The first day of training after my third triathlon 2 days ago, and all is well. Pulled out 1100 meters in the pool this afternoon, and feeling pretty good. My timed 400m was 11:12 - more than 2 minutes slower than Sunday's tri - which at first I was baffled by - but figured that this swimming stuff is probably a lot like running. I don't put too much effort into my training runs, and my pace per mile is usually significantly slower than what I pull out in a race, so I'm assuming swimming is the same way. Still, doesn't quite explain how I shaved an entire 2 minutes off of this tri compared to last, considering both times were acquired during an actual event. Oh well, not gonna lose too much sleep over it.
Feeling a little sluggish today. Haven't been able to hear out of my right ear all day, and both trying to pop it and pouring a cap full of peroxide into it didn't to the trick, so I guess I'm screwed 'til it clears up on it's own. The weather is finally starting to get (and hopefully stay) warm, and as I write this (7:13 p.m. EST) it is still a warm 68 degrees outside. The weather is in my favor for the remainder of the week which means great opportunities for outside runs and bike rides - yah!!!! Until tomorrow....
About Me
- Connie
- Louisville, Kentucky, United States
- After four years of long-distance running (5k, 10k, half-marathons) I got a little burnt out and decided to try my hand at triathlons. This blog is a journey into my training regime, as well as the play-by-play experiences I have had while competing in these amazingly fun events!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Triathlon #3 was a success!!
Still feeling the effects of pulling out a PR during yesterday's triathlon. Felt somewhat crappy all day Saturday, and questioned whether I would even be able to compete, but got some OTC medication and, regardless of sleeping horribly and waking up to a cold and windy morning, loaded up the bike onto the car and headed out with Shane to pick up Alicia.
Alicia's pout, as she opened the door, told me even before she opened her mouth that the last thing she wanted to do on this cold, wet, March morning was a triathlon. "Can't we just go out for breakfast?" she solmenly asked. You see, many a morn Alicia and I - having already paid some sort of fee to run in an event - decided at the last minute that we'd rather go out to breakfast somewhere than spend 3+ miles running around the city of Louisville, especially if the temperature dipped below a certain degree. We could usually convince each other of this somewhere around 50 degrees farenheit. But not this morning! This morning, I was geared up to go for some reason.
It sprinkled all the way to Shelbyville, and the wind was horrid and the air quite cool as we set up our bikes and gear up in T1. The swim portion was indoor of course, and I could tell from the faces of the other athletes that we were all dreading running outside and hoping on a bike, already dripping wet, for a 12 mile ride with the cold wind on our face. Alicia and I sucked it up though, just like the rest of them, and got our arms and legs marked, donned our swim caps, and lined up for the start of the swim.
There was a 10 second delay between swimmers, and the line moved pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I took off from the side of the pool and was going at a pretty good pace before being passed by my first swimmer. As I moved along however, I was a littler perterbed to find that some slower swimmers we not moving to the right, or getting to the wall and moving on ahead rather than letting those faster than them pass. I thought for sure, by the last lap, that this was going to definitely hamper my time and thought I'd be lucky to pull out anything below a 12-minute swim. Imagine my surprise when I hoisted myself out from the end of the pool, already toweling off somewhat, tossing my cap, donning my racing belt before looking down to see that I was only 9:40 into the race. Wow - I had somehow managed a sub-ten minute swim - something I have never accomplished before. I was stoked!
I ran to T1, got on the bike, and headed out onto the course. By this time I had at least covered the top portion of my tri suit with a breathable jacket which kept me somewhat warm during the bike. My legs were red from the cold and covered with goosebumps, while my shoes were soaked with rainwater a mile into the bike, but I didn't care. I had never rode in the rain before and I was a little scared to take a corner too quickly and wipe out. Some of the other cyclist and I played leap-frog. Some passed by me never to be seen again, while some were left as only a faint peddler in my bike's rearview mirror. At the turn-around point I mentioned to the volunteers that "This wind sucks." "It always does," is what the man managed to muster.
6.8 miles in I finally passed by Alicia who was still on her way to the turn-around point. She wasn't too far behind me in the swim, but she's not as strong a swimmer as I and so I knew she'd be at least a minute or two behind me on the bike. 8 miles in I took the last turn before heading back to T2. Now, Alicia and I had went out just a few days before and completed a 16 miler, coming into contact with some wind during our last mile or so. But for as long as I've been alive, I have never experienced headwind like I did yesterday morning. The last four miles are nothing but rolling hills - some big, some small inclines that only remind you all too well that your glutes are alive and kickin'. At one point, near the crest of one rather steep hill, I literally got off my bike and had to waddle it up to the top before getting back on and taking advantage of the grade on the other side. This one hill had defeated me - but it would be the last.
I struggled on until the finish, and was so happy to see T2 after the last turn into the parking lot of the park. Getting off my bike to push it across the mat, my legs felt like lead. The rain had finally stopped, but it was still a brisk wind and I was famished from not having had a decent dinner or breakfast that morning. The Cytomax in my sport bottle and an orange-flavored Gu would have to do. Somehow, while taking a large swig, I managed to breath in and the liquid went down the wrong pipe causing a 10-20 second period of choking and gasping for air - exactly what you want while competing in a triathlon. My right shoe had come untied, and everytime I bent down to re-tie it I felt a tug on my thigh muscle which screamed ABORT! ABORT! THERE WILL BE A CRAMP IF YOU DO NOT ABORT! So, here I stand in T2, choking on Cytomax, sweating, cold, rained-on, with an un-tied shoe and a quasi Charlie Horse that won't let me go any further. I nearly asked Shane, who by this point thought it would be a good idea to snap a few pictures, to bend over and tie my shoe, but knowing that in the amount of time it would have taken to argue with him about why he needed to help me out and the time it would take for me to actually do it - cramp or not - I decided not to.
Out of T2 I run - well, actually I was merely walking at this point because I can't run without music and I was busy untangling my headphones from my ipod shuffle that I had just taken out of my racing belt. Before too long though, I actually was running. The way my legs felt however, I imagine my attempt to run at that point probably looked a lot like Betty White's attempt to run in that Snicker's football commercial they've been showing on TV lately. Have you ever tried to run 3.1 miles after having just dismounted from a 12-mile bike ride? It ain't pretty.
Not too far into the run (less than 1/2 mile I'm sure), there is a slight incline and my legs and body just weren't ready for that kind of pressure. I walked for a bit before looking at my watch and seeing that I was about 3 minutes into the last leg of the tri and, if I EVER wanted to finish this dreadful race, I would have to just make myself run. I broke out the 6:1 intervals at this point and trotted along on my way. The run is just like the cycling leg of this triathlon, with an out-and-back format. How happy I was to see the girls handing out water at the turnaround spot, knowing I was almost there. A little ways past that half-way point I saw Alicia up ahead coming towards me. She looked happy, which surprised me given here attempts to persuade me NOT to make her compete this morning, but she just smiled and waved while I pulled one ear-bud out and yelled "Do you hate me yet?" "No." she replied cheerfully!
Back onto the pavement (some of the run was cross-country and somewhat hilly), I felt somewhat good. Maybe it was just knowing that it was almost over and I'd be able to stop moving for a bit, or maybe the sluggishness of my titanium legs finally melted off and I no longer felt like The Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Either way, the finish line was near and I tried to finish strong while making my way across the finish line.
Ahhh, the sweet sigh of relief! As I hit "stop" on my watch the time portrayed was 1:40:54. I knew my time from the last triathlon was 1:42-something, so I immediately knew I had a course PR. Shane had met me at the finish, and we waited about 4-5 additional minutes before seeing Alicia come around the corner. She crossed the finish line approximately 5 minutes behind me, and gave me a big hug - saying "Thank you so much for pushing me to do this!" It was a good moment for the both of us.
So..... the final results came out today, and I was the 17th finisher out of 60 participants. This still blows my mind seeing as how not too many people finished behind me and I felt for sure at least half finished before me. But I guess the numbers don't lie. My swim ended up being my fastest 400m to date (even on practice drills), and almost a full 2 minutes faster than the last triathlon. My bike was 2 minutes and 16 seconds faster - amazing since there was so much wind and I physically got off the bike at one point, and the run - well, I never claimed to be a fast runner, so that portion was actually :36 second slower than the last, but I'm thinking that's still pretty good considering last time the run was the first leg and bike the second. Either way, I am feeling really good about this accomplishment. As I stated before, I didn't feel good the day before, didn't eat well the 24 hours prior to the event, the weather left a lot to be desired, and I had a co-competitor who wasn't feeling it at all. It's good to know that even in these conditions I can still compete at a decent level. And the more I do it, the more I love it!
Alicia's pout, as she opened the door, told me even before she opened her mouth that the last thing she wanted to do on this cold, wet, March morning was a triathlon. "Can't we just go out for breakfast?" she solmenly asked. You see, many a morn Alicia and I - having already paid some sort of fee to run in an event - decided at the last minute that we'd rather go out to breakfast somewhere than spend 3+ miles running around the city of Louisville, especially if the temperature dipped below a certain degree. We could usually convince each other of this somewhere around 50 degrees farenheit. But not this morning! This morning, I was geared up to go for some reason.
It sprinkled all the way to Shelbyville, and the wind was horrid and the air quite cool as we set up our bikes and gear up in T1. The swim portion was indoor of course, and I could tell from the faces of the other athletes that we were all dreading running outside and hoping on a bike, already dripping wet, for a 12 mile ride with the cold wind on our face. Alicia and I sucked it up though, just like the rest of them, and got our arms and legs marked, donned our swim caps, and lined up for the start of the swim.
There was a 10 second delay between swimmers, and the line moved pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I took off from the side of the pool and was going at a pretty good pace before being passed by my first swimmer. As I moved along however, I was a littler perterbed to find that some slower swimmers we not moving to the right, or getting to the wall and moving on ahead rather than letting those faster than them pass. I thought for sure, by the last lap, that this was going to definitely hamper my time and thought I'd be lucky to pull out anything below a 12-minute swim. Imagine my surprise when I hoisted myself out from the end of the pool, already toweling off somewhat, tossing my cap, donning my racing belt before looking down to see that I was only 9:40 into the race. Wow - I had somehow managed a sub-ten minute swim - something I have never accomplished before. I was stoked!
I ran to T1, got on the bike, and headed out onto the course. By this time I had at least covered the top portion of my tri suit with a breathable jacket which kept me somewhat warm during the bike. My legs were red from the cold and covered with goosebumps, while my shoes were soaked with rainwater a mile into the bike, but I didn't care. I had never rode in the rain before and I was a little scared to take a corner too quickly and wipe out. Some of the other cyclist and I played leap-frog. Some passed by me never to be seen again, while some were left as only a faint peddler in my bike's rearview mirror. At the turn-around point I mentioned to the volunteers that "This wind sucks." "It always does," is what the man managed to muster.
6.8 miles in I finally passed by Alicia who was still on her way to the turn-around point. She wasn't too far behind me in the swim, but she's not as strong a swimmer as I and so I knew she'd be at least a minute or two behind me on the bike. 8 miles in I took the last turn before heading back to T2. Now, Alicia and I had went out just a few days before and completed a 16 miler, coming into contact with some wind during our last mile or so. But for as long as I've been alive, I have never experienced headwind like I did yesterday morning. The last four miles are nothing but rolling hills - some big, some small inclines that only remind you all too well that your glutes are alive and kickin'. At one point, near the crest of one rather steep hill, I literally got off my bike and had to waddle it up to the top before getting back on and taking advantage of the grade on the other side. This one hill had defeated me - but it would be the last.
I struggled on until the finish, and was so happy to see T2 after the last turn into the parking lot of the park. Getting off my bike to push it across the mat, my legs felt like lead. The rain had finally stopped, but it was still a brisk wind and I was famished from not having had a decent dinner or breakfast that morning. The Cytomax in my sport bottle and an orange-flavored Gu would have to do. Somehow, while taking a large swig, I managed to breath in and the liquid went down the wrong pipe causing a 10-20 second period of choking and gasping for air - exactly what you want while competing in a triathlon. My right shoe had come untied, and everytime I bent down to re-tie it I felt a tug on my thigh muscle which screamed ABORT! ABORT! THERE WILL BE A CRAMP IF YOU DO NOT ABORT! So, here I stand in T2, choking on Cytomax, sweating, cold, rained-on, with an un-tied shoe and a quasi Charlie Horse that won't let me go any further. I nearly asked Shane, who by this point thought it would be a good idea to snap a few pictures, to bend over and tie my shoe, but knowing that in the amount of time it would have taken to argue with him about why he needed to help me out and the time it would take for me to actually do it - cramp or not - I decided not to.
Out of T2 I run - well, actually I was merely walking at this point because I can't run without music and I was busy untangling my headphones from my ipod shuffle that I had just taken out of my racing belt. Before too long though, I actually was running. The way my legs felt however, I imagine my attempt to run at that point probably looked a lot like Betty White's attempt to run in that Snicker's football commercial they've been showing on TV lately. Have you ever tried to run 3.1 miles after having just dismounted from a 12-mile bike ride? It ain't pretty.
Not too far into the run (less than 1/2 mile I'm sure), there is a slight incline and my legs and body just weren't ready for that kind of pressure. I walked for a bit before looking at my watch and seeing that I was about 3 minutes into the last leg of the tri and, if I EVER wanted to finish this dreadful race, I would have to just make myself run. I broke out the 6:1 intervals at this point and trotted along on my way. The run is just like the cycling leg of this triathlon, with an out-and-back format. How happy I was to see the girls handing out water at the turnaround spot, knowing I was almost there. A little ways past that half-way point I saw Alicia up ahead coming towards me. She looked happy, which surprised me given here attempts to persuade me NOT to make her compete this morning, but she just smiled and waved while I pulled one ear-bud out and yelled "Do you hate me yet?" "No." she replied cheerfully!
Back onto the pavement (some of the run was cross-country and somewhat hilly), I felt somewhat good. Maybe it was just knowing that it was almost over and I'd be able to stop moving for a bit, or maybe the sluggishness of my titanium legs finally melted off and I no longer felt like The Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Either way, the finish line was near and I tried to finish strong while making my way across the finish line.
Ahhh, the sweet sigh of relief! As I hit "stop" on my watch the time portrayed was 1:40:54. I knew my time from the last triathlon was 1:42-something, so I immediately knew I had a course PR. Shane had met me at the finish, and we waited about 4-5 additional minutes before seeing Alicia come around the corner. She crossed the finish line approximately 5 minutes behind me, and gave me a big hug - saying "Thank you so much for pushing me to do this!" It was a good moment for the both of us.
So..... the final results came out today, and I was the 17th finisher out of 60 participants. This still blows my mind seeing as how not too many people finished behind me and I felt for sure at least half finished before me. But I guess the numbers don't lie. My swim ended up being my fastest 400m to date (even on practice drills), and almost a full 2 minutes faster than the last triathlon. My bike was 2 minutes and 16 seconds faster - amazing since there was so much wind and I physically got off the bike at one point, and the run - well, I never claimed to be a fast runner, so that portion was actually :36 second slower than the last, but I'm thinking that's still pretty good considering last time the run was the first leg and bike the second. Either way, I am feeling really good about this accomplishment. As I stated before, I didn't feel good the day before, didn't eat well the 24 hours prior to the event, the weather left a lot to be desired, and I had a co-competitor who wasn't feeling it at all. It's good to know that even in these conditions I can still compete at a decent level. And the more I do it, the more I love it!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Preparing for Tri #3
3 more days til my 3rd triathlon - the Shelbyville Max Series which will consist of a 400m swim, 16 mile bike, and 5k - my longest tri to date! I've been able to pick up the training this week, and have completed a 1200 swim and 16 mile bike ride so far. The weather has been kinda crappy today though, and my motivation is way low - but I need to try and fit in another swim and run before Sunday's event.
I used to have anxiety dreams that consisted of my teeth becoming loose and falling out, and I was freaked out about how I was going to go to work the next day without teeth and how I could get some dentures - pronto - and how I looked and sounded when I spoke. For the past week however, I've been having some freakishly odd triathlon anxiety dreams.
For instance, in my first dream I get through the swim okay and end up running through a tunnel to get to T1 which, for some reason, is located in the middle of a football stadium's field. As I enter I notice that mine is the only bike left which tells me that I am the absolute last person to finish the swim and get out on the road. After I take off on the bike though, I can't find my way to the start of the route and I'm asking people and no one knows or they can't tell me - and one person says that it's too late to get on the road because time has run out.
Last night, I had yet another dream where, again, I make it through the swim portion and for some reason I have to solve some kind of puzzle or something before I can move onto the bike. Again, time is running out and no one will help me solve this puzzle. When I finally get through it, I get to T1 and someone has vandalized the bikes and the whole top portion of my bike was missing - in the dream this consisted of my seat and handlebars. Completely weird.
The only thing that I can figure is, this next triathlon will be done in the sequence that is normally done - swim, bike, run - while the prior two (due to weather) were done backwards. Seeing as how I'm only a decent swimmer, and a somewhat slower cyclest and runner, I was always able to pick up some ground in the pool. My fear this time around, is that I will be in absolute last place when it's all said and done. That I will get out of the pool, struggle on the bike, and keep up a pretty slow pace on the run only to cross the finish line dead last.
I guess there's worse things than last place. Like not even having competed at all. But this being such a small triathlon (only 53 or participants in the last leg of the series), it's quite possible and I will again get my butt stomped, only to the point where I'm the last finisher. Sigh........ I guess I'll just have to grin, bear it, hope for the best, and see what Sunday brings.
I used to have anxiety dreams that consisted of my teeth becoming loose and falling out, and I was freaked out about how I was going to go to work the next day without teeth and how I could get some dentures - pronto - and how I looked and sounded when I spoke. For the past week however, I've been having some freakishly odd triathlon anxiety dreams.
For instance, in my first dream I get through the swim okay and end up running through a tunnel to get to T1 which, for some reason, is located in the middle of a football stadium's field. As I enter I notice that mine is the only bike left which tells me that I am the absolute last person to finish the swim and get out on the road. After I take off on the bike though, I can't find my way to the start of the route and I'm asking people and no one knows or they can't tell me - and one person says that it's too late to get on the road because time has run out.
Last night, I had yet another dream where, again, I make it through the swim portion and for some reason I have to solve some kind of puzzle or something before I can move onto the bike. Again, time is running out and no one will help me solve this puzzle. When I finally get through it, I get to T1 and someone has vandalized the bikes and the whole top portion of my bike was missing - in the dream this consisted of my seat and handlebars. Completely weird.
The only thing that I can figure is, this next triathlon will be done in the sequence that is normally done - swim, bike, run - while the prior two (due to weather) were done backwards. Seeing as how I'm only a decent swimmer, and a somewhat slower cyclest and runner, I was always able to pick up some ground in the pool. My fear this time around, is that I will be in absolute last place when it's all said and done. That I will get out of the pool, struggle on the bike, and keep up a pretty slow pace on the run only to cross the finish line dead last.
I guess there's worse things than last place. Like not even having competed at all. But this being such a small triathlon (only 53 or participants in the last leg of the series), it's quite possible and I will again get my butt stomped, only to the point where I'm the last finisher. Sigh........ I guess I'll just have to grin, bear it, hope for the best, and see what Sunday brings.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Rhodes City Run 10k
Woke up this morning at 6:30 and the last thing I wanted to do was get out and run a 10k - pretty much par for the course these days. I do all this training and then come race time my body tells me to SLEEP!! Nevertheless, I met my partner downtown and we made it to the start line about 10 minutes before the gun went off.
Felt pretty good throughout, and was able to get into my groove about 2 miles in. Did my normal 6:1 intervals, and felt after 4 miles that I was probably running faster during my 6 minutes than I had started off - and felt great doing it! Felt sorry for the poor guy (or gal) who fell out around 3.75 miles in with what looked like a seizure, but with 15 people crowded around and help on the way, I merely rubber-necked it for a while and kept heading towards the finish line.
I was keeping a pretty good pace, and around mile 5 looked down to see that I was right at 53 minutes - around a 10:30 pace. I remembered that my best time was right around 1:04-something, and seriously wondered if I could PR this one. Coming up to mile 6 right at 1:04 however, I knew that dream was too far gone to reach. I crossed the finish line at 1:06:19, which I THOUGHT was my second-best time ever for that distance. But imagine my surprise when I got home and looked up the times from races past to see that my previous PR wasn't 1:04-something at all, but instead was 1:06:20, just ONE SECOND slower than today's time. Another PR for me this year! Woo Hoo!
This week has been a much more eventful week for me as far as training goes. The weather keeps getting nicer, and I was able to get outside on my bike for a 16 miler a few days ago, and then a 40 minute run the following day. Next week will be my third tri of the year, and I'm a little concerned that A) I haven't spent as much time in the pool as I should, and B) I still haven't purchased any clipless pedals for my bike, which means another event with slipping feet. Of course, I've never NOT finished a race and I'm hopefull this one will be no different.
Tomorrows agenda - on call for work from 8a to 8p, and a need to get in 1300 meters at the pool - we'll see!
Felt pretty good throughout, and was able to get into my groove about 2 miles in. Did my normal 6:1 intervals, and felt after 4 miles that I was probably running faster during my 6 minutes than I had started off - and felt great doing it! Felt sorry for the poor guy (or gal) who fell out around 3.75 miles in with what looked like a seizure, but with 15 people crowded around and help on the way, I merely rubber-necked it for a while and kept heading towards the finish line.
I was keeping a pretty good pace, and around mile 5 looked down to see that I was right at 53 minutes - around a 10:30 pace. I remembered that my best time was right around 1:04-something, and seriously wondered if I could PR this one. Coming up to mile 6 right at 1:04 however, I knew that dream was too far gone to reach. I crossed the finish line at 1:06:19, which I THOUGHT was my second-best time ever for that distance. But imagine my surprise when I got home and looked up the times from races past to see that my previous PR wasn't 1:04-something at all, but instead was 1:06:20, just ONE SECOND slower than today's time. Another PR for me this year! Woo Hoo!
This week has been a much more eventful week for me as far as training goes. The weather keeps getting nicer, and I was able to get outside on my bike for a 16 miler a few days ago, and then a 40 minute run the following day. Next week will be my third tri of the year, and I'm a little concerned that A) I haven't spent as much time in the pool as I should, and B) I still haven't purchased any clipless pedals for my bike, which means another event with slipping feet. Of course, I've never NOT finished a race and I'm hopefull this one will be no different.
Tomorrows agenda - on call for work from 8a to 8p, and a need to get in 1300 meters at the pool - we'll see!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Gettin' back in the swing of things
It's been a little over a week since the 5k, and I've done LITTLE training lately. I swam on Monday evening - exactly one week ago today - with every GOOD intention of following that weeks training plan. I figured my second week in my new position at work would go much more smoothly, but that proved to be untrue as I continued to work 10-12 hour days and ended up breaking down on more than one occasion with all the stress. The weekend brought a little relaxation, although I was on-call for most of Saturday.
Finally got the chance - and energy - to work out today after work, upon being able to leave a full 30 minutes early since my work was done. Woo Hoo!! Spin class wasn't set to start for another few hours, so I hopped on a Spin bike and did a full hour in the cardio section of the gym. I'd never worked out there before, as the one other time I biked sans spin class was done INSIDE the spin room all alone except for one lone maitenance guy who went around checking each bike during the hour I was there. And, although spinning alone isn't exactly ideal, I think I enjoy that option better than the one today. Just too many people and distractions, and although I didn't feel self conscious at all, I still felt that I would have liked to be more "in the zone" with the music and put together my own routine of "2 minutes standing, two minutes seated up-hill" or whatnot.
Either way, I finally got in a workout after two weeks which have consisted of ONLY the 5k and a 1200 meter swim. I almost forgot how good it feels to work out, but it all came back to me after I stepped off the bike and felt my jello legs (jello as is "the muscles are fatigued" and not "my fat shakes like jello" mind you). So, one workout down and 5 to go - including a 10k on Saturday which I am SO not looking forward to considering the low is suppposed to be 37 and rainy - yuck!
Finally got the chance - and energy - to work out today after work, upon being able to leave a full 30 minutes early since my work was done. Woo Hoo!! Spin class wasn't set to start for another few hours, so I hopped on a Spin bike and did a full hour in the cardio section of the gym. I'd never worked out there before, as the one other time I biked sans spin class was done INSIDE the spin room all alone except for one lone maitenance guy who went around checking each bike during the hour I was there. And, although spinning alone isn't exactly ideal, I think I enjoy that option better than the one today. Just too many people and distractions, and although I didn't feel self conscious at all, I still felt that I would have liked to be more "in the zone" with the music and put together my own routine of "2 minutes standing, two minutes seated up-hill" or whatnot.
Either way, I finally got in a workout after two weeks which have consisted of ONLY the 5k and a 1200 meter swim. I almost forgot how good it feels to work out, but it all came back to me after I stepped off the bike and felt my jello legs (jello as is "the muscles are fatigued" and not "my fat shakes like jello" mind you). So, one workout down and 5 to go - including a 10k on Saturday which I am SO not looking forward to considering the low is suppposed to be 37 and rainy - yuck!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Anthem 5K - A new PR!
The Anthem 5k was this morning, a very BRISK and CHILLY morning in downtown Louisville. I think the bank I passed said 24 degrees. BRRRRR..... Still been stressed and not sleeping well all week. Went to bed exhausted last night, but didn't sleep well. I think it's because I was afraid I may oversleep and miss the run. In any case, the last thing I wanted to do was crawl out of bed at 6:15 a.m. and head out in the cold to run such a small race. However, once I got going I felt pretty good. In such a small race there are a lot of un-seasoned participants and walkers, so I think realizing that I was a little faster than most of the people I was coming in contact with gave me a little extra boost. I still did the 6:1 intervals because, as I said, I wasn't looking forward to the run in the first place, and definitely not looking to break any records.
At the 1 mile marker I was just at a 10 min. pace which is lightening fast for me - sad as that may seem. About 19 minutes in I started getting side stitches, but stuck it out and concentrated on my breathing a little more. Passed the 2 mile marker around 21:30 or so. At this point, I had just started another interval of running and thought to myself "If I can't run the last mile without having to walk, I'm a major weinie." So.... I ran the last 1.1 mile and came across the finish in 32:15 - about :42 seconds faster than my prior PR which was just last year.
Obviously this tells me that the work I've been doing has been paying off - even if a lot of the workouts I do aren't spent on running necessarily. I think the endurance and cardio strength, not to mention muscles that have been building in my legs due to spin class have played a huge part in this. I'm feelin' pretty good about this last run, and after finishing up the weekend of being on-call, will once again be ready to face the bike, pool and treadmill for some more training. Next event: Rodes City Run - 10k in 2 weeks and another Sprint Tri the weekend after that. Here goes nothing. Again.
At the 1 mile marker I was just at a 10 min. pace which is lightening fast for me - sad as that may seem. About 19 minutes in I started getting side stitches, but stuck it out and concentrated on my breathing a little more. Passed the 2 mile marker around 21:30 or so. At this point, I had just started another interval of running and thought to myself "If I can't run the last mile without having to walk, I'm a major weinie." So.... I ran the last 1.1 mile and came across the finish in 32:15 - about :42 seconds faster than my prior PR which was just last year.
Obviously this tells me that the work I've been doing has been paying off - even if a lot of the workouts I do aren't spent on running necessarily. I think the endurance and cardio strength, not to mention muscles that have been building in my legs due to spin class have played a huge part in this. I'm feelin' pretty good about this last run, and after finishing up the weekend of being on-call, will once again be ready to face the bike, pool and treadmill for some more training. Next event: Rodes City Run - 10k in 2 weeks and another Sprint Tri the weekend after that. Here goes nothing. Again.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Ugh!
So, after the half-marathon on Sunday I felt I was in a good place to continue my workouts and training. WRONG! I started a new position on Tuesday - the day after returning from NOLA - and since they haven't found a replacement for my old job yet, I've been busting my butt not only trying to get the hang (and organized) of the new position, but also needing to continue to help out with the old. Therefore, I've worked 10-12 hour days, with another long day tomorrow and Friday. My days are completely bogged down, and I have neither the time nor the energy to take care of any workouts at this point. Sucks - I feel like crap and I'm eating even more crappy. Funny how when I AM working out I usually eat the best, and when I'm not, I'm eating the most unhealthy, large portions I can get my hands on - which is EXACTLY what I should NOT be doing. Oh well. Have a 5k scheduled Saturday, and Monday begins a whole new week. We'll start again then....
Monday, March 1, 2010
New Orleans Rock n Roll Half Marathon
Finished my 9th Half-Marathon yesterday, and spent the weekend visiting friends in New Orleans while traveling for the run. GREAT weather, and a perfectly flat run. Did my normal 6:1 intervals throughout, and felt wonderful throughout the entire run! Thought I might've been on course for a PR, but in the end I made out with an unofficial time of 2:29:47 - my second best time overall. Happy with the time, but a little confused as to how I didn't pull out a PR, since my standing personal best (2:27) was during a pretty hot run that had a few rolling hills.
I must say, this is probably the first run I've completed where I felt like I blinked and it was over. At one point I remember being astounded that I was ALREADY at the nine mile marker. Maybe it was because I did feel so good during the run. Cardio, breathing, leg strength were all good throughout the run - and my legs didn't really get fatigued until probably the 11 mile marker. Weather was about 45 starting out, and probably 60 or so upon finishing - perfect!
Tri training continues, and the week ahead as we build back up after a cool down week look a little daunting considering how sore I am today. Nothing new after a 13.1 miler. Keeping it going as best I can, and feeling good.
I must say, this is probably the first run I've completed where I felt like I blinked and it was over. At one point I remember being astounded that I was ALREADY at the nine mile marker. Maybe it was because I did feel so good during the run. Cardio, breathing, leg strength were all good throughout the run - and my legs didn't really get fatigued until probably the 11 mile marker. Weather was about 45 starting out, and probably 60 or so upon finishing - perfect!
Tri training continues, and the week ahead as we build back up after a cool down week look a little daunting considering how sore I am today. Nothing new after a 13.1 miler. Keeping it going as best I can, and feeling good.
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