 15 min. run. It went fine but I was completely exhausted last night and am just as ridiculously exhausted today. I did some Googling and apparently this is normal during tapering as it is your body's way of recovering from built up fatigue. I only hope I've allowed enough time before the race for my body to sufficiently rest because at the moment I feel like I could go to bed now and sleep through the weekend!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Four Days Out
I did W4D2 of the C25K program on Monday - yes, the day after my 11.6 mile bike and 2 mile run. If you'd told me to do that two months ago with the state my knees were in I would have laughed and cried. But this week I did it. And it didn't hurt even though I forgot to ice afterward. And it still doesn't hurt. I really am healing.
Yesterday was a 2300 yd. swim practice. I did a 100 Tarzan drill, an oldie but goodie, and I am totally feeling it in my neck today.
Today is a rest day and a going away BBQ for one of our good friends who is moving but shouldn't be >:-O !
Yesterday was a 2300 yd. swim practice. I did a 100 Tarzan drill, an oldie but goodie, and I am totally feeling it in my neck today.
Today is a rest day and a going away BBQ for one of our good friends who is moving but shouldn't be >:-O !
Sunday, August 2, 2009
My Garmin was supposed to arrive on Monday but it arrived yesterday instead. Yay! I used it in today's workout. Since I was well-rested and feeling good, I did a bike/run brick instead of just a bike.
Bike: 11.65 miles
T2
Run: 2.04 miles
My bike pace was pretty bad due to lots of slowing and stops for pedestrians and cars, but I made it through a 20% grade climb that got me last week so that was a plus. Did fine without bike shorts and gloves, but was too chicken to try moving dismounts. The full stop & dismount will have to do for this race.
T2- 1:14, included loading my bike into my car
My run went really well. I didn't feel the need to stop for my knees and my pace was 9:44/mi. including walk breaks with a peak speed in the low 7's/mi. I was trying to restrain myself and go pretty easy. I drafted off another jogger for the second half of the first mile and that was nice.
I think I'm going to skip lifting this week and focus on moderate cardio. Picked up a race belt yesterday and also replaced my sketchy helmet after hearing about a triathlete who was clipped by a car this week and had his helmet to thank for not being a lot worse off.
This week's plan:
Monday: W4D2 C25K plan or Rest
Tuesday: Easier swim practice, W4D2 C25K plan or easy bike
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Easy bike 15 min., easy run 15 min.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Light bike & walk of the course
Sunday: Race Day
Bike: 11.65 miles
T2
Run: 2.04 miles
My bike pace was pretty bad due to lots of slowing and stops for pedestrians and cars, but I made it through a 20% grade climb that got me last week so that was a plus. Did fine without bike shorts and gloves, but was too chicken to try moving dismounts. The full stop & dismount will have to do for this race.
T2- 1:14, included loading my bike into my car
My run went really well. I didn't feel the need to stop for my knees and my pace was 9:44/mi. including walk breaks with a peak speed in the low 7's/mi. I was trying to restrain myself and go pretty easy. I drafted off another jogger for the second half of the first mile and that was nice.
I think I'm going to skip lifting this week and focus on moderate cardio. Picked up a race belt yesterday and also replaced my sketchy helmet after hearing about a triathlete who was clipped by a car this week and had his helmet to thank for not being a lot worse off.
This week's plan:
Monday: W4D2 C25K plan or Rest
Tuesday: Easier swim practice, W4D2 C25K plan or easy bike
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Easy bike 15 min., easy run 15 min.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Light bike & walk of the course
Sunday: Race Day
Friday, July 31, 2009
One Week Out
One week out. Mentally I'm ready and excited. :) Physically I'm most unsure about the run at this point. I'm ready for the swim. With the bike I don't really know what I don't know so I'll do my best and get through it. I have a small past in running from a couple of years in high school track and general running in sports but haven't done much in a while and not a lot for this race due to my knees. I'm up to W4D1 of the C25K plan. It's going as well as it can for someone running slowly and comfortably. Just don't know how I'll pace against people who are probably strong in the run. I know, it's my first tri so I shouldn't worry about it but I'm just treating this like any other competition where I hope to do well.
Anyway, it should be fun. Looking forward to meeting new people, getting my splits, and having something to work with for future training (in what, who knows).
After several failed attempts at finding a suitable, cheaper alternative to a Garmin, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a 305 this week. It should arrive on Monday. It won't be much help for this race but oh well. :)
Tomorrow I'm co-coordinating a wedding so I'll be on my feet all day. Sunday I still plan to do my long bike ride. I'll take it easy. Just want to get some distance in there and practice riding without padded bike shorts or gloves and work on moving dismounts.
This week's workouts were pretty close to plan:
Monday: 2400 yd. swim
Tuesday: W3D3 C25K run with girlfriend
Wednesday: 30 min. weights, 2 mile bike, 1 mile run.....intended to do 4-5 miles of bike sprints but it started pouring so I put my bike away and did a quick run/walk in the rain
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 30 min. weights, W4D1 C25K run (approx. 2 miles not including WU/CD)
Saturday: Wedding tomorrow, tons of walking
Sunday: Long, easy bike ride planned
Reminder to self: Get a race belt unless they're providing one?
Anyway, it should be fun. Looking forward to meeting new people, getting my splits, and having something to work with for future training (in what, who knows).
After several failed attempts at finding a suitable, cheaper alternative to a Garmin, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a 305 this week. It should arrive on Monday. It won't be much help for this race but oh well. :)
Tomorrow I'm co-coordinating a wedding so I'll be on my feet all day. Sunday I still plan to do my long bike ride. I'll take it easy. Just want to get some distance in there and practice riding without padded bike shorts or gloves and work on moving dismounts.
This week's workouts were pretty close to plan:
Monday: 2400 yd. swim
Tuesday: W3D3 C25K run with girlfriend
Wednesday: 30 min. weights, 2 mile bike, 1 mile run.....intended to do 4-5 miles of bike sprints but it started pouring so I put my bike away and did a quick run/walk in the rain
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 30 min. weights, W4D1 C25K run (approx. 2 miles not including WU/CD)
Saturday: Wedding tomorrow, tons of walking
Sunday: Long, easy bike ride planned
Reminder to self: Get a race belt unless they're providing one?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Two Weeks Out
Last week's exercise ended up being close to plan:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 2200 yard swim at Masters practice followed by approx. 1.5 mile hard run
Tues: Rest
Wed: 30 min. full body weights, 30 min. bike sprints (approx. 4 miles)
Thurs: Rest - Girls' Night, w00t
Fri: 30 min. full body weights
Sat: 600 swim, T1, 12 mile bike, T2, 2 mile run/walk
Sunday: Rest
The mock tri on Saturday went really well despite some serious hills on the bike. My run felt fantastic, especially after a walk break early on. Loving the elastic laces. Need to work on speed and play with nutrition a bit but otherwise I feel good for the race.
This week's plan:
Monday: 2400 yard swim, fast sets at practice
Tuesday: C25K run/walk
Wednesday: 30 min. full body weights, 30 min. bike sprints
Thursday: Rest or C25K run/walk
Friday: 30 min. full body weights
Saturday: Rest (Doing a wedding)
Sunday: Long bike ride
Sun: Rest
Mon: 2200 yard swim at Masters practice followed by approx. 1.5 mile hard run
Tues: Rest
Wed: 30 min. full body weights, 30 min. bike sprints (approx. 4 miles)
Thurs: Rest - Girls' Night, w00t
Fri: 30 min. full body weights
Sat: 600 swim, T1, 12 mile bike, T2, 2 mile run/walk
Sunday: Rest
The mock tri on Saturday went really well despite some serious hills on the bike. My run felt fantastic, especially after a walk break early on. Loving the elastic laces. Need to work on speed and play with nutrition a bit but otherwise I feel good for the race.
This week's plan:
Monday: 2400 yard swim, fast sets at practice
Tuesday: C25K run/walk
Wednesday: 30 min. full body weights, 30 min. bike sprints
Thursday: Rest or C25K run/walk
Friday: 30 min. full body weights
Saturday: Rest (Doing a wedding)
Sunday: Long bike ride
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Three Weeks Out
I'm three weeks out from the race. I sent in my check and registration last week. I've practiced T1 and T2 in my head a couple of times so while I haven't done it physically, I have a better idea of what I will and won't need. I bought elastic laces on Friday and laced myself up today so I will practice biking and running in these over the next couple of weeks.
My tentative exercise plan for this next week is below. My knees are feeling 90% good but I want them feeling 100% good before I work them hard this week. Therefore, I'm starting off with a swim or bike:
Saturday (yesterday) - Rest
Sunday (today) - Rest
Monday - I'll either do a bike ride or the advanced swim practice avoiding extensive breaststroke for a hard but low-impact workout. If knees are feeling good, I will do a timed fast 2 mile run afterward to get an idea of where I stand pace-wise (walking for 30 seconds every 3 or 5 minutes if necessary). It should also simulate running at the end of a hard race. If the knees are not feeling excellent, skip run.
Tuesday - Fast 2 mile run (walking for 30 sec. every 3 or 5 minutes if necessary) if I didn't run Monday. Otherwise rest.
Wednesday - Whole-body weights followed by intervals on bike.
Thursday - C25K run/walk easy pace. If knees are feeling good, do speed intervals instead. It's Girls' Night, though, so I may end up taking this evening off. If so, push run to Friday.
Friday - Whole-body weights, run if I didn't run Thursday.
Saturday - Simulated race using equipment I plan to use race day. Emphasis will be on the bike ride - Brief swim, T1, 10-14 mile bike ride, T2, brief run. Practice using sports drink on the bike. Also practice changing a flat tire after the ride in case I screw something up.
Sunday - Rest
Equipment-wise, I don't think I will need anything for the race other than what I have now. I will wear a swim suit underneath everything. I'll add shorts and a tank top during T1. I'll wear sunglasses for the bike but not for the run. May add a hat for the run. I'd ideally like to use only sports drinks during the bike so I won't have to deal with packaging, digestion, or getting nutrition during T2. I should have something available at T2, though, just in case I don't use the drink on the bike. I'm pretty sure I will need some sort of fuel between the bike and run.
T1: Pull off goggles and cap, pat down dry including feet, shorts on, top on, socks on, shoes on, sunglasses on, helmet on, go.
T2: Rack bike, helmet off, sunglasses off, hat on?, nutrition?, go.
My tentative exercise plan for this next week is below. My knees are feeling 90% good but I want them feeling 100% good before I work them hard this week. Therefore, I'm starting off with a swim or bike:
Saturday (yesterday) - Rest
Sunday (today) - Rest
Monday - I'll either do a bike ride or the advanced swim practice avoiding extensive breaststroke for a hard but low-impact workout. If knees are feeling good, I will do a timed fast 2 mile run afterward to get an idea of where I stand pace-wise (walking for 30 seconds every 3 or 5 minutes if necessary). It should also simulate running at the end of a hard race. If the knees are not feeling excellent, skip run.
Tuesday - Fast 2 mile run (walking for 30 sec. every 3 or 5 minutes if necessary) if I didn't run Monday. Otherwise rest.
Wednesday - Whole-body weights followed by intervals on bike.
Thursday - C25K run/walk easy pace. If knees are feeling good, do speed intervals instead. It's Girls' Night, though, so I may end up taking this evening off. If so, push run to Friday.
Friday - Whole-body weights, run if I didn't run Thursday.
Saturday - Simulated race using equipment I plan to use race day. Emphasis will be on the bike ride - Brief swim, T1, 10-14 mile bike ride, T2, brief run. Practice using sports drink on the bike. Also practice changing a flat tire after the ride in case I screw something up.
Sunday - Rest
Equipment-wise, I don't think I will need anything for the race other than what I have now. I will wear a swim suit underneath everything. I'll add shorts and a tank top during T1. I'll wear sunglasses for the bike but not for the run. May add a hat for the run. I'd ideally like to use only sports drinks during the bike so I won't have to deal with packaging, digestion, or getting nutrition during T2. I should have something available at T2, though, just in case I don't use the drink on the bike. I'm pretty sure I will need some sort of fuel between the bike and run.
T1: Pull off goggles and cap, pat down dry including feet, shorts on, top on, socks on, shoes on, sunglasses on, helmet on, go.
T2: Rack bike, helmet off, sunglasses off, hat on?, nutrition?, go.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Triathlon.
I am training for a triathlon and I am so. excited.
I did a couple of Ironkids triathlons as a child back when I swam. I have vague but fun memories of them. I remember waiting for one of the swims to start - there were hundreds of kids just sitting there on the pool deck. I remember swimming and then getting out to head for T1. I remember getting a little torn up during one of the T1's and gashing my leg a bit. I remember being on the bike and nervously hoping I was going the right way. Ha. And then I remember heading out for the run on some grassy hills and looping around a building, then heading into the finish line where my parents stood, cheering. I also remember being super pumped about the free stuff they gave us, including sponges that looked like pieces of bread (one of the sponsors was a bread company). I don't think I ever placed, but I finished them and had fun in the process.
Anyway, after I started getting back into shape last winter, I somehow got an itch to do triathlons and it hasn't gone away. My patellar tendinitis has certainly affected my racing plans this year but about a week and a half ago I found a super sprint tri that I should be able to complete without pain or reinjuring myself. Plus, I just want to get my first adult tri under my belt already.
So...the race is on August 9. It's a 400 m. zigzag pool swim, 8 mile bike, 1.8 mile run. I wanted something very light on the run for my knees' sakes.
To get ramped back up into running at a pace safe for my knees, I'm doing the Couch To 5K Program. I'm currently on Week 3, Day 2. I won't be finished with the program before race day but as long as my knees are feeling good, I should be able to knock out 1.8 miles with mostly running at a good pace.
To prepare for the bike, I've been biking whenever I can. I think this will be the key to getting a good time. I am not a great biker - just bought my road bike in April - but I'm trying. I've been doing rides for a couple of months now and trying to slowly increase my distance. I did 14 miles on Monday and rode up every hill on the path, quads burning, lungs heaving, bike computer reading 5-8 mph.
I'm a little rusty on distances but I think I'm ready for the swim. I'd like to increase my strength and speed a bit for the sake of my pride as a former swimmer who used to do this faster, but if I had to do it now I'd be okay. Right now I'm clocking in at 5:45 for a normal 400 m. I'm thinking everyone's times will be slightly slower at the tri due to zigzagging and no flip turns but it should seed me well enough.
Therefore, most of my focus will be on the bike and possibly the run.
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