countdown to mooseman!

urban epic: race report

2009-08-20T15:36:00.002-04:00

so, depending on wtf actually happened, i either won 1st or 2nd in the athena class with my time of 1:27:55 (scroll down to the end for details on that).
i currently have a 1st place medal staring me in the face, but i may not actually deserve that, so...
let's focus on what i do know for sure: how the race went for me, personally.

Pre-race

This time I didn’t make the mistake of going out late the night before, drinking, and eating the wrong things. My ideal day pre-race would consist of sleeping in, having a nutritious breakfast, packing all my gear neatly and with plenty of time, staying really hydrated, stretching out for an hour, and relaxing both body and mind in the a/c during the day (while watching something inspirational like ‘the right stuff’) before having a really balanced dinner full of good carbs before retiring early for a restful night’s sleep.
I think this will probably never happen.
I did do better this time though. Sure, I rushed to school in the morning to split some cells. And rushed home to scarf some food before rushing up north with my husband to go do some mountain biking, which we squeezed in before heading to a friend’s housewarming. So I spent the entire day running around, outdoors in the humid heat, on my feet (including my bad foot) and being active. I only had a few ounces of delicious sangria, and one beer, and steered clear of the cookies and cake. I stuck to a burger, veggies, tons of water, and some cheese. So you see? I really tried.
Then I packed last-minute, and managed to hurry to bed by 11 pm. With the alarm set for 4.30, I thought I could get semi-decent sleep. I was wrong. My IT band and hip were lit up all night, making me so uncomfortable I couldn’t sleep. I think I clocked about 3 hours of total sleep, none of which was consecutive. My throat hurt. I had a really stuffy nose. My foot hurt. Alarm goes off. What a great start to a race of a distance I’d never done before, in 90 degree humid weather.
Mind over matter, they say. Half of me said it was probably stupid to race on Sunday. The other half said, shut up you, I paid $120 and got way too excited to bail out now. Why don’t we just try to kick some ass anyway and see how far we get? So that’s what I did.

The swim (0.5 mi; 18:52, includes 0.2 mi run to T1)

First off, we had to walk about a mile down the sidewalk to get to the swim start from transition. Barefoot, no less, and avoiding glass as best we could. I waited as long as I dared before suiting up and getting acclimatized to the water. Just after I got out, it was announced that there was a 30 min delay to the start. As I was in wave 6, I had about an hour before I’d be in the water. And I felt like I had to use the bathroom again. The only toilets were back in transition. Great. So I did the smartest thing – hydrated with whatever water I could find and lay down in the shade, as the temp was already climbing.
I figured the swim would feel really quick and only take me about 15 min. Wrong! I had chuckled at how 2 of the elites in the first wave swam way off course and didn’t notice the kayaker trying to redirect them, so they lost several minutes on the leader. Hubris must have prevailed, because I wound up doing the same thing, at the same place on the dog-leg course. The water was fine, but I was just not in my rhythm; I was swum over and into a lot, and just kept on going. I did catch up to the back of the wave that started 4 min in front of us, but those poor kids were struggling and I did the best I could to not run into them and freak them out. Not all of my wave compatriots were as thoughtful. I think my congestion made it hard to put my usual amount of effort into the swim. That, and I hadn’t done any swimming since mass states 3 weeks prior, thinking I didn’t need to; I stand corrected.

T1 (2:00)
Went well, except for the race design necessitating a 2/10 mile run across the beach and parking lot from swim finish back to transition. Again, barefoot and in a wetsuit – not ideal; I was praying I wouldn’t hurt myself on any of the glass and gravel. I was not excited to run barefoot with my tendonitis, but I discovered I was at least able to run. That was a pleasant surprise.

The bike (10 mi; 28:35, 21 mph average!)

I was excited to bike. A flat course, for the first time ever; and a short one, too. I wanted to see how fast I could crank this one out. Despite my complaints about the run to T1, that really seemed to warm up my legs post-swim and I had no cramps on the bike this time. Maybe next tri, I’ll have to run a little harder going into T1 just to get the blood pumping.
I struggled to drink even 1/3 of my electrolyte water, and didn’t even touch my endurox, while on the bike. I was in aero pretty much the whole time, except for the tight turnaround and part of the course that looped through the transition parking lot, where I was on the drops. That parking lot bit was rough and unpleasant; no way to jockey for position there. On the whole bike, only 2 guys passed me, and I did a lot of overtaking. I saw speeds of 18-26 mph most of the times I looked down, and kept my cadence in the high 90’s for the majority of the ride. I rode exclusively in my middle gear working through 4-8 in the back; I was good about downshifting before the tight turns to be in a good accelerating position on the way out. I was working hard, actually breathing harder than I usually do on flats. It felt good.

T2 (1:21)

Also went well, pretty quick.

The run (4 mi; 37:10, 9:55 min/mi pace)

Actually went better than I anticipated, all things considered. It was a poor ~5k time for me under normal circumstances, but considering the lack of sleep, my cold, the incredible heat and burning sun, and my tendonitis, it went quite well. I think I picked up speed in the middle for a bit, and feel like I could have gone faster had I been feeling better and had I not wanted to make my foot worse. I took in 1 clif shot gel in the first few minutes, and didn’t know I would have to wait a mile to get to a water stop to wash it down – blargh. There were only 2 water stops and it was so hot, I took 2 waters at each – one to drink and one to dump over my head. At about the 2.5 mi mark, I felt a slight rubbing at my heel that increased into pain pretty quickly. I looked down and realized my wicking thin sock had rolled down into my shoe, and the back of my sneaker had rubbed all the skin off my heel and was now soaking with blood. Awesome. I figured if I ran a little faster, the discomfort would be over sooner, so I tried that tactic. The last 200 meters I tried to pick it up some, but then the finish was on the sand, which is not my forte. I gritted my teeth against the sand getting into my shredded heel and tried to just make it across.

The finish

I hung around in the stifling heat to see the times posted. I was so pumped to find out I won the Athena class again (once again, only 4 people in it…). I was determined to get a medal this time, so I stayed for 2 hours waiting for the awards. I wasn’t disappointed – I got a huge medal of a bike gear sprocket. And I got to stand on a podium (alone, but whatever. Still cool!). I decided that I have an answer to all those online tri snobs who ask why any woman would self-class herself as over 150 lbs and race Athena. I’ll tell you guys what: I’ll start racing in my age group instead – when I get sick of medals. Har!!

Post-race

Even though I was extremely tired and overheated, I swung by my friends’ house in east boston, took a shower, and fell asleep waiting for my husband to come in and hang out. Since we are all crazy, we rode our bikes another 10 mi around the city, in the 90 deg heat, to get food and drinks in Cambridge. It was an awesome evening and a great way to wrap up the day.

One thing that really sucked was that when the tentative results were posted, I was shown to be 5th OVERALL on the bike. That made my day; I was so excited I was happy to share that news. Including on facebook. And then the official results came up, and it turned out that was wrong – I was 60-somethingith overall, but at least the 3rd fastest female bike out of 90 women. So fine, I had to retract some of my self-congratulatory sentiment, but I figured I should still be proud.

And now when I look at the results to get my splits, something online changed a few days post-race and I’m suddenly shown as 2nd and not 1st Athena; I guess some other woman may have changed her class or something, or a timing error occurred. While it’s pretty embarrassing to me now, on race day I was excited based on the information I had – including being given the 1st place medal. So I’m going to try really hard and still be happy rather than look back and find something to fret about. I almost didn’t race that race, and certainly didn’t expect to do well, so all this is gravy. I’ll mail that poor woman my medal if I need to.

Next time I think I will wait about a solid week before I get too excited about any day-of racing results. Lessons learned!

week of 7/3: starting the half-marathon plan

2009-08-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

so i had this past week, and this coming week, to train before what may be my last tri of the season (urban epic on 8/16). i say "may" because i'd kind of like to do a sprint or two in sept/oct, but i haven't found any that work for me timing-wise with our upcoming trip to tuscany. so we'll have to see.

i was pumped to start the 10-week half-marathon plan i decided to use from active.com. i picked this plan because it's the only one i found that's based on running only 3x a week, and not 4-6x. i think i can't take running that often yet without getting a definite injury.

it wasn't the best week; my SI joint issues are bugging me more than ever. i have flaming pain in my butt around my piriformis, on both sides but worst on the left. my right IT band is still tight but not terrible, though it began hurting me more this week. my left hamstring is still (seemingly always) pissed. and now, as of the end of this week, my left foot hurts on the outside, underneath the ankle with a weird tight rubbing sensation spreading to the sole of my foot. i think it may be peroneal tendonitis.

i also had another blood sugar crash on wedesday, after a relaxed 30 min jog. i must have waited too long after lunch to go do it. i had ACTH challenge bloodwork scheduled for the next day, to rule out adrenal fatigue in these issues. that was no fun; between the way the cortrosyn made me feel, on top of the headache and fatigue from the crash, on top of finally getting my period after it was 10 days late (another issue altogether, which i think is related to high-protein diets), i felt so crappy i spent the entire day in bed.

i still managed to do some exercising this week, and have a good time during most of it. i'm remarkably nonplussed about my foot pain. it's definitely going to impact the half-marathon training, for at least a week or two. ordinarily i'd be furious, scared, upset, frustrated, and just plain unpleasant. now i'm kind of "enh, who's surprised, i've had a long season and been training without rest for nearly 7 months now, with relatively few injuries and issues. it could be worse, and i'm sure this will get better." how's that for a change?

8/3: speedwork at the track. 4.5 mi total. 4x200 at 8:37 min/mi pace target (2:07 per 200m).
1.5 mi warmup
4x200 with 200 jog between each
1) 1:50 (pukingly quick)
2) 2:09
3) 2:07
4) 2:06
1 mi cooldown

8/4: bike, ~30 mi total.
to school: 15.9 mph average (quicker up those hills this time!)
from school: 18.2 mph (that's right!!)
then a leisurely 6 mi bike to the local ice cream stand with my husband, the return trip marking my first experience riding in the dark. kind of scary; i want my own headlamp.

8/5: intended to do 3 mi tempo run. had to use old and unfamiliar treadmills due to bad weather. pace was totally off (machine said 5.2 mph, felt more like 6.2), so ran for 30 min, figuring that was close enough. immediately after, had hypoglycemic symptoms and had to correct with ginger ale and a protein shake.

8/6: off; ACTH challenge test. spent the day in bed, blah.

8/7: weights. 1 mi warmup jog on treadmill, in old north face shoes (the culprit for footpain?). increased most weights and dropped to 2x10 reps.

8/8: long, slow run: 6 mi. after a fun day at the beach (yay!), did a 6-and change mile run on the local bike trail. pace was just over 10 min/mi. steady downhill for the first half, which was an uphill on the way home...foot began hurting after i changed into flipflops and went to dinner.

8/9: ~2 hours of mountain biking (10-ish miles) with husband and friends up in the trails in nashua. tons of fun!

week of 7/27: post-race recovery

2009-08-04T16:10:00.003-04:00

it still amazes me that after all the crazy activity of an international-distance race, i feel normal the next day. like i said, my left hamstring was bugging me for several hours post-race. but that's no different than any time i do an hour at the track during a training week. on monday my glutes and piriformis were tight, but not hurting me. a trip to the chiropractor and some foam rolling worked pretty well. i tried to get a massage, but i guess these guys book up early; i wanted to get one from an actual massage therapist and not some random person at a cheap pedicure strip-mall spa. to avoid this problem next time, i booked one for 2 days after the urban epic tri. unfortunately the guy is booked up after my half-marathon; i'll have to investigate other options.

i took it pretty easy this week, knowing that i only had 2 more weeks after it before urban epic, and would be starting my half-marathon training on 8/3. i went through the same 9-pound fluctuation with my post-race ibuprofen for a day or two; magically landed back where i need to be about a week later. i am about a week late for aunt flo, which is highly unusual; i'm worrying that the last month of zone eating (which has been sporadic but definitely more often than not) has upset my cycle. it makes me wonder if high-protein diets don't mesh with my hormones; this happened to me on atkins several years ago, and the suzanne somers diet and south beach maybe 2 years ago. i used to think it was the lo-carb or high fat that did it; now it seems like the only common denominator is high protein. i'm no yo-yo dieter, but i have tried most major plans out there for at least a couple of months each in a quest to find the right balance of caloric intake, healthy foods, and weight loss or maintenance. i always felt great on pretty much all these diets - placebo or better control of blood sugar, who can say? and i will be pretty upset if the zone wreaks the same kind of estrogen havoc that everything but pure calorie restriction (weight watchers) has done. because simple 1200-1500 calorie/day eating just isn't an option anymore. ah well, time will tell. and further bloodwork done by my endocrinologist; maybe something will turn up, after all.

i had this great experience while riding my bike to school on wedesday. a few great experiences, actually. first off, there were chances of storms in the afternoon and i went anyway - have to learn to ride in the wet sometime, i decided. i managed to get out between storms, and rode flooding streets in a drizzle with motorists who were not expecting to see any bikers out there...it was quite wet and dirty but strangely euphoric. except for the extreme gut distress i had; i will never eat a large greek yogurt 15 min before hill climbing again.

the great experience, though, was actually on the way to work. i'd been to yoga the day before and they always bring some sort of new-agey stuff to focus on, and some of it is really trite and some of it is quite deep, or at least it seems that way when you've wrung buckets of sweat out of yourself for over an hour and are nearly deliriously mellow and supple. either way, the dude leading class was describing the 3 arcs of the 'om' symbol and how each represents a level of unconsciousness. i don't remember everything he said, but one was asleep and dreaming, one was something else, and one was your everyday life and how you move through it on autopilot. when i was climbing the first long, long hill and knew how much of it lay ahead of me, and how much it had always hurt in the past, i thought about how hill climbing, like any other form of physical exertion, was just another state of (un)consciousness. and how i could plug into that state and let my body and bike frame work together to do the work, and set my mind into that state to help my body do its job, and return to a different state back at the top. it sounds ridiculous now, but at the time it made perfect sense and it really helped me relax my way up that hill, faster and with much less effort than i'd anticipated. i think there are times for winding yourself up for an upcoming obstacle, and times for relaxing and embracing the state of conquering it.

and i also think some crazy thoughts are induced by endorphins, but i'm ok with it.

7/27: off
7/28: 90 min of hot flow yoga, in lieu of a massage. worked wonders.
7/29: rode my bike to and from school; ~12 mi each way. average ~15.5 mph; some crazy hill climbing! if i keep doing this regularly, hills will be no threat any longer.
7/30: off
7/31: 1 mi jog on treadmill, 45 min weights
8/1: 1.5-2 hours mountain biking with my great husband; did like 8 or 10 miles, can't remember.

mass state tri: race report

2009-07-30T14:36:00.003-04:00

now that we've done that, i can actually describe the race.

total time: 2:35:33

my splits are in parentheses; the percentages there are what percentile my time was according to that split's rank out of 253 total racers.

THE SWIM/ 0.9 mi (26:26; top 21%)

i didn't have much time to get acclimatized to the water; they called 'athletes out' before i was suited up and i thought, crap i better run in there! i got wet quickly and then stood around with my wetsuit top down, trying to avoid overheating since we had a good half hour before our wave. then i decided i needed to pee, but had no time to go to the portapotties. so i waded to my knees, figuring i could get away with that, and peed in my wetsuit (yes we all do it). unfortunately, i forgot i wouldn't be able to rinse it out by submerging myself and letting water in the suit. so i walked out and pulled the suit away from my skin at the ankles, letting loose a flood of fluorescent greenish vitamin B-tinged pee. it was pretty obvious.
i'd had a whole wheat peanut butter sandwich and a banana with 1% milk and espresso between 4:30 am and 6:30. i decided to have a lara bar and a sugar-free redbull at 7:45 (wave start: 8:20). never again! no more redbull! i think that's part to blame for my iffy stomach.
my friends john and erin surprised me around the swim start before my wave lined up, and it was awesome!! i was so excited that they came. our wave was second to last. i picked the same 2nd row inside line positioning as i did at mooseman for the in-water start. these chicks were more aggressive, though. i knocked a lot of limbs at the start and had serious mowing-over traffic for about the first 5 minutes. i got kicked in the left arm and felt the girl's foot knock apart the velcro of my road ID, which drifted off my wrist. the water was murky and tea-colored, so i couldn't even see it; but i made a lucky grab into the dark depths and just managed to save it and stuff it into my bra under my wetsuit. that cost me a little time. we thinned out a bunch, and i did pretty well out through the first 1/3 of the course. i was ahead of maybe 80% of my wave. then the course got weird; it was kind of diamond-shaped and hard to figure out what the line was. then i began to feel like my timing chip was loosening on my left ankle; i was thinking jeez, if that falls off i'm done for, could i even just keep racing and time myself? would i? so i stopped about 3 different times and floated, reaching down and trying to smooth the velcro together and make sure it was holding. that cost some time too. i veered off course a bunch in the last half of the swim, though i didn't realize it much; i think i sight less when i get into a rhythm. my swim was not as strong as it was at mooseman; i think something about the extremely cold water there made me swim faster because it was so painful. this was easier but felt more relaxed. the time was similar (i think 27ish minutes as opposed to 26?) but i felt like i could have, and should have, gone out harder and found a better rhythm. i swam breathing on my right side every other stroke, so i should work on my other side in practice. i caught up with a bunch of the male wave ahead of me, which made me feel pretty good.
i exited the swim ready for the noise and crazy scene, and had to get my suit off myself since there was no stripping station. i managed just fine and ran into T1 with more wits about me than last time.

T1: (2:26; huge improvement!)
felt quicker; i was way less confused because i began thinking about it as i ran from the beach to the transtion area, and i had rehearsed it in my head the night before.

THE BIKE/ 20mi (1:03:00; 19mph; top 38%)

i'd hoped that the warmer water would mean no leg cramps on the beginning of the bike leg. wrong: i still felt like i head leaden limbs. nothing as bad as mooseman, but this tells me that i really need to do some swim/bike bricks in practice. i kept the cadence high for the first couple of miles and tried to figure out when to eat a gel. i knew we had some false flats and small quick climbs until the big hill at mile 4.5, so i decided to wait till after making it up that climb before eating. nothing worse than doing a hard climb with a fresh gel sitting in your belly. especially when you already feel like you kind of need to use the potty. the hill was a decent one; the grade wasn't as rough as mooseman, but it was a 3/4 mi long climb that seemed endless. luckily, i'd been up it the day before on my course preview, so i wasn't afraid of it. i also knew i'd be doing it a second time when we came through on the second loop, so that made me determined to greet it the first time with a mix of enthusiasm and respect (kind of like dealing with a hotel receptionist when you're going to a be a guest for the whole week. no sense in starting off on the wrong foot; it'll only make your life miserable later). i also knew that my husband would be waiting at the top, so that helped. i settled in and just accepted that plenty of people who were lighter, fitter, and had better hill-climbing experience would pass me. i kept my cadence higher than i would have in the last tri, and wound up climbing between 8-10 mph. i waved at my husband, and took off to make the most of the downhill. i didn't spend quite as much time in aero as i might have, both because this course was rolling and required a bit of shifting, so i made more use of the drops than i used to; and also because the road was wet and i wasn't sure how slick it would feel. i ate a hammer gel and worked my way through half of my endurox just before the start of the second loop. my guts were beginning to bug me even more; i really felt like i could use about 5 minutes in a portapotty with a good magazine. i was noticing that i wasn't enjoying this race nearly as much as mooseman; i was thinking about my splits, about my average speed, about whether i could win my class or not. i couldn't get my focus; i just felt uncomfortable. i still had fun trying to crank out on the bike, and trading spots with a friendly middle-aged gent who was one of the few other racers who seemed willing to interact with human beings. he'd pass me on the hill, i'd pass him on the descents and flats. we cracked occasional jokes, and eventually he settled in somewhere behind me. the climb was easier on the second go; i knew what to expect and although i feared my legs would be more tired, i ran into the same thing i notice in my training: i always do better when i'm warmed up. i can't seem to crank out solid bike speeds until i've already got 5 or so miles under my belt. i can't hit the same min/mile averages early in a track session as i can after a few sprints. the only place this isn't true is swimming; my early 1500m sets are always the fastest. anyway, i decided the climb was the perfect place to rehydrate with my nuun electrolyte-laden water, since i was pretty sweaty from the humidity. i nursed more endurox up to the top of the hill, where i got another wave from my husband. my intestines were really grumbling now, so i tried to just turn out some speed on the last couple of miles back to transition, thinking maybe i could let some gas loose on the run to help me feel better or something.

T2: (1:49)
went fine; took extra time to spray some OFF to prevent bugs from being a factor in the run, since they were out and vicious.

THE RUN/ 6.2 mi (1:01:55; 9:59 min/mi; top 77%, haha)

ok, i won't wax poetic here: this really sucked. i had been thinking that i would be significantly quicker in this 10k than the last, since i'd done all this great speedwork at the track and been torturing myself on neighborhood hills since mooseman. my pace had definitely improved and i had intended to let that shine in this race. but it wasn't to be; my stomach and guts were so unhappy, it was all i could do to keep my rear clenched and legs moving foward. every patch of woods looked like a great place to go let yesterday's dinner loose behind a quiet shrub. i was running with the same friendly chap i'd traded places with on the bike, and we began to chat. we were both in a state of discomfort, me with my abdomen screaming in protest and he with his new run shoes causing foot pain. talking about kids and grandkids, triathlons and distances, how much we hate running, the summertime and heat, etc. made the whole run go way faster. did i run slower because i was keeping pace with someone and chatting with them? absolutely. do i wish i hadn't? no. if you'd asked me going into the race if i would sacrifice a quicker run time to have a more pleasant experience, i would have said no way. but i made a conscious choice during the run that as long as i kept to a 10 min/mi pace, i was going to hit my 2:40 time goal and could afford to share this man's company. when he asked me if he was holding me up and if i wanted to go ahead, i heard myself saying, "no, there are more important things in triathlon and in life than a time goal." was this me talking? yeah, and i'm glad it's who i am deep down. i might have these external goals, but i'm glad i can see what really matters when i'm faced with it. we stopped at nearly all of the water stops and i alternated with water and gatorade. i had taken a second hammer gel at mile 2, but couldn't bear the thought of having any more; i already felt like i might unleash digested food out both ends at any moment. the last mile took forever; but in the final few hundred meters i picked up the pace a little and crossed, as planned, around 2:35. my run pal was just behind me, and we hugged after the finish line. he told me i made his run, and that he would have stopped to walk long ago if it hadn't been for my company. hearing that made me so glad i had decided to put my time goal secondary to other, more important things. at that moment i thought to myself, even if i don't win my stupid class, this was more important.

but i did win it. and i felt good about it, but i definitely hated having to stick around in the heat and with the annoyingly loud and terrible DJ until i could get my award. i had choked down 1 clif shot just after finishing, and drank some water; while my stomach was still killing me, i found i couldn't even use the bathroom until hours later. i don't know what those cramps were, but they cast a shadow of discomfort over the entire race.
in the end, i'm glad i did it, i learned a lot, and i think i proved what i needed to myself. i'm kind of bummed they didn't have medals, since i like to have something tangible to remind myself that i'm halfway decent at things when i start getting down on myself.

my hamstring held out, which made me so happy; and perhaps if i had pushed harder during the run, it wouldn't have. it was hellaciously sore and tight for the rest of the day, but i iced the whole drive home and stretched, and it felt pretty great the next day.

for next time:
-i will never eat so much for dinner the night before again. nor will i drink beer for at least 2 days prior.
-i will eat a bigger breakfast earlier before the race.
-i will never drink sugar-free redbull 20 min before a start again.
-i will stretch the day before. rather than go out drinking. it'll pay off in the end.

7/26: mass state olympic tri

2009-07-26T21:33:00.004-04:00

so hey guys.

i took first in the athena class, like i said i wanted.

i also beat my time goal, which was 2:40; coming in 2:35 and change.

i don't have any splits yet or anything. and i doubt there were more than 5 people in my class but you know what? had i registered as "newbie" with the other triathletes in their first year of competition, i would have gotten 4th. either way, i was happy to do well and go faster than my goal. i've been reflecting on whether entering a weight class (athena/clydesdale) is some kind of cop-out. i've decided the only reason i'm wondering that is because i was to deny myself any feelings of pride or accomplishment, and that's a nasty habit i'm working on defeating. i've also decided that other non-hefty athletes who complain about the weight class athletes are just jealous. and slow.

so here's my decision: i'm proud.

granted. this was not the best race; i'd say mooseman was way better, both for me personally and also as a race. i'll get into more detail when i get my splits and finish writing my race report. for now, a preview.

what was awesome:
-my husband coming when i didn't think he would
-my good friends showing up and surprising me. they never get up early!
-feeling nervous but not petrified. not worrying i would die or fail
-my hamstring holding out without too much protest
-much warmer water (74 deg)
-not thinking about sharks once!
-the new transition bike racks that were simple
-no running on sand or dirt
-less hilly run course
-having a bike course with 2 loops so you knew the terrain
-it not raining, even though it was supposed to
-meeting a nice person on the run and passing time chatting

what sucked:
-getting only 4-ish hours of sleep
-my stomach. the entire time. i had discomfort starting just before the swim that slowly became gut-wrenching cramps at the start of the run, and continued till the bitter end. i wasn't sure if i was going to lose my breakfast out one end, or both. thankfully neither
-swimming extra distance because i found the course confusing
-almost losing my road id and timing chip during the swim
-the humid weather
-the 3/4 mile long hill that i had to ride up. twice
-not breaking 20 mph on the bike (or even 19, for that matter! poo!)
-crappy pavement
-a horrible DJ with terrible deafening music that i made my friends suffer through till the end of the awards
-no podium, and not getting a medal for my win! come on dude! i'm female, i like baubles! and if i'm going to be proud of myself i need some tangible proof for when i go home and start giving myself a hard time again.

week of 7/20: race prep

2009-07-26T21:25:00.002-04:00

monday: off
tuesday: off
wednesday: 45 min quick bike (18.4 mph average), weights (light, hamstring still kicking up)
thursday: 30 min swim (50 some-odd lengths)
friday: off
saturday: course preview (10 mi ride, leisurely)

how did i prepare for the race? pretty badly.
i carb-loaded again from thursday pm to sunday. nothing crazy; not as egregious as last time. but i scrapped being on the zone since i haven't figured out how to do zone-friendly race food, and wanted to ramp my system up to consuming carbs so i didn't freak out with all those gels on sunday. so i added in oatmeal with my breakfast eggs, a bun with my hamburger, etc.

note to self: NEVER AGAIN. i feel bloated and gross today; my stomach is a warzone. last night's pre-race fueling wasn't too wise; i had 2 stout beers and a flatbread pizza with goat cheese and carmelized onions, and quinoa salad. it was great to get out with the guys and relax the night before the race, rather than be at home stressing out and getting amped up. but i could have used more sleep.

week of 7/13: begin the infamous taper

2009-07-23T15:54:00.003-04:00

i had been thinking to myself how fortuitous it was that my tapering for the mass state tri began the same week i was going home for 5 days to surprise my mom for her birthday. it's always so hard to stick to training routines when you're traveling, and don't have your bike, or a gym membership. i find ways around it - the lake where my parents live is surrounded by butt-kicking hilly roads perfect for serious running, or for riding my brother's too-big mountain bike. if i had the balls i'd be swimming in the 3 mi-long lake, but i fear poisonous southern snakes and the dreaded snapping turtle. the nearest Y, while about 30 min away, will let me come for free with my out-of-state Y membership up to 5 times in one month. so i find ways to keep up with bare minimum training, but it's difficult when you want to spend time with the family you only see twice a year and the menu is packed with your dad's awesome cooking (bacon-wrapped filet mignon cooked in cognac, shrimp and scallop stir fry, broiled lobster tails and white wine, scrambled eggs with mom's fresh chives and local carolina pork sausage, grilled brie, turkey, olive, and sun-dried tomato panini... not to mention birthday cake and champagne...). and to think i only gained 3 pounds! (which are gone again, don't worry - i didn't want to have to cart any extra weight on the 10k this weekend).

when i wasn't roughing it during my vacation - lounging on my brother's boat, learning from him how to knee-board, cracking beers or diving off the side - i squeezed in 2 adequate runs during my trip. i would have added in a swim and maybe a bike, but one of the days i was leaning forward in the bow of the boat to catch the dock and i experienced a searing pain in my left hamstring - the very one that's been bugging me on and off since mooseman. it's still sore, 5 days later, despite some judicious ice, ibuprofen, and stretching. so i took it easy most of the rest of the time.

i was ok with taking it easy and eating some less wise foods - i was tapering, i was on vacation, and all the hard work that i needed to push hard during mass states had been accomplished already in previous hard weeks of training, right? right. no sense in worrying about it.

till i got home and began to freak out. i hadn't been swimming much. i hadn't broken 19 mph average on a bike ride since mooseman. yes my running had been getting faster but...what about this tweaky hamstring. i'm on the zone so i'm not carbloading. how badly might that affect me? i hadn't been doing any bricks, since it's the last thing my hamstring needs and honestly, the bike to run wasn't bad at mooseman. but still...oh man. i had to resist the urge to go out and punish myself with some long, heinous training session this week. for mooseman, i felt totally ready. for mass states, i question if i'm ready. how retarded is that? i have a successful race under my belt, i'm getting quicker at running, and i have a better attitude (e.g. i don't feel like throwing up and running away every time i think about racing this weekend). i'm ready, kids.

that doesn't mean i'm not spending some time covertly, and guiltily, looking at race times from last year's results, estimating how long the course will take me based on my performance at mooseman, and trying to figure out if i think i can medal in the athena class. i don't even like to admit to thinking these things - much less that i actually worry about this stuff!! but hey. i'm competitive. a lot of us are. i'm not so competitive that it keeps me from enjoying my endeavors. if anything, i think if you took competition out of it all, i might not enjoy it so much. i read an article in the back of 'triathlete' mag this past month, by melanie mcquaid, an off-road tri champ. she basically said everyone out there racing ought to race to win. i was thinking, come on, how disappointed will you always be if you think that way? there's no way i will ever outright win one of these things, not in my age group. but you know, there's that little childish part of you inside, a tiny kernel that gives voice to your unreasonable fears, hopes, dreams, and desires. and yeah, that little voice does say "hey i don't know, maybe if you try harder you'll win!" - whether it's win, or average 22 mph on a ride, or run a mile in the 8's... and that keeps me pushing through each practice session. i almost never hit those goals, if ever; but the sheer possibility, no matter how remote, is enough to make me give it my all. i don't finish disappointed; i finish pleased with any modicum of progress from one day to the next. so maybe melanie mcquaid is right; maybe you have to be in it to win it, regardless of whether you do or not.

7/13: track workout with my running buddy: 5 mi, speedwork
1 mi warmup (~10 min mi)
2 miles 200m repeats:
200m at ~85-90%, 200m slow (walk to jog if necessary)
1: 1:45
2: 1:50
3: 1:50
4: 1:41 yeah negative split!
1 mile tempo: 9:05! that's a first!
1 mile cooldown (3 laps jog, 1 lap walk)

7/14: weights; upped to 2x15, increased some weights but not most.

7/15: 20 mi road ride, 16.8 mph average, i think? i was not pleased with the speed, but i had moved my seat back quite a bit to address that thigh-rubbing issue. it seemed to help, although put too much pressure on frontal tissues.

7/16: off

7/17: road run, 4.5 mi, hills
jogged the first half and sprinted up the many hills on the way back, walking/jogging downhills and flats.

7/18: off; tweaked the left hamstring

7/19: ~3 mi relaxed run in humid 88 deg weather; completed in 34 min, despite some wardrobe malfunctions (the neverending short-bunching saga). hamstring was sore, but felt ok during run. took it easy on hills.

week of 7/6

2009-07-13T21:45:00.002-04:00

so far, following the zone diet the vast majority of the time has been really good for my energy levels and mood. i also lost 5 lbs and am down to my lowest ever (180 lbs). i used a more detailed online calculator that incorporates measurements from your wrist, hips, thigh, and calf, and found out i have 25% body fat. which was way better than the 37% my scale was telling me! anyway, nice to have a measurement i can track to see if i build more muscle but don't lose much weight-wise.

for no real reason, i was really exhausted on wed/thurs of this week, and while i was mentally dying to get out there and really tax myself with a hard run or bike, i could tell i physically just needed rest. it was hard to listen to, but i felt leaden and was sleeping 9 hours a night and hardly able to tear myself out of bed and get to work. so i'm glad i took a little more time off this week than i intended to. it's the beginning of tapering for mass states in 2 weeks, so it's probably a good thing, even if it's hard to do.

this week i definitely found that i have made improvements in both running and swimming. with running, i put out a 9:11 min mile on the track, which blows away any previous best mile off the treadmill. i'm actually able to run faster on a real surface than i am on the treadmill, rather than how it used to be vice versa. also, i finally got back in the pool for the first time in a while, with all those lake swims. my time for my first 12 length set was much faster (i took 7 seconds off!) than my previous best times; i did it breathing every other stroke, which is how i have to roll in the lake when i'm in my wetsuit. after that, my funky neck pain kicked back in and i had a hard time with breathing on one side and had to keep alternating awkwardly. right now the bike is feeling pretty stagnant for me all of a sudden, probably due to saddle pain that's been getting worse. i'm trying to address it, and i always have one of the 3 disciplines that's bugging me at any given time; i'm actually glad they rotate because it allows me to focus on my weaknesses and always stay interested in my training.

7/6: track run, 4 mi. 0.5 mi jog warmup. 3 mi, 1 min rest between; first 2 at ~9.20's, last at 9:11! 0.5 mi jog/walk cooldown.

7/7 weights. 1 mi run warmup (9.40)
press (1 leg), 2x12, 90? lbs
curl (1 leg), 2x12, 60? lbs
ext (1 leg), 2x12, 60? lbs
calves: 1x20 140 lbs
abs: 30 dual crunch, 15 each oblique
hip raises, 1 leg, 10 sec each, x3 each side
lats: 2x12 100 lbs
chest: 2x12 40/50 lbs
pecs: 2x12 70 lbs
delts: 2x12 70 lbs
circuit: 10 chair good mornings (10 lbs), 10 lunges (10 lbs), 30 sec wall sit (x2)

7/8 swim, pool workout. 90 lengths total.
10 lengths warmup.
5x12 lengths, 1 min rest between.
first was 4:58!! then 5:08-5:10 for subsequent.
6 kick/4 technique lengths.
10 lengths cooldown.

7/9 off, unplanned; wanted to run but was dead tired and relaxed on the couch instead. much needed!

7/10 bike ride, hills and easy; focus on adjusting seat to minimize increasing inner thigh chafing and blistering. moving seat back helped somewhat, especially in aero. only 25 mi, did "crazy local climb" on green st for the first time and may have found a good new place for hill training. average speed only 15.8 mph, but it was a lot of climbing.

7/11-7/12: off; had planned to run once but had no time saturday and was on 4 hours of sleep and one scotch too many on sunday. had a great time cutting loose at a friend's party and managed to keep from injuring myself in 4.5" heels, so it was a success!

week of 6/29: active recovery, and a week of firsts

2009-07-05T22:23:00.007-04:00

i definitely didn't mind taking a few days of rest this week, with my hamstrings and all. but i did feel kind of bored.

that may be the reason why i tried a bunch of new things this week. as per the advice of my ortho, i added a lower body strength training routine into the mix, with more weight-less moves and one-legged lifting to address strength discrepancies. i'm looking forward to doing some upper-body work too, once this tennis elbow is gone; it seems to be on its way out. then i also did some hill running, which isn't something i've ever done before. i've run up and down some hills in the course of a run, amid much whining, to be sure. but i've never just done a hill workout where you do repeats up a single hill on anything other than my bike. it was pretty awesome, i actually kind of enjoyed it and understand why they'll make you faster. the sheer economy, fast turnover, and lightness on your feet that you have to employ to sprint up a 10-12% grade will teach you how to be a better runner. the combo of lower body training and hill running basically cured my hamstring strains, interestingly enough.

one of the other new things i tried was the zone diet. i'd thought about it for a while, and had been striving for 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat in my daily intake. but i realize that the increase in carb intake that was necessary to keep me going when i began endurance training unfortunately included a lot of not so great carb choices (whole wheat bread, potatoes, jam, too much fruit, a lot of cereal, occasional pasta). the zone really kicks your butt and makes you choose good sources (fruits and veggies, minimal grains). granted, i think i will cry myself to sleep over my box of raisin bran, since that's my favorite breakfast ever. but a day and a half on the zone made me drop 5 pounds (crikey!), gave me tons of level energy, and helped me sleep well and feel less tired. i also felt less need to gobble down loads of food after workouts. so i think this will be the way i go, most of the time. certainly occasional culinary enjoyment (such as today's post-ride lobster roll and frozen yogurt) is necessary in life. but it would be nice to have my food intake work for me, and not against me; if i'm working this hard physically, i might as well have a well-crafted meal plan. for once, my motivation is not to 'get thinnner.' i really want to control my blood sugar spikes and drops, since i think it's the only way i can address the reactive hypoglycemia. i want to get good, restful sleep, which has been an anathema to me for 3 years now. i want to feel prepared for and well-recovered after putting in quality training time. and i also want to decrease my body fat by at least 10%. all that might happen without shedding a single pound, but whatever - it's all more important in the long run, both in terms of training and in terms of lifelong health. it's going to be a pain in the ass getting on a new eating regimen, but i look forward to the benefits of "being in the zone." which is probably akin to "being dialed in."

i also had my first crummy road ride. i often hear of people talking about a bad workout or a bad ride, and i'm all pshaw, every ride is a great ride because i love biking. but today was just not very good at all. i got a late start and scaled down my initial plan for a 45 miler down to my regular 32 mile loop. i didn't stretch out my legs after yesterday's 23 mi ride because i was too busy to think about it. i used wayyy too much chamois cream to prevent the chafing from yesterday's ride from getting any worse. my saddle has just been killing me lately; i'm going to make some adjustments and if it doesn't help, i may buy a narrower-nosed saddle. so with chamois cream oozing out of the seams between my legs and smearing all over my crotch as i pedaled, i looked like a woman with some vicious disease fighting its way out of my bike shorts and into the great beyond, like the typhoid mary of yeast infections and a public (pubic?) health threat. lovely. near the top of one of the steepest climbs on the route, a wasp flew into my jersey and stung me 3 times on the chest before i managed to squash it, cursing and carrying on and peering into my sports bra like someone possessed. i'm sure it was quite a spectacle. it was pretty hot, and i didn't really drink any water before departing. and then my legs just quit on me - and i mean QUIT, i was in nearly the lowest gear possible on a dinky climb and my cadence dropped to 60 and i was only going 8 mph and my legs went all noodly and shaky on me and i said really? seriously? because that has never even come close to happening before, and this was only mile 21 or so. i tested my blood sugar, which was fine; i was well-fed with a hearty brunch and didn't understand why this happened. now i think it's because i was dehydrated, which is not my usual state. they aren't kidding; it will really mess with you.
i dropped my chain (big deal, at this point); i took a detour home to shave off a couple of miles. i was running late, and all i could think about was how much my inner thighs were killing me. it hurt so much all the time, my back was cramping from how tense i was in response to the discomfort. saddle, you and i are going to have a serious discussion, because i can't carry on like this. i coasted as much as i could (!?!) and was so happy to be home, in the a/c, and with a big glass of cold water. i was in a terrible mood and couldn't believe my weekend ride wasn't the best 2 hours of my life.

what wound up saving the day? less than an hour later, i did another new thing: mountain biking with my husband for the first time!! he had ordered some kenda knobbies for my hybrid bike, although there wasn't enough clearance for the rear, so we stuck with the stock tire on that one. we hit some local trails and at first, i was pretty terrified. one thing i am not cool with is the idea of falling. like, i have never fallen off either of my bikes; i probably fell off my BMX when i was a kid and repressed that memory. but not in ~900 miles on my hybrid, and not in ~500 miles on my road bike; not during the road bike transition with clipless pedals and aero bars. not ever. when i ski, even when i took it up again after a 6 year hiatus, i was like I AM NOT FALLING DAMMIT. and i didn't. so i'm not trying to jinx myself here, i just have an extreme distaste for falling down and it scares the crap out of me. so mountain biking is probably not the best pursuit for me, considering my gravitational hang-ups. the first mile or so i was really tentative; everything looked so narrow, and muddy patches were impossible, rocks and roots seemed placed in perfect position to send me over my handlebars. i imagined breaking my legs on boulders; breaking my arms and face while doing a head-plant. it was pretty scary. then i got a better feel for the bike, and andrew's helpful hints and tactics for climbs and especially descents helped a lot. i hitched up my panties and began going till i had to put a foot down or walk it over a log; no harm done. by the end of the hour, i was speeding up and down sections i would have probably walked in the beginning. i had a fantastic time; it was so challenging to pick a good line, to use weight-transfer, to use my body like suspension, to let a foot float off the pedal to avoid smashing it on a rock...we had a blast tearing through the woods together, and i can't wait to do it again!

6/29: off

6/30: treadmill run run: 3.25 mi
0.8 warmup
0.25 cooldown
rest running @ 9.40

leg weights:
press (1 leg), 3x10, 70 lbs
curl (1 leg), 2x10, 40 lbs
ext (1 leg), 2x10, 40 lbs
abs: 30 bench crunch, 30 dual crunch
hip raises, 1 leg, 10 sec each, x4 each side
circuit: 10 chair good mornings (10 lbs), 10 lunges (10 lbs), 10 squats
repeat; 2nd round, wall sits (2x30 sec) sub for squats

7/1: off, unplanned; woke up with a serious neck spasm that made it so i couldn't turn my head to one side for 2 days. chiropractor, muscle relaxants, thera-heat patches, and horse-doses of ibuprofen and tylenol later...it actually still hurts today and made it hard to look for traffic while biking this weekend. poo.

7/2: off; glucose mixed-meal 5 hour tolerance test (results pretty normal; unsurprisingly, weren't able to reproduce symptoms i get during exercise. still felt pretty crummy afterwards, plus there was my jacked-up neck to worry about. i could hardly drive).

7/3: running - hills
55 min
~2 mi warmup
5 hill repeats, 10% grade? 35-40 sec each
2 min rest between
~1 mi cooldown

7/4: short bike ride; 23 mi, 18.5 mph average. i am trying to keep my cadence above 80 at pretty much all costs, and 90+ on flats. two crowning moments: carrying 35.5 mph down a set of twisty hills on the aero bars with nary a motion toward the break. and, and. on a flat (maybe slight incline), at a cadence of 120, carrying a speed of 32.5 mph for about 10 seconds. i am all that is man!! and i love my bike computer.

7/5: longer bike ride; 30 mi, crappy 16.5 mph average. higher cadence overall and fresher legs till dehydration got the best of me.

mountain biking!! 5.5 mi in ~50 min or something.

week of 6/22: strained hamstrings? what better time to run your longest road race yet!

2009-06-28T20:06:00.004-04:00

i'm half-kidding in the title of this post. i think.
first one, then the other, and now both of my hammys are pretty sore and tight since mooseman. i had a standing appointment with my ortho this week anyway, to assess that pesky tennis elbow (hey guess what it healed! and then popped up in the other arm! for no reason at all! whee!). so i mentioned my hamstring issues, they did their usual poking, prodding, and stretching of me, and told me i had grade 1 hamstring strains. no surprise there.

what was surprising was the recommendation. just keep my running mileage low; speedwork and hills are fine. no super long endurance runs while they calm down. which stinks, since i wanted to do the 3 runs a week - 1 easy, 1 speed or hills, 1 long - to improve upon my run times. however, not being advised to take time off running is a really good thing. so i'm willing to do my part. i'm also supposed to add my strength training back in, focusing on hamstring and glute exercises, since apparently most female athletes have dominating quads (doesn't that sound like a badass metal band? dominating quads?). i've missed lifting, though with tennis elbow rearing its ugly head again, i'll be doing lower body only for a little bit.

in other health news, my full thyroid test battery came back clean from the endocrinologist - looks like while i definitely have autoimmune thyroid disease (positive antibody titers), the gland hasn't been destroyed yet and is functioning normally. that's good news! later this week i have a mixed meal test, where i get to drink ensure and have my blood sugar, insulin, and c-peptide tested every 30 min for 5 hours. if that doesn't yield any clues about this weird reactive hypoglycemia, well, i'll just do what i'm going to do anyway - keep a balanced diet and eat every 2-3 hours. so there.

today (sunday), my school running buddy and i did the new charles river 7.5 mi run, which is close enough to a 12k distance that i've been using them interchangeably. far cry from pre-race jitters before that first 5k; last night i went out for mexican for a friend's party and had a few negra modelo's, and figured 6 hours of sleep was good enough. it went great; it was cloudy, a good temp (high 60's?), but pretty humid. we were covered in a sweaty sheen for pretty much the whole thing. we cracked a mocha clif shot with caffeine 15 min before the start, and a second gel at 40 min in. while the first mile was slow (10:10?) due to congestion, we really put the hammer down in the middle section of the race. i think from mile 4 to 5 was actually 9 minutes even, which is ridiculous for us, considering our best 5k splits are 9:20 for me and probably 9:10 for her. we stopped 3 times for water, and once to eat that second gel. i had been aiming for anything faster than our 5 mile city run pace from 2 months ago, which for me was 9:48 min/mi. well, while my friend took off in the last mile and came in 20 sec ahead of me, i was really happy with my 1:11:49, 9:34.5 min/mi pace. i figure that's a good improvement in only 2 months of running 2x a week, and a pretty light load (7-12 miles per week). i'm very happy! i'm especially happy about having good mental focus during the race - i had a good time, i really enjoyed my friend's company, i kept my footstrikes per minute up high whenever i felt my energy flagging, and while i didn't have much of a sprint at the end, i made sure i did that whole last 1.5 mile quick, light, and easy. i figured what i wanted most was to finish that race staying strong for the duration, keeping my focus on technique and maintaining my desired pace.

my hammys are a tad pissed, especially after the run following a decent length bike yesterday, but i've been really good about the ibuprofen, foam rolling, stretching, and icing regimen. i am confident they'll heal up as long as i don't do anything stupid too soon.

overall, a really good week. looking forward to some bloody sunshine, so i can stop going to spin class in the SUMMER and get out on lewis instead. the hills are calling my name!

6/22: off. recovering from a mild scotch hangover from the awesome nyc wedding the night before, and driving home/catching up on sleep.

6/23: easy treadmill run, 6 mi total. 1 mi warmup, 4 mi at 9.40, 2 walk breaks <2 min, 1 mi cooldown.

6/24: spinning class, 50 min. really got some rpm's going on the sprints; it was pretty serious.

6/25: OW swim at walden. most of a mile; a TNT friend and i swam most of the way across before we decided to turn back. i didn't mind, my elbow was starting to bug me. still scared of lake sharks. i think they get a little less large, toothy, and hungry each time i go.

6/26: track run, speed work; 5 mi total. 1 mi warmup, 2 mi of sprinting straights/jogging corners, 1 mi at ~9:30 min/mi pace (i have to figure out how to read track markings, i am confused about all these hieroglyphics), 0.5 mi of fartlek, 0.5 mi cooldown. managed to squeeze it all in between experiments, before lunch, and before the rain started. win!

6/27: group ride with a TNT buddy, 36? miles total. beautiful rolling hills out in dover/medfield/newton area, some of the same CRW routes as last weekend. extremely humid, midday hot and sunny ride - we lucked out to be in a tiny circle of dry weather while it rained in all the surrounding towns. pretty slow this time (16.8 mph average?), not sure why - i was tired, hot, and focusing on keeping my cadence over 80 as much as possible. sure, we pulled some good 24-26 mph flats and i felt great then, but i think i'm going to be a little less efficient for a bit while i work on mashing my pedals less. it'll pay off in the long run!

6/28: charles river 7.5 mi road race, discussed above. strong run (1:11:49 overall time, 9:34.5 min/mi average). thinking a half-marathon might be pretty do-able!

week of 6/15: back to the grind, with an attitude shift

2009-06-20T18:07:00.008-04:00

for some reason, now that mooseman is over, scheduling in time for workouts is somehow easier. there's seemingly less pressure, and after easier weeks up to and following the race, i feel like i've settled back into my 'normal' routine. i always lose perspective on the abnormality of how much triathletes push themselves, and what kinds of schedules we keep - from sprint tri-ers all the way through ironmen. as is always the case in my life, i'm looking ahead and above me, never behind. so i never think to myself, man i work out way more than most people i know. rather, i think about how little i do in comparison to elite and ultra-distance athletes. on the one hand, that sort of mindset (especially when it permeates your approach to everything - whether it be your marriage, working toward your doctorate, etc) certainly creates drive, ambition, and fuels success. but it's also pretty thankless; you are never good enough, and you never take time to appreciate your triumphs and achievements lest the hubris unseat you from your forward trajectory. that unwillingness to celebrate, to revel, is actually borne of fear and not ambition.

i was blown away by an article in the back of 'triathlete' magazine, which i quietly buy and devour like a preteen with playboy. scott tinley's piece, "the weight," while really about a perspective gained after a long and distinguished ultra-distance multisport career, had parts that reached out and slapped me in the face, really calling me out on what i realize is a dysfunctional approach to life. he writes, "our overarching achievements in sport must be contextually bound by how we perceive their value...lest we forget, the races we run bring with them their own kind of bearing, their own signature and stamp on our lives. And we won't really know what that will be until we wake up from the dream. you might feel younger for the rest or you might finally realize that rust never sleeps and that you were caught red-handed with desires exceeding assets."

i've done a lot of thinking about why i always have to move on to and conquer the next big thing in life. that in itself is kind of a hobby, but one that doesn't yield much enjoyment. and since the journey is all we have, i'm bringing my considerable powers of focus, discipline, and tenacity to bear on changing my perspective. as such, i spent this week getting back into the 6 days/week schedule, but with something that was missing before. a little bit more relaxation. a little bit more spring in my step. a little bit more opportunistic enjoyment - weather's nice, go for a ride. friends are free, do a group OW swim. you were going to do a long run, but pals were doing a long ride. hop in, do something different, learn something new, see something pretty. rigid workout schedules may take out a lot of the guesswork and thus bring relief to those of us who are type A and somewhat OCD about time and efficiency. but they don't schedule FUN. they don't include making friends and expanding your horizons. they don't include facing fears (lake sharks!) and embracing post-challenge rewards or relaxation. being loose and willing to shake things up a bit and enjoy them more requires flexibility, something which i only possess in yoga class. google calendar is not written in stone, and sometimes we squander life's opportunities because they didn't pop up as action items or fall into this week's excel-plotted plan.

this whole triathlon thing isn't a way of life; it's not a goal or finish line i'll ever cross, look back, and say phew, glad i made it to the end of that challenge. it's ongoing, it's ever-changing, it's only part of a puzzle with no determined pattern and no neat edges, and no final picture i'll ever sit back and appreciate. it is life; just as school is life, just as marriage and dog ownership is life. every day i get out there and see the sun rise, or climb a tough hill, or lose myself in my own breathing and bubbles, that is life. i've always liked training because i've liked the feeling of working toward something. but now i'm also going to like the feeling of this moment, right now, bounded by nothing in the future. and i'm going to reflect and enjoy it.

6/15: easy run: 4 mi at 10.20 min/mi on treadmill, 60 min with warmup/cooldown.

6/16: short ride: 18 miles, 60 min (obviously 18 mph average).

6/17: longer ride: 32 miles, 1:50. 17.5 mph average; a lot of stops with a dropped chain and having to tighten the handle bars several times, which kept slipping downward every time i hit a major bump. gave me some pretty good saddle sores till i noticed what was going on.

6/18: interval run: 60 min total, 5.6 miles on the treadmill
2 mi warmup, walk to jog and then 9:40 pace
4x 1 min at 8:34 pace, 1 min @ 10:00 pace
3 min walk
4 more intervals
1 mi at 9:40 pace
5 min cooldown

6/19: open-water swim: at walden with a bunch of the TNT guys. across and back (1 mi total); i know it took me just shy of 14 min on the trip out. tons of fun! still scared of lake sharks but less so when i'm trying to outpace other people; keeps you busy.

6/20: longer ride: went on a 39.5 ride with a TNT friend and his buddy on a CRW route around newton and millis. only 17.5 mph average, but lots of fun chatting, emulating technique, beautiful roads (good condition and nice scenery), amazing number of other cyclists (and amazing number of total douchebags), a fantastic time despite getting up at 5 am and riding on a very humid, overcast and foggy morning. company makes it a lot of fun!

week of 6/8: "recovery"

2009-06-14T11:18:00.002-04:00

recovery is in quotes up there because i didn't really just relax all week and recover from mooseman the way i was supposed to. i got bored and ansy.

6/9: recovery run. 2.5 miles at 10.30 min/mi. hard to run so slow, but felt good on my sore hamstring.

6/10: spin class, 50 min. can't believe i ever used to find this difficult; it was kind of refreshing. now i know i'm crazy and am permanently on the dark side.

6/11: flow yoga, 90 min class. this was easier, endurance-wise, but i was pretty tight. it was good on my hamstring. but after 4 weeks of nearly no swimming and no lifting due to the tennis elbow, my arms are still killing me from all the plank and high to low push-up. i forgot i had pecs and biceps. now i remember.

6/12: track intervals, 60 min. i can finally use a local track now that school is out for summer. 1 mile warmup, 1 mile of sprinting the straights and jogging the corners, 1 mile of tempo (9:20 min/mi), 1 mi cooldown jog.

6/13: off; went to hyannis to cheer on my fellow TNT-ers at the hyannis sprint tri. great job, you guys! it was really fun to spectate, even if i had to get up at 3.45 am :)

what's next?

2009-06-14T10:53:00.004-04:00

well, more triathlons, that's what.

currently thinking about doing the following races:

6/28 charles river 7.5 mile run (confirmed)

7/12 lowell olympic distance tri

7/26 mass state olympic distance tri or marlborough sprint tri

8/16 urban epic boston sprint plus tri

9/27 hub on wheels boston fun ride (10 mi bike)

10/11 BAA half-marathon

most of these are dependent on finding friends to do them with; i've realized that one of the best parts of racing is sharing the day with friends and teammates. i can't imagine driving myself back from a race alone being like, yep. awesome. i think that would be pretty sad and lonely.

the half-marathon is an ambitious goal, but i have a 3-day a week training plan that would get me there, and i think it would tell me whether i would ever enjoy doing a half-iron tri or whether i should stick with these shorter distances.

overall, i want to get faster at running - 8 min/mi pace someday would be fantastic. that'll take me a long time, but i'm ok with that. my TNT coach recommended putting in 3 days/week of running to help get there, so i'm going to to 3 runs, 2 bikes, and 1 swim per week, with definite yoga and occasional 1 day of light lifting.

i'm also going to mentor for TNT next year, also for the mooseman race. i've loved being a part of TNT so much, have really bonded with a lot of my teammates, and can't believe what a journey it's been. so i really look forward to starting that next year. but in the meantime, i think i'm going to focus on continuing to stay fit and getting more running experience, while doing occasional triathlons as fun goals to work toward.

so i'm going to keep this blog going as a way to track progress and place to post race reports, but i think i'll be doing weekly workout updates rather than daily. i just don't have the time and i bet i won't have much readership now that mooseman is over. thanks for following me during this process, it's been great to have friends and family support me!!

race report: the very long and gory details

2009-06-10T16:51:00.010-04:00

i realized i have to write about how the race went before i forget everything. i've already forgotten some of the details. like childbirth (i imagine), i think the further you get away from a traumatic event, the more you only remember the good things. then you probably do it again and think WTF! i don't remember it sucking like this the first time! and you promptly begin the cycle anew.

don't think that means there are terrible stories about the race that i'm keeping from you. it's just that now, still semi-basking in the afterglow (let's be honest, all i'm thinking about is getting back to training next week), i'm only thinking about all the nice things about this past weekend. so before i obliterate all of that stress and fear from my memory, let me take you through my weekend.

first off, a link to the pics taken by my fantastic husband:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kha0s/sets/72157619266312789/

PRE-RACE
so my teammate and i arrived at our hotel on winnepesaukee on friday midday. i'd spent the ride up chatting with him about training, diet, and pre-race fear. he'd done a sprint tri already, so was much less nervous than i was. i felt silly explaining how i was feeling near-terror nearly 24 hours before the start, but there it was...a lump in my throat, a knot in my stomach, an inability to sit still or shut up for a single moment. it was mixed in with tons of excitement, to be sure!

we ate a "healthy" lunch at the floating bar in the lake, as i wistfully surveyed all the drinks i couldn't have while i choked down my dry chicken sandwich. we drove the 40ish minutes to newfound to pick up our race packets and do a quick wetsuit swim in the lake. holy crap, was it cold! and pretty dark too, though not murky like walden. i refused to imagine what creatures might be living in it, hitched up my mental panties, and swam out and back a few times.

feeling somewhat better, we headed back to the hotel for the carbo-loading pasta party. as i shoveled down salad, ziti, turkey, and a dinner roll, my stomach asked me when i would be done eating all this crap and could go back to my normal diet, which is pretty much devoid of white flour or gratuitous grains. soon, i promised my stomach. soon. but first you'll suffer through all those performance gels tomorrow!

i felt really alone and freaked out as i saw other people surrounded by family or friends, and i was really looking forward to having my husband join me in the morning; i felt like i needed to spend some time with someone who DIDN'T give a crap about triathlon so i could get my brain back to normalcy.

as it was, i took a long, hot bath, during which i studied the map of the transition areas and then took 20 min to close my eyes and visualize the whole race. i imagined what i'd be feeling, particularly what negative self-talk i'd be giving myself, and how i would answer those doubts. i imagined what songs i'd be playing in my head to get my stroke count, cadence, and turnover speeds where i wanted them. i imagined when i'd sight the buoys, how i'd do T1 (wetsuit off, glasses on, helmet on, chamois cream on, rinse feet, socks on, shoes on, gloves on, gels in pockets, bike out!), how i'd mount the bike, when i'd be cracking my gels, which hills would require going down to 1st, how i would be solid enough to fly down hills without braking, how i'd dismount, find my transition area, get through T2 (bike on rack, gloves off, shoes off, run shoes on, new gels in pocket, race number belt on, helmet off, headband on, run!), how i'd spend the first 0.5 mile getting my legs used to running, how i'd find my turnover speed and pace, when i'd stop for water, and how i'd sprint to that finish line.

then i got out of the bath, stretched for 10 minutes, took half a sleeping pill, and tried to sleep. i slept from about 10.30 to 3, during which i woke up 7 or so times and had a number of bizarre dreams. they included a vivid race dream, probably because i had visualized it the night before. in it, my husband didn't come because he thought it was dumb. i fell off my bike. during the run, there were carnival games like skeeball, and the water balloon pop, and pin the tail on the donkey, that everyone else had trained for and i didn't know what to do. then the road incline began to increase, until it was so vertical i began to slide backwards, clawing the pavement and leaving bloody trails of skin and fingernails as i tried to hang on, and fell backwards in a cloud of gravel and sand.

i woke up well before my 4 am alarm with a belly full of dread. after dreaming like that, can you be surprised?

i ate a quick breakfast of plain oatmeal mixed with raisin bran, an orange, and some coffee. we booked it to the race site and parked in a field, fighting off mosquitoes as i pondered how to get my huge transition bag and my bike over 1/4 mile to the transition area. next time: bring a backpack, and not a huge duffel that can't be carried.

i miraculously ran into my husband as he was parking in the same lot; he'd gotten up at 3.45 am just to be able to see me before the start. part 1 of my dream was already wrong, see?

my darling husband kept me company while i navigated the chaos in the park. i had to get bodymarked first, with my number and age sharpied on my bicep, quad, and calf. then to the portapotties, then to transition to set up. i felt flustered and like i didn't have enough time to make sure i had laid everything out, even though i had a print out of my list to ensure everything was there.

i joined my husband on the beach and had my wetsuit half-on as i scarfed a peanut butter sandwich 45 min before my wave, and half a banana about 15 min before my start. i got fully suited up about 30 min before my wave began, and acclimatized myself to the water (including that nice wetsuit pee...keeps you warm!). i had to say goodbye to my husband; at that point, milling around with all the triathletes on the beach, my panic was at fever pitch and i distinctly remember looking around and thinking, holy shit. this stuff is for real. i'm really here. i never thought this day would actually come. all these people are real athletes. what am i doing here? why did i ever think this was a good idea? what the hell did i get myself into? oh man i just wish this day were over!
and my wonderful husband must have known what was going through my mind because he took me aside and basically said hey, don't let all these people change your race plans - don't get stressed out, don't worry about what everyone around you is doing, and don't push too hard and hurt yourself just to pass some random person. race your own race and stay inside your own head, and have fun!

and boy, am i glad he said that. cause that's exactly what i did.

THE RACE

the swim
some other TNT-ers in my wave walked over to the start with me, as we looked out at that orange buoy 0.45 miles across the lake. it looked like it was taking the elite men FOREVER to do the course. how long would it take us? we were hugging and getting excited; i decided to just be pumped rather than afraid. as we lined up in the water, i put myself on the very inside line, about 3 people back; so it was a pretty aggressive placement. i was hopping up and down and slapping the water because i was suddenly READY TO GO. i began my stopwatch about 30 sec before we were slated to start, so i could track my gels and also have an idea of my pace. they shouted "go!" and i hit that water and stopped thinking about everything else altogether. i went out faster than i thought i would, but i was breathing well and holding off everyone behind me. i sighted well all the way out to the turnaround; keeping the big barrel buoys on my left, and trying not to think about how eerie it was that their fluorescent orange tethering lines descended into the depths as far as i could see, meaning there was no way to tell how deep it was other than DEEP. i focused on the legs kicking nearby, swimming around as many people as i could - it wasn't that crowded, and i passed way more people than passed me. i was swum over a couple of times, knocked elbows a couple of times, got my hands kicked...and treated each event like it was just part of my stroke; might as well be seaweed clinging to oars - it happens, and you move on. at the turnaround i kept it tight, and was like yeah man, i am halfway and now i know i can really DO THIS. around that time i began to breathe every other stroke and not every 3rd; i've never breathed that frequently when swimming, so i think i was giving it more than i usually do. i kept seeing only blue and white caps around me, although my wave was all red and pink caps were the wave in front of me. i thought, either i'm doing really great, or maybe all these guys are doing really great - either way, i'm just going to keep going!

i felt fast and strong, like a juggernaut chugging through the water; like a demonic clydesdale dashing out of the gates of hell in a firey swath. i kept thinking of all those badass things while i kept my stroke long, and switched what side i was breathing on whenever i felt my neck tense up over time. i sighted more poorly on the return, and did some unintentional zig-zagging; i had a lot of swimmers stop abruptly in front of me with leg cramps. i knew what they were feeling, as i was barely kicking and still, my calves were involuntarily contracting up into themselves and threatening to cramp really badly. i pulled my toes up toward my shins and just gave it my all with my upper body, keeping my feet flexed up for the last 5 minutes or so to prevent the cramps that kept threatening. i swam till i touched sand, stood up, and felt like i had been reborn. for over 25 minutes i'd been in an ethereal world of cold and muffled sound; only my own breathing and splashing punctuated the noise of the water rushing past as i sliced through it. upon standing i was hurled forth back into the real world, with a crowd screaming, an announcer blabbering, music blasting, cowbells ringing, cameras flashing...and it nearly froze me to the spot. i ran toward the finish arch through the chaos, gatorade thrust into my hand as i tried to figure out what to do with it, trying to reach back and grab my zipper leash to try to get out of my wetsuit...and i couldn't. my arms were drawn into me like a T-rex; the water was so cold, i had no flexibility at all. the boy scouts manning the wetsuit stripping stations came to my aid, directing me on the ground, unzipping me, and peeling it off with force like a fish being scaled and gutted. still bewildered, i grabbed my suit, thanked them, and rushed off to find my bike. all i could think was, oh my god. what the hell do i do now?

the bike
while T2 took me a little while, with cold and shaky limbs and a cloudy mind, i eventually got everything on and made my way to the start of the bike. i was told to mount, felt like it took me forever to get my first shoe clipped in (it probably took 5 seconds or so), and then i heard my name being yelled from the crowd. i looked up to see my husband with his camera, and i was so happy to see him, a huge grin melted across my face. suddenly my mind unfroze and i was back, and ready to do my favorite part: the bike. i took off with total confidence, asking myself, i wonder how many of these guys i can reel in? i hope they're ready for a fight on those hills! and as i made my way through the first 5 miles, i looked out across the lake and all the other swimmers still on the course, and i relaxed and thought about what a beautiful place it was, and how much fun i could have if i let myself enjoy this race. from my course preview ride the month prior, i'd thought the first 5 miles were flat until the dreaded hill. wrong! i couldn't believe how the slightest incline was taxing my legs beyond belief. they were still so cold, and so inflexible; like biking with huge anvils instead of limbs. so i chilled out, kept my cadence up and my gears low, and tried to give them time to thaw out. i cracked my first gel sometime in here (hammer espresso with 50 mg caffeine). i passed tons of people but was also passed by some serious racers. i learned that i was going to be the only one calling out passes, so i gave up and just biked like a jerk.

i got myself psyched up for devil's hill, the one huge climb that faces you like a solid asphalt wall as you round a corner. i knew my friends from BMWCCA ice racing were probably waiting for me at the end of their driveway just before the big climb, so i focused on that and got poised to go through some rapid downshifting. i saw my friends, called out 'hey guys!!' with a big grin on my face, and was so happy to see them waving and cheering. i settled in for the big climb, passing some people and also being passed by guys who were definitely in lower gears and at higher cadence. a woman in a devil costume was dancing near the top, yelling "up and over!! keep going!" and cheering; i thanked her as i reached the top, definitely more slowly than i would have liked, but still in good spirits. the climb warmed my legs up and seemed to wring out the last of the cold water cramps, and i knew a nice fast downhill awaited me. i was shifted into my highest gears, went aero, and hauled down that badboy as fast as i could, leaving the huge crowed of huffing and puffing riders behind me. i will say that during the bike leg, i only used my brakes once in the whole 27.5 miles, and it was on a tight cambered right/left downhill S-curve where they had course marshalls cautioning us to slow down for the tight turns. that, and when i was entering the finish chute, of course. anyway, nobody passed me on any of the downhills. EVER. so i am pretty happy about that. i was mostly passed on uphills, usually steeper ones and not gradual inclines. so i know now that i need to work on my downshift timing, gear strategy, and cadence on real climbs. the passing on this ride was chaos. i had been worried about the difficulties of maintaining the bike lengths and anti-drafting rules, but all this went out the window; people were passing each other on both sides, 4 or 5 riders wide, on a course open to traffic. i was like ok, so it's like that...and often i would be skirting the yellow line, passing 4 others on the left as they tried to duke it out for position, even though nobody was really going appreciably faster. i definitely called those passes, even though many didn't and i thought it was kind of dangerous of them. few riders looked behind them when coming out to make a pass, either for gaining riders or for cars; i called out cars to riders in front of me several times. you could only tell if someone was coming up on you if they decided to shift or had those pricey solid wheels, which make a pretty badass sound on the pavement. i will say, i noticed a pretty decent amount of bikers on very serious and expensive bikes - carbon fiber tri bikes that were 6 to 12,000 dollars, whose wheels alone are more expensive than my entire bike. what surprised me was not the equipment, but how often those bikes were piloted by seemingly inexperienced or not particularly talented cyclists. if you think about it, a lot of the guys on these bikes that i came across had started 15-20 min before i did. if i was passing them on the bike leg, well...perhaps running is their strong suit. it turned out to be a lot like motorsports; just because a guy's in a fast and expensive car, doesn't mean he's a good driver. a lot of these guys were the types that looked quite annoyed when i passed them, and often tried to pedal harder to block my pass, which i think isn't sporting; if someone's faster, i'm pretty sure you're just supposed to accept it. if you could be going faster, you probably already should be, regardless of who's coming up on your left. i had a couple of guys i'd trade spots with over and over; they'd pass me on the uphills, and i'd zip past on the straightaways and downhills. i cracked my second gel around 1:15 into the race, i think (hammer raspberry - yum!) - it's hard to remember now. i also downed a bottle of endurox R4 and a bottle of water with electrolyte tabs over the course of the bike. they had some water stations, although i didn't need to stop and get anything; but i did nearly fall off my bike while zipping past one of these and high-fiving several boy scouts while i was in aero. so i decided not to be such a hot shot for the rest of the bike leg :)
a lot of people slowed down around mile 20; in retrospect, they were probably saving themselves for the run. i took advantage of it and cranked along in high gear, duking it out in the last couple of miles with some very serious looking dude in a teardrop helmet and sponsor-laden jersey and shorts. he eventually won out, but i made him work really, really hard for it and he definitely looked pissed one of the times i passed him. it amused me greatly and kept my mind off getting tired.

the last few miles seemed to take forever, but as i approached the finish chute, i saw andrew again and felt all smiley; i passed one last rider as i slowed, not sure where the dismount would be. i clicked out ok, ran into transition, racked my bike the wrong way and made a much quicker turnaround in T2.

the run
i jogged out of the transition area through the wooded park trail and onto the road, where i heard my TNT coach cheer for me as i passed by. i got my legs moving and focused on my turnover more than my speed; they actually felt pretty good following the bike. i cracked my 3rd gel (clif shot espresso, 100 mg caffeine) about a mile in and choked it down, finally feeling like they were gross instead of delicious. i felt extremely slow, probably in comparison to whizzing by on the bike; i think there were times where i went over 35 mph on the bike. as i checked my watch and saw that i was around 10 min/mi for the first mile, i was pretty pumped! it wasn't strenuous to keep up my goal pace, and i was happy about that. i did hit pretty much each water stop during the 10k, but didn't make the mistake of drinking much. it helped to walk a few strides and pick up running again because it seemed to refresh my pace and my technique. most of the first 5k was uphill, which didn't feel so great; i decided i would walk up the big hills because jogging up them was going to be just about the same speed as a quick walk, but would tax me way more. i made the mistake of walking with big strides, which made my left hamstring tweak and burn up high near my butt; it was a warning sign and i was careful to have short strides for the rest of the run. i kept calling out to fellow TNT-ers passing by on both legs of the run; because it was an out-and-back with a turnaround at 3.1 mi, i got to see fast guys on their way to the finish when i was starting out, and cheer on some of my older or slower teammates on their way out as i was coming in. both were really great opportunities to remember that i wasn't out there alone, and that kept my spirits high. one woman from some other tri team whom i didn't know passed by me at a quick clip up one of the hills, and as she went by said "keep it up, looking great!" - which i know is totally generic, but made me smile and pick up my pace again. for all the jerks who give you a hard time on the bike or try to intimidate you, triathlon is also filled with friendly people who will give you a kind word, wave, smile, or high-five for no other reason than to pay forward the spirit of support and shared love of a sport. that kind of stuff really makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

once at the turnaround, i knew the way back was mostly downhill and i could tell from my watch that if i kept up my 10 min/mi pace, i would come in around 3 hours. i began to get excited, then thought - shut up silly, you come in when you come in; do your best on the last 5k and start looking at your watch when you're closer to the finish line; if you start getting all funky about pulling fast miles now, you'll burn out before the finish. so i did just that. i was supposed to crack another gel but honestly, i couldn't stomach the idea. so i decided to take in a few ounces of gatorade at the turnaround and again at the last water stop. i figured i was close enough to the finish that i wouldn't crash till after i crossed, and could eat something as soon as i was done to ward off a sugar-induced blood sugar dip. that worked out pretty well, and i felt quicker on my return trip. oddly, my first 5k split was much faster (9:30's) than my second 5k split (9:50's), which is especially crazy considering the way there were all those uphills and walks, and the way back i ran the whole time. i must have been really hauling when i was running during the first 5k. either way, i saw that if i gave a quick sprint at the end, it was possible that i'd actually come in just under 3 hours. that was all my body needed to release a quick surge of adrenaline, and i entered the finish chute in the park; the last 0.5 mi had gone on forever!! and i couldn't believe it, but i had to run several yards on sand and dirt. i was like, this is terrible! whose idea was this! because it was killing my hamstring. but there was the crowd and i saw the finish arch with the timer, and i sprinted with everything i had and i heard the announcer say "she's getting excited now!" and something about the money i raised for TNT. as i crossed i was pumping my fist in the air and grinning madly, and then i did the "ride the bull" from 'happy gilmore,' since there was a prize for best finish line celebration. i exited through a tent where i grabbed several slices of watermelon, which sounded like the best thing ever.

POST-RACE

i got hugs and congrats from my coaches and teammates and husband, and was elated to just be NOT RUNNING anymore. but i was surprised at how much energy i still had. i wasn't hungry in the slightest, and thougt i might puke if someone fed me real food, so i settled for the watermelon and a red bull, and waded out into the cold lake up to my waist. while i was freezing, the cold water felt amazing on my firing hamstring and tired feet. the rest of me felt pretty great.

getting my transition area packed up, coordinating with the person whose car i'd left my extra bags in, finding teammates, finding my husband after losing him, and walking everything back to the car was all kind of a production, but i didn't mind at all. i called my parents, who had seen me finish on the webcam - boy, was that cool! and i dropped way too much money on a mooseman coolmax top to commemorate my first triathlon.

i was totally hopped up for the rest of the day, talking up a storm when we visited our ice-racing friends on the other side of the lake to thank them for cheering, and the whole long drive home. i wasn't really hungry again till about 8 or 9 pm, but my brain was definitely off at that point. i finished a juicy burger and tall blue moon with great gusto, and fell asleep like a rock around 11. weirdly, i was wide awake at 4 am again! but spent sunday relaxing and feeling pretty awesome overall. that hamstring was kind of sore, but other than that, i was floating on a cloud with a mantra in my head: i'm a triathlete now.

day 118: i'm a triathlete!

2009-06-06T18:26:00.004-04:00

that photo is so awesome because it was taken by my fantastic husband, without whom this weekend really wouldn't have been much fun at all.

i'll do a nauseatingly detailed race post-mortem when i recover a little more, but let me just tell you guys the important stuff:

1) i survived, and finished
2) i feel awesome, only mildly sore and quite happy and pleased with myself
3) i had a wonderful time and really enjoyed 90% of the race
4) i accomplished my mental goals: racing my own race, having fun, and no fear or panic (the mental aspect is the one i'm most proud of)

and
5) i blew away my time goal of 3:30. by breaking 3 hours.

for those of you who love numbers, my final time breakdown was:

2:58:02 total time

26:48 swim
[4:09 T1]
1:24:30 bike (19.3 mph average)
[2:31 T2]
1:00:06 run (9:41 min/mi pace)

of all 884 competitors, i came in 365 overall; 146th on the swim, 229th on the bike, and 604th on the run (i told you i'm a slow runner!). still, my run pace was better than the 5 mile road race pace i kept 2 months ago, so i'm really happy with that effort on a very hilly course.

of the 68 women ages 25-29, i came in 20th.
of the 398 women, i came in 96th.

and, i shit you not, had i been classified as an athena (women over 150 lbs; i'm 185), i would have won the gold in that division. just saying.

all those numbers are great and all - i'm pretty blown away by how well i did; i didn't expect it, or plan on it, and perhaps that's why i did so well. my number one priority today was to race my own race and not let all the competitors around me stress me out or change my gameplan. and i wanted to really enjoy the day - the scenery, feeling fit, how much i love biking, sunshine, and supportive teammates. i enjoyed all those things; i even found things to enjoy while running. and that, at the end of the day, makes me feel most celebratory. kicking some ass is icing on the cake.

will i do more of these? pretty sure. and maybe i'll get classed with the fatties next time so i can try to come home with a medal in addition to my big grin :)

day 117: en route

2009-06-05T09:50:00.002-04:00

i'm about to leave my house, all packed up; wheel-less bike crammed into the back of my tiny little classic sentra coupe; nervous twitch and elevated heart rate in tow. i've got to pick up another spare tube on the way to my ride's house; the one i swapped in had cracks near the valve stem, which i noticed when inspecting the wheel (tiny bulge). so i got to change my tube again, and it went much quicker the second time and stood up just fine to a 4 mi shakedown on bumpy roads.

i'm ready? i guess i'm ready. i'm so nervous i feel like i need to pee, even though i know there's nothing in my bladder. i'm going to call that excitement instead of nervousness. positive reframing, and all.

and i pumped myself up by watching the youtube videos for POWER THIRST. if you haven't had a good laugh recently, just google that and watch the videos. you won't be disappointed.

ok, time for 3 min of roling my IT band out before i have to jet or risk being late for my own plan. must stick to the plan. :)

when next i post, I'LL BE A TRIATHLETE. how's about them apples??

video link

2009-06-04T22:12:00.003-04:00

so, links to that live video i mentioned should be up saturday morning at:

http://www.timbermantri.com/mooseman/moosemaninternational.html

and final results will be posted there, too.

i'm sure it'll be impossible to pick out one person, especially exiting the swim in wetsuits; but if you want to try, like i said i'll be #5782.
i'll be in a purple top and team in training shorts, so...but maybe you'll recognize my awesome bike on devil's hill, who can say?

now it's time to pack my transition bag, take a shower, take a unisom, and get some sleep!

day 116: controlled chaos

2009-06-04T19:45:00.003-04:00

when i am too nervous/excited/insane to act like a normal human being and stop moving around, pacing, cracking knuckles, and half-starting sentences, i make lists.

this is my packing list so far. all this stuff is laid out already. i might actually have to force myself to relax a little tonight as an actual task or i'll run out of things to do.

SWIM

Already wearing:
TNT tri shorts
Zoot tri top

Wetsuit
Goggles (2)
Zoot swim cap
Extra cap
RoadID band
Ironman watch
Clif shot bloks

Speedo pool cloth
Body glide

BIKE

Bike!
Frame pump
Tool bag
Spare tubes (2)
Tire levers (2)
Patch kit
Hex key set
Glucose gel
Protein bar
Clif shot
Spare contacts (2)
Water bottles
1 with endurox
1 with electrolytes
Helmet
Race Belt with number attached
Sunglasses
Gloves
Bike shoes with smartfeet insoles
Wicking socks (2 pair)
Chamois butter
2 Clif shot gels into tri top (1 caffeine, 1 regular)

RUN

NB running shoes with insoles
2 Clif shot gels into tri top (1 caffeine, 1 regular)
Green headband

OTHER for Transition area

Sport spray sunblock, SPF 30
Bug spray
Eyedrops
Towel
Extra water (2)
Extra clif shot gels (4)

OTHER for trip

Pajamas
Toiletries
Flip-flops
Warm layers
Underwear
Extra set of tri clothes, just in case
Wrist braces
Protein bars
Bread and peanut butter
Bananas
Sandwich baggies
Towels
Gold bond powder
Cash
ID for picking up race packet
Chain lube
Floor pump
Garbage bags

day 115: run

2009-06-03T21:41:00.002-04:00

last run before the big day.

i was thinking about doing it outside, but decided not to, for two reasons. well, three.
1. the weather wasn't so great
2. running outside makes me feel really slow and like a crappy runner
3. (the best reason) running outside is harder on my joints and causes me more foot, knee, and hip pain the next day.

treadmill it is! at this point i figured focusing on all the main points of my running form for 50 minutes was the best course (the checklist: 160 footstrikes per minute; landing on the balls of my feet quick and light; landing under my pelvis; keeping knee angle fixed until recovery; trying to master the heel-flick for better turnover; transverse abs engaged; shoulders back; relaxed hands and breathing. oh, is that all?).

i had a great run, and had a weird sort of breakthrough revelation that may not hold true when i run outdoors, but maybe it will. my aerobic capability isn't keeping me from running faster. so maybe i should just run faster.

follow my reasoning here. when you're tired and running, running 10 min/mi kind of sucks and hurts because you're tired. but running 9.15 min/mi will probably suck about the same amount. if it's not making you suck wind to speed up, can't you sort of just...speed up? i think so, man. today i tested this theory and ran the first 40 min at my normal pace, and the last 5 min sprinting. this is realistic because i want to sprint at the end of a race, anyway. but if running faster is going to tax me hard, i'd see it more easily at the end of a run. the sprint was fine, i wasn't out of breath at all (i went from a 9.33 min/mi pace to 9.05 and then, 8.52) and my heart rate only went up from 150 to 165. so seriously, i might ask myself on sunday, when i feel myself flagging in the 10k...come on dude, maybe if running this slow sucks, you can enjoy how much it sucks and go a little faster? i think i'll give it a go.

also, i've been thinking about a little strategy. i know, i know. first race, just finish it. that's goal number 1, i swear. coming in at 3:30 or less is goal number 2. but i need to figure out how to accomplish that. a lot of people talk about saving themselves on the bike and not going too hard so that they have something left for the run. let's be frank here. the bike is my best discipline. the swim is my second best. the run is my worst, physically, mentally, and in terms of experience level. even when i'm fresh, a great 10k for me would be at a 9.30 min/mi pace. really great. and when i'm already tired from over 2 hours of exertion, i am doubtful that this can happen. when tired, i think i can carry 10-10.20 min/mi pace with no issue. so that's a net gain of 1 min/mi, at worst, over 6 miles. that's 6 minutes. i stand to create more of a lead over other people if i push a little harder during the swim and the bike; you stand to gain about 20 min or so on the bike if you haul ass going 20 mph versus tooling around at 16 mph. so a lot of people can run faster than i can; 7-8 min/miles in my age group. that's about 2 min/mi faster, which is about 12 min over the course of the run. if i can put the hurt down on the bike and pick up 20 min over slower bikers, even if they run faster...i'd have a better lead than if i backed off on the bike and tried to run as fast as i've ever run. everyone follow my logic here? good, cause it's my race plan.

WORKOUT
50 min run, 4.8 mi (treadmill)
walk to gym as warmup
10 min from jog to pace
3x10 min run, 1 min walk (9.33 min/mi)
5 min sprint (9.05 to 8.52 min/mi)
4 min cooldown

day 114: bike

2009-06-03T21:30:00.002-04:00

on tuesday, i took lewis out for his final voyage before the big day.

to celebrate, i decided we'd explore some new roads in a new bid to bypass downtown during rush hour. the last thing we both needed was a car door to the frame, or a street sweeper steel brush fragment to the tire. we zipped through some sleepy neighborhoods, enjoying the new adjustments from the tune-up that have helped with losing the chain between 1 and 2. then i cut over to my favorite roads and we hauled some ass on the aero bars, seeing just how much we could keep up with traffic in a 35 mph section. i stopped several times trying to uncover the source of a strange noise, thinking it was a new brake problem; luckily it turned out to just be one of the capped wires sticking out. sometimes that wire pokes me in the calf, so i must have bent it back with my leg and it was rubbing along the tire. made a godawful noise but didn't cause any damage, so all was well.

when i got home, i was determined. i had to learn how to change a tire. armed with a spare tube, tire levers, my frame pump, and the road bike manual my husband got me for our anniversary, i went to town. i took off both my wheels and cleaned out my car, so i could finally find a way to transport my bike all by myself in my poor, tiny little rack-less car. there's only one way it fits: with both wheels off, in the back. it won't even fit through the trunk if i take the rear seats out. this is how small my car is. and my amp is kind of in the way, yeah. but i needed to take some time to figure out these logistics so that i can get myself to somerville on friday, and catch a ride up to NH with one of my teammates.

although i could have made my life easier and changed the tube after only unseating 1 side of the bead, i took the whole tire off and figured it out from there. i feel way more confident about it now if i get a flat during the race. i know how to use my patch kit, and i have 2 spare tubes. it might take me 10 minutes, but it's not the end of the world. and that's all i needed to know :)

WORKOUT
70 min bike ride; 19.3 miles. 16.5 mph average, or something along those lines. that's cool with me, i got lost twice and also stopped 3 times trying to diagnose that noise; it was a good ride, on a beautifully sunny day, and then I CHANGED THE TUBE and i felt awesome about it.

day 113: off

2009-06-03T12:04:00.003-04:00

monday began my quest for several days of more sleep (at least 8 hours a night, thanks to unisom), better hydration, less sugar or processed foods, pre-race prep (finding rides, printing maps, instructions for athletes, finding out about parking, etc), and some mental rest.
i'm totally just excited about this race now. my nervousness is maybe only 5%. i found out i'll be swimming in wave 6, which starts at 7:50 am (we'll all be in red swim caps in wave 6). apparently, you can watch people (live?) via webcam or something at http://www.timbermantri.com/mooseman/index.html
so maybe you'll find me on there, who knows? i'll be wearing bib #5782.

day 112: last brick

2009-06-03T11:58:00.003-04:00

sunday was my last brick before the race, and i managed to squeeze in a 65 min set while the ominous-looking thunderheads loomed above and the forecast was threatening imminent hail and rain. so i kept to local neighborhood roads, doing a 40 min bike of unknown mileage, a quick bike shoe to sneaker transition in my garage, and a 15 min run around my complex. i was able to keep my run pace up higher immediately following the bike than i had before, which was pretty much all i wanted to accomplish - establishing that muscle memory for getting my legs moving right away. it felt good, and short - i felt like i barely did anything, which is a far cry from those first bricks.

i also tried out my new zoot tri top that cost me a tidy $70. hearing that our team tops wouldn't be here in time for the race made me search for a top that would be comfortable in all 3 activities, costly though it was. the zoot tops run a little short, so i'm going to get a sweet tan strip across my lower back on the bike leg, but it's comfy, the zipper doesn't chafe, and the built-in bra is sufficient on its own for running such that i don't need another bra underneath. that's always a major plus; function above form. and bonus: it's purple, which matches my TNT shorts.

WORKOUT
65 min brick
40 min bike, hilly neighborhood roads
15 min run

day 111: first open water swim, wetsuit style

2009-06-01T07:35:00.003-04:00

i was excited, but not nervous (for once; i think i used up all my cortisol the day before) on my way to practice. i'd never been to walden pond, but had heard it was really beautiful and figured it would be a gorgeous swim.

it is, indeed, pretty; and it was cool to see so many other area triathletes in various stages of suiting up, swimming different triangular distances of the lake, de-suiting, milling about, comparing bikes, socializing, etc. it's quite the happening scene. some organization was also running a cheap practice oly distance, so i think that's why there were so many people - but i hear there's a steady crowd that swims regularly at 6 am most weekdays. what a bunch of cracked-out crazies. wonder if i can join them.

having only gotten my wetsuit on once, the night i tried it on, i was a little worried about how long it would take. bodyglide was my friend, and with some quick swipes to my ankles and back of my neck, the suit went on in under a minute and with only minor pain to my tennis elbow.

we started off acclimatizing to the water. it was rumored to be in the mid-60's; it was chilly but not the temp that hurts your feet or makes anything numb. apparently the water at newfound lake (race site) is 58 right now. hehe.
i'll tell you, stepping into chilly water in a wetsuit feels like you outsmarted nature, but having to squat in the water, pull down the neck, and let some of that chilly water rush in is downright awful. it warms up pretty quick though, and keeps a nice warm layer for you. that warmth is increased if you pee. just saying. we all do it.

we did some drills - swimming around the buoyed area, practicing different sighting techniques, all swimming in a huge cluster of flailing and zig-zagging and arm-smacking and face-kicking in a big square near the shore. that was kind of nuts. then we did a triangle from one shore, across, and back to the beach that took like 12 minutes or so, and i guess that was that. i had the hardest time swimming in a straight line, and realized that following other swimmers was probably the worst idea ever.

at this point i felt warmed up and adventurous, and asked if anyone was staying after to swim the length of the lake - about 0.5 mi each way. my wrist felt fine in its neoprene brace and i was hungry for some challenge. 3 of the mentors were up for it, so we hung around and then took off together.

i quickly realized i was going to be swimming all by myself, since our speeds and pace were all so varied. i worked on sighting the rocks at the opposite shore, and had an easier time keeping a line when i sighted every 3rd breath. once in the middle of the lake, something strange and unexpected happened. i freaked out.

ok so, let me just say. we were warned that being in a wetsuit is mentally taxing. it's tight, it's claustrophobic, it's hard to move in, it puts pressure on your chest and makes breathing kind of difficult. whatever, i am haz-mat certified and i've been taped into a chemical suit and done crazy maneuvering and air quality calculations while breathing from an SCBA loaded on my back. i can handle this, to be sure.

but what i wasn't prepared for was the stream of irrational fears and vivid images that wouldn't shut off in my brain. i was swimming in a lake, a lake deep enough that i couldn't see bottom. i couldn't see anything beyond 2 feet in front of me, or a foot on either side or below me. just murky green-greyness, punctuated by threads of sunshine and the bubbles from my hands cutting through the water. so my mind played the tape of all the things that might be lurking just in front of me, just below me, or swimming stealthily alongside me, waiting for the perfect opportunity to reach in with a giant toothy maw and snack on one of my limbs. lake sharks. a lake-ness monster. giant mutant trout. a snapping turtle the size of a car, feeding off swimmers in this lake for decades. or a dinosaur.

a dinosaur?? sure. why not. who knows? anyone who has ever seen 'planet of dinosaurs' knows that the young blond chick who is too cocky and athletic and volunteers to retrieve the spaceship's communications box from the middle of the lake gets chewed in half by a sail-finned lake dinosaur. the image of her blood and screams punctuated my stroke count, and my heart began to race. and my breathing got strained. and i couldn't bear to keep my head in the water because i didn't want to see whatever it was that was about to bite me in half at the torso.

looking around me, none of my swimming friends was within a few hundred feet. useless; nobody would be there to help me tie off my arteries if something bit off a leg. i'd be screwed. thanks guys!

i tried everything. talking to myself rationally. thinking about how people swim here all the time and i never heard of anyone getting eaten. thinking about maybe just swimming faster to outrun all those hungry creatures. nothing helped. i'd swim for maybe a minute or two, begin to lose my shit, and have to revert to doing some crawl or breast-stroke with my head above water, reminding myself that i was in REALITY with pretty trees, nearby hikers, and other swimmers; and not down below the surface with all my wacky, baseless fears. the other side of the lake seemed forever away. when i got there, i scrambled for shore, heedless of cutting my bare feet on the rocks or ripping my wetsuit; i threw myself on a rock the size of a large rib roast, pulled my legs up under me like a retarded stork, and got as much out of the water as was humanly possible while i waited for my companions to catch up.

i told one of the mentors that i was freaking out about fish and sharks and turtles and all manner of stupid things. i'm sure i'm not the first. he chilled me out, and i said i was going to swim back with him; i hadn't had a single fearful thought when i was swimming in a group earlier that morning. but no matter how i tried to slow down, i was pulling away from him and left alone to swim all the way back and have another 15-18 minutes alone with my deranged thoughts.

but the way back was better; i focused on the swim caps of two swimmers more than a third of the lake ahead of me, and decided i was going to race them back to the beach. i focused on catching them; pretended i as racing and hearing crowds cheer. this helped me stop thinking about losing toes and digits, but that shark was still right behind me, i knew it.

i made it back to the beach and was swimming till our hands hit the sand, as we were told; just before i was about to stand up in the shallows, the oily smell of fish was becoming strong and the panic began to return. if you grow up on the ocean, you know you smell the blues running before you see them, and you know bigger fish always follow smaller fish, and you know the sharks are always at the back; and you spend your childhood dreading that smell and the sight of a swath of fish heading your way down the shore, like a bleeding stain of ink approaching along the backs of the waves, driving you from the water. when i smelled the fish i began looking around frantically, and then beneath me i saw a trout about the size of my hand, staring right at me. i shrieked underwater, and the poor thing zipped off in true panic. i bet he's telling stories about me to the other fish right now, about how some big grey lake monster almost destroyed him with awesome sonic waves.

so i survived, and gladly left that lake behind with the resolve to be less of an idiot next time. despite how panicked i got, i was like hey man, i still swam that, and at a decent clip, and in the end *i* won and not the lake monster. i plan to go back sometime this week with friends for more practice. i also bought a neoprene cap with a chin strap that keeps your ears warm, and need to try that out; and i need to identify the source of whatever left my neck totally raw and still red and swollen (not my wetsuit collar; too high up for that. i think my double swim cap must have rolled up all the tiny hairs on the back of my neck right at the nape, and pulled all of them out, resulting in one hell of a painful welt).

and in the meantime, i spent sunday doing regular old boring things, including a brick, and avoided anything that might give me another adrenaline dump. between friday and saturday, i think i am all set for stressing myself out for the week, thank you very much.

WORKOUT
~1.5 mi swim in walden pond, wetsuit and all. sabominator: 1; lake monster: 0.

ok, maybe 0.5.

day 110: off

2009-06-01T07:33:00.003-04:00

friday i gave nary a thought to triathloning in general, and instead tried to keep the nausea of nervousness at bay all day while i awaited my first annual departmental presentation in the afternoon.

boy am i glad that sucker is over.

anyway, afterward i calmed my nerves with a traditional toast of four roses single barrel amongst my friends, and then turned my attention to packing for saturday morning's first wetsuit adventure: open water swim practice at walden pond.

day 109: treadmill run

2009-05-29T08:59:00.003-04:00

i knew it would be good for my stress levels to get a run in, and the weather was crappy, so i hopped on the treadmill at the gym. it reminded me how much easier it is to run on a treadmill than the road, in terms of impact and speed. i'll have to remind myself that if i'm feeling really sore or my knees are bugging me, i should hit the treadmill; but the rest of the time i really ought to keep up my road running, or i don't think i'll get much faster in race situations.

had a nice, long, pretty easy run at slightly quicker pace (9.31 min/mi) with no issues. tried to match cadence with a runner to my right who looked like they were really quick and light on their feet; i wish i had that form. i will say that when i began running on the treadmill in january, my footstrikes were loud and pounding; now, i can't even hear them when i take off my headphones. must be doing something right!

my atalanta running skort arrived today, as did my new bike gloves and interchangeable lens bike glasses. the latter two items were awesome - the gloves are super comfy, have a much bigger chamois for nose-wiping (which i sorely need, i am an avid nose-wiper), and really comfy cushioning. they also rip off and invert really easily for a quick T2. the optic nerve glasses i got on clearance (i refuse to spend more than about 50 bucks on sunglasses, because i treat them as poorly as my CD's on the floor of my car) are awesome, and i love that they have clear, yellow, amber, and dark lenses for different weather conditions. i just can't handle how much my contacts dry out and how much grit and pollen i get in my eyes with my current $15 EMS cheapies that i've had for 3 years; they don't cover enough of my eyes. unfortunately, the atalanta skirt was too big, which i hadn't anticipated since i ordered a size down. the hidden compression shorts felt more like boxers and would be rolled up around my bum within 3 strides, so i'm going to exchange them for the next size down and be amazed if those aren't too small. i will say, the skirt looks pretty awesome, is made nicely, and has great mesh pockets for keys and gel. i'm not confident i'll look that modest while running in it; i may attract more horn-honks than i can bear. we'll have to see; if it's comfy enough, it may just have to be for race days. and if this doesn't work, by god, i'm just going to start wearing spandex shorts for running and the neighborhood will just have to avert their gaze; i am getting really tired of the running shorts dilemma now that it's getting too warm for running capris. really. should i be spending this much time trying to figure out how i can run in something, stay cool, and stay visually decent? based on how many guys i've seen adjust their anatomical features in virtually every situation - from business suits to bike shorts - maybe we ladies ought to worry a little less about how we appear when we're busy busting ass out there in the pool, on the road, and on the track.

WORKOUT
60 min running on treadmill. 5.5 miles total. HR~160 during running spurts.
warmup (10 min), 4x10 min running @9.31 min/mi, 1 min walk; last few minutes sub-9 min/mi sprint. 5 min cooldown.

day 107-8: off

2009-05-28T12:38:00.002-04:00

so we're definitely in pre-race taper phase now; only 4 workouts a week, and next week, only 3. i'm not finding it hard to take the days off, actually - i'm busy enough stressing about a presentation for school, so i won't be making much in the way of posts till that's over. i feel stiff and clunky after 2 days off, but i needed them - both to focus on work stuff, and because i have the worst cramps, backache, and bloat in recent memory. 2 days off with the occasional chocolate, red wine, and scotch has been pretty helpful. i'm actually not at all worried about the tri right now, or even thinking about it much; until that presentation is over, the tri feels like it's several months away instead of 9 days. you'd think i'd be freaking out over not getting in a lot of working out right now, but i'm not; i did all the stuff i was supposed to do along the way, i know i'm prepared, i know i can do the distance, and how fast i do it depends on a lot of conditions - my health, the course, the weather, some luck, some strategy, some mental fortitude, etc. none of which i will be affecting right now, so i'm just taking the luxury of focusing on the rest of life for once. i am going for a run today though; one more day of inactivity and i might go crazy.

day 106: long bike

2009-05-28T12:36:00.003-04:00

i made a real effort to get on the bike before we had friends come over for memorial day; i was going to do a long 40-something miler but only had time for my standard 32 mile loop around the reservoir. i improved my speed somewhat (18pmh instead of 17.5), which i also did without any breaks except for my chain coming off once. i really kept my speed and cadence up for the whole ride, and enjoyed the sun and wind (and dissipating crowds from local memorial day parades).

WORKOUT
105 min bike ride, 32 miles, 18 mph. good times!

day 105: first swim in a while!

2009-05-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

my tennis elbow/forearm strain has been healing pretty well, thanks to PT and being really careful with it. i managed to do a full hour swim in the pool, wearing my brace and tennis elbow support strap; so it was kind of awkward, but well worth it.

WORKOUT
60 min swim, 80-something lengths; couple of timed 300m sets and some slower technique swimming and kickboard laps. times for the 300's were ballpark what they were before (5.17 or so).

day 104: break

2009-05-24T18:14:00.002-04:00

took an obligate break on saturday, since i had to drive to and from albany that day to attend the memorial service for a dear friend who had died last month. it was a wonderful day in that i really got a chance to say goodbye in my own mind, to revel in what a great life he led, and to connect with many people who felt the same.

day 103: short run

2009-05-24T18:09:00.002-04:00

on friday, i went out for a mad dash run before it got too dark out. i felt like i had to do something, since i was emotionally all pent up and usually, exercising solves those problems. unfortunately, not this time - i remained in a poopy mood (with good reason) but at least i did slightly over a 5K distance in my neighborhood, and with hills, and met my goal: have a faster average time than the 6.8 mile run i did 2 days before, where i thought my pace was disappointing.
unfortunately, all the running down the hills i had ust run up also gave me weird foot soreness; the bones in the balls of my feet and the outside edge near my pinky toe feel bruised. looks like i should get some biking and swimming in before my next run to give my poor dogs a break.

WORKOUT
~40 min run, 3.7 mi, 9:48 pace - outside, with hills. sore feet!

day 102: quick bike hill work

2009-05-22T15:38:00.002-04:00

i felt compelled to go out and do something at the end of a warm and sunny day. i didn't have enough time to do a long ride since the sun would set soon and i don't want to be out during dusk without better reflective gear. i decided to do some hill work on the elevation near our place, rather than biking across town to that one hill. i did a small loop several times back and forth, all in all conquering 3 very long and steep hills and 3 short and steep hills. i know i'm supposed to be tapering this week, but i still feel far too lazy. i'm looking forward to a long ride on sunday, though i'm supposed to do a brick...eh. i am finding it harder to stick to the schedule rather than doing whatever i feel like doing during this taper period (only 4-5 days on per week and shortened times). i am itching to try swimming, but would rather not chance screwing up my arm again; it's still in the brace but making real progress toward normal.

WORKOUT
45 min biking - hill work. 11.2 miles; 15 mph average, ~600 ft ascents.

day 101: long run

2009-05-21T14:02:00.002-04:00

it was so beautiful out, i left work a little earlier than planned so i could squeeze a run in before going to see the prodigy at house of blues in boston.
i searched on map my ride for local runs near me, since i only ever evaluate whether roads would be good for biking, and never think about running on them. i found a loop around a pond a couple miles from my house, and the total distance there and back was just shy of 7 miles, so i thought it was a good candidate.

first off, i forgot about the big hills i'd be running in both directions. those seem a lot smaller on my bike. second off, this is both the furthest outdoor route and the most hills i've ever run. so considering that, and how warm it was, i did pretty well. i am also not used to traffic when i run; i've become comfortable with it as a biker, but when you're going 5 mph instead of 20, those cars seem like they are travelling much faster since it's all relative. so i was kind of overwhelmed dealing with traffic at rush hour, but i'm sure i'll get used to it.

today i broke down and ordered a running skort for atalanta, after endless google searches of "shorts that don't ride up," "running shorts for big thighs," "running shorts for big hips," etc. you get the idea. cause yesterday i wore running shorts that are too short, and ride up, with spandex bike shorts underneath. NEVER AGAIN, i was so hot! so while i feel like i'm doing the fairer sex, and my tomboy image, women's liberation, and 8 years' of all-female education, a grave disservice by opting to run in a skirt, comfort must prevail. i'll write a review after i give it a shakedown on the treadmill.

i was pretty tired on this run, it took a lot out of me and i kept trying to make myself go faster, but without any music for tempo, and without a buddy to keep pace with, i had a hard time going any faster. my left hamstring is still not impressed with all this running, but it feels no worse today than before and other than that, i am not at all sore. and the arm is improving!!

WORKOUT
~70 min run; 6.8 miles outside, hilly (for me, at least). 10:18 min/mi average.

day 100: rest!

2009-05-19T15:48:00.001-04:00

i was perfectly happy to have a day off on monday, since my legs were quite tired from the weekend's activities and since it was our 2nd wedding anniversary. we had a great time going for sushi (and a gut-busting ice cream sundae that i'm still moaning over), and i was thrilled to get great anniversary gifts: zinn and the art of road bike maintenance, and a serious bike computer that can do speed, avg speed, cadence!! and mileage. i can't wait to use it!

day 99: second 5k!

2009-05-19T15:38:00.002-04:00

it's amazing what a difference it makes when you've got a road race or two under your belt. i didn't have any trouble sleeping the night before the 5k, nor did i freak out in the morning about what to eat when, what to wear, etc...i just did my thing and showed up when i felt like it.

granted, maybe i should have spent a little more time preparing because i wore my favorite running capris that i use for my treadmill runs, since it was chilly (55?) and windy out. however, i think i wore them once for PT and didn't wash them after, so they felt stretched out...and they were falling down as i ran for the entire first mile and a half. what is it with me, 5k's, and having my pants falling down? it's pretty annoyingly distracting. maybe it's going to be shorts next time; i'll take a wedgie over this, any day.

i had popped a clif shot about 2 min before the start of the race, since i ate breakfast too early and did not feel at all like eating a PB sandwich just before running. the first mile was really fast, and mostly downhill; based on my stopwatch, it was definitely sub-9 minute. which means i must have really slowed down after that!

my legs felt kind of leaden after over 60 miles of biking in the past 36 hours, and my left hamstring has been lighting up pretty good after running or long rides, and i definitely felt it burning on those hills. not in need of yet another injury, i didn't haul on it too bad. i also was enjoying the company of my running buddy's boyfriend, who dragged himself to run the 5k even though he wasn't feeling it. my running buddy had taken off after the first mile, slowly increasing the distance between us. she was looking really strong and quick and i knew i didn't have that in me, so i just enjoyed watching her get a commanding lead over us. it was also way more fun, in a strange way, to run with someone who appreciated the occasional encouragement i was offering...he later told me i helped him make it across the finish line, which made me feel really good! i'd say that made me happier than i would have felt if i'd gone a tad faster, so i'm perfectly happy with the way it turned out.

in the end, i still improved over my first 5k time by 1:30, and this course was certainly hillier and i was on more tired legs. but i dealt with those hills way better, especially the hill leading up to the finish line - though that killed me in the 5 mi run, it didn't kill me here and i still managed a sprint.

WORKOUT
5k race; final time = 28.34; average pace = 9.21 min/mi. not as fast as my sprints but not as slow as my usual treadmill pace, either! and 1:30 faster than my last 5k 2 months ago. progress is progress!

day 98: another long bike ride!

2009-05-17T08:49:00.003-04:00

although it looked to be sunny out in the morning, i slept in too late for once (10 am) and dawdled on my way out, so my ride was sunny for about 5 minutes before it turned into ominous-looking dark clouds and wind gusts. thankfully it stayed dry!

i was determined to make it all the way around the reservoir this time, but i'll admit my legs were kind of tired from a long ride the day before. i had been kind of tentative on that ride, worrying about how my arm would take it and exploring some new roads, but this time i was able to speed things up a little and get into a better rhythm. my chain only popped off once - it did the day before, too; i think i need to mention that when i get my bike tuned up before mooseman. something about shifting back up from the big ring to 2 on the front is kind of dicey; it's the only time i ever lose the chain.

i stopped several times to take a few pics of the reservoir, but used my stopwatch this time to get a better idea of how long the ride took (though i didn't always remember to stop the timer, in typical fashion). it was a really fun ride till the last ~10 mi stretch, where the headwind picked up and i felt like i was standing still on the last few hills. i also got an unbelievable amount of pollen and grit blown in my eyes, even around my glasses. thankfully i have new glasses (which will cover better) with interchangeable lenses for cloudy days, and new extra padded gloves, en route in the mail. with about 8 or so miles to go, i felt my stomach bottom out on me; i think i hadn't been taking in enough endurox. i popped a clif shot gel before i felt faint, and had enough energy to make it home; but i felt completely sapped of energy and it was a struggle heading into the wind.
upon getting home, i relaxed on the couch and inhaled a protein and banana milkshake that never tasted so good.

WORKOUT
1:50 bike ride, 32.14 miles, 17.5 mph average.
windy and hilly!

day 97: long bike ride! yay!

2009-05-15T21:11:00.004-04:00

it was so beautiful outside on friday, i couldn't resist giving it a whirl with lewis and seeing how my arm felt. i was nervous, since typing is difficult and using the mouse, nearly impossible. how could i bike?

i wrapped up with my neoprene wrist brace and tennis elbow compression band. i also followed the advice of my biker pal, who told me my handlebars and aero bars looked a tad low in pics i'd posted of my bike, and i should raise them up to level in order to avoid putting too much weight on my hands. this biker pal is obviously a genius, because he was right, and it helped with my saddle discomfort, too. he also gave me a desperately needed pep talk when i was in my darkest hour about my forearm injury, and i must have read his email 5 times over that day to keep my spirits up. having supportive friends is kind of the best thing ever.

biking was actually just fine for my right arm, except for 2 rough and unexpected bumps i went over that reverberated in a white-hot shot of pain from palm to elbow, so bad that i snatched my hand off the bars and yelled to no one in particular. oops. but, only 2 of those in 2 hours is about as good as it's going to get, with the roads around here.

i meant to bike all around the reservoir near me, but wasn't paying close enough attention at an intersection and wound up going back into another town through a set of brutal hills i did once before. i wasn't too happy to have the last third of a long ride be foll of leg-busting monsters, but they wound up feeling a lot easier than they did the first time i encountered them.

all in all, a sunny, nice ride that didn't bother my arm much at all! horray!
afterward i went to PT and they gave me some stretches for my arm and an ice massage. i hadn't noticed, but i guess my forearm is full of fluid from the inflammation - gross.

WORKOUT
1:55 bike, 31.3 miles. average speed 16.3 mph; hilly!

day 96: injury-related depression, schizo gym mix

2009-05-15T21:00:00.002-04:00

so seriously, this wrist'elbow/forearm injury had me so down, i didn't even want to get out of bed anymore. what was the point? i came this far, tried this hard. my hormones are all haywire and my metabolism is all screwed up. my leg and hip are ancient and i worked so hard to get them in usable condition. i've tried to make nearly every single workout on the schedule, except for that time when i had bronchitis or pneumonia or whatever. and now i can't use my right arm for anything at all, out of the blue? great. just great. so there goes biking, and swimming. and weights. and yoga. and i can't even make up for it with more running, cause of my hip! i'm done for!

i was so bummed i didn't want to post on here. didn't want to look at the schedule with all the workouts i was missing. but i went to the orthopedist, since i had an appointment anyway as a follow-up to check on my progress with my hip. i'd been feverishly reading, trying to find out what was wrong with my arm. i was convinced i had both golfer's and tennis elbow. turns out i was half right; the ortho said i have lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and a righteous forearm strain. he was happy to write me another PT referral and told me no swimming for 2 weeks, but biking would be ok, provided i keep the wrist wrapped and pad my elbow if necessary. ordinarily i would have cried about the swimming. but i was so relieved - a professional looked at my arm! it doesn't need to be amputated! i can still do my race! (which he told me explicitly, i can still do mooseman; i just have to be good in the intervening weeks). i can still bike! i was ready to dance with joy.

i still had to drag myself out of my sweatpants and to the gym; it was a crummy day outside and i wanted to bike, but it was raining and had 40 mph gusts. not a great idea. i decided to go do my weight training for my legs, see how i felt, and do some form of gym cardio. the idea of being on the stationary bike for over an hour was enough to make me crawl back into my athletic bell jar, so i told myself i wouldn't have to do that.

i did my leg weights and some weird bike to run transition practice, mostly cause i kept getting bored and i couldn't do a full run with the 5k coming up on sunday; the best way to make my hip worse again is to just heap the run volume back on the first time it starts feeling better, tempting as that is. so i started on the stationary bike, did some serious spinning, hopped off and ran a half mile, and did it again. i actually sweated buckets, not sure why - and felt like i at least accomplished something, even if it was only getting my legs used to going from high rpm's to race pace running.

WORKOUT
strength training, lower body only - 30 min
bike to run sprints, 35 min total:
10 min bike, 100 rpm with decent resistance
0.5 mi run on treadmill, 9:30 min/mi
repeat, then cooldown on bike

day 95: running with some hills

2009-05-15T20:53:00.002-04:00

in preparation for sunday's 5k hosted for charity by my school, my running buddy and i decided to hit parts of the course at lunchtime on wednesday. it was so nice out - clouds and sun, low 70's, light breeze - totally perfect day. the hip/IT band has been doing so well at PT that they said i could run some hills if i felt up to it. not one to want to start by torturing myself with hill repeats straight off, i decided a long but hilly run with company would be a better intro to outside running.

we did a loop around the lake that comprised about half of the 5k course. we kept a decent pace, and i was totally freaked by how noisy traffic was; if you think about it, i've only ever run on roads when they've been closed off for a race. run with an ambulance coming through the underpass with you and WOW, you'll be awake!

it was toasty out, and i was running with my wrist brace and forearm compression band, which made me feel sweaty and kind of bound up. note to self: next time you use ben gay at night, rinse it off before you decide to go sweat. sweat + open pores + maximum strength ben gay reside = FIRE.

when we got back, our run time was 45 min and included a few tough hills (tough as to say, noticeable). when i used toporoute to map the distance, it said 5.26 miles...and i danced a jig. wow!! 5.26 miles in 45 min, we are amazing! that's sub-9 min/mi pace!!

nope. i think i got too excited here; both google maps and map my ride say it was more like 4.5. which is right in line with our 10 min/mi pace (and included 2 walk breaks, so...it's a little quicker than that). such improvements can't be expected overnight, but man, for about an hour i felt SO MONEY and i was like, watch me tear up that 5k on sunday. ah well.

WORKOUT
45 min run outside, with hills (!!); 4.5 miles.

day 94 redux: now with less whining

2009-05-12T19:34:00.002-04:00

ok so, just when i was getting all wimpy about how much my arm hurts and how i can't do too much swimming...or biking...or running...or i'll worsen some injury, guess what happened?

some deus ex machina jumped in and made a huge donation and put me above my fundraising goal. that's right, man. someone i have never met or talked to decided to make my day - and the days of plenty of leukemia patients - that much brighter. so awesome!

i'll admit i had been stressed about raising the remainder of my funds in time; i would have had to charge it on plastic, had i come up short. this is just one less non-training thing for me to worry about, and it makes me so grateful to every single person who's helped me on this journey.

this is what i just posted to my fundraising site, but i want to reiterate it here (i bet nobody reads either, but hey):

It's been simply amazing to get so much support from family, friends, colleagues, and even total strangers! It's been an incredible experience to see how much people care.

I'd especially like to thank the individuals who gave so generously, which includes people who gave as much as they could spare - it's a tough time for charities and the sheer number of people who contributed has been truly great.

I'd also especially like to thank my Mom and Dad, without whom I wouldn't have my gorgeous new racing bike - which enables me to carry an average speed of 20 mph! Thanks guys!

And last but not least, my husband Andrew, who has put up with 5.45 am alarms, dietary restrictions, bike obessions, constant tri talk, multiple injuries and whining, and how pleasant I am when I'm utterly exhausted.

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

days 93-4: resting, reluctantly

2009-05-12T12:02:00.002-04:00

i was happy to take monday off, especially since the piece of yummy birthday cake i had at my in-laws' on sunday night set me up for a day of fatigue and mental cloudiness. really, i should just never eat anything sweet again.

today, however, i would love to go do a workout and simply don't have time; between another fasting blood draw this morning and PT this evening, maybe i can get to the gym after PT and do some leg weights, considering my forearm is still driving me nuts and needs to be braced or wrapped at all times. i think the longer i go before i bike or swim, the better.

this is my last big power workout week before pre-race tapering; so i want to get the most out of it but i also don't want to make any slight tweaky parts (tired left hamstring, this forearm business) into real injuries; that would defeat the whole purpose of it all.

sunday i have a local 5k, and was thinking about making that into a semi-brick by biking the 12 miles to it and then back home afterward. i might do that, since working on the bike to run would probably help me most. i also have plans to run the 5k course outside at lunch tomorrow with a friend; anything non-treadmill is forward progress for me.

in other news, i feel a little annoyed in general about the whole blood sugar thing; i saw my doctor monday, she agreed it's not good at all, and i'm supposed to be seeing an endocrinologist within the next 2 weeks. in the meantime, i had my insulin and cortisol levels checked this morning, and i've been advised to be very careful about my eating and workout schedule (yeah thanks, i got that part). it is kind of exhausting to always pay so much attention to when and how much i eat, when and how much i work out, what the scale's doing (nothing, honestly)...and still feel tired most of the time. wah, wah.

maybe all this whining is my signal that i need lunch :)

day 92: recovery swim

2009-05-12T11:58:00.002-04:00

sunday, the day after the mock tri, i dragged my lazy self to the pool and got a 50 min swim in. since my forearm/wrist was still really bugging me, i wore the neoprene brace and promised myself i would take it easy.

i timed another 60 length set swimming at about 60% effort, and much to my surprise, it was just over 27 min. so honestly, i don't know why i only have one swim speed; when i'm going at more like 80-90% effort, i think it's more like 27 min. seriously! i find that kind of discouraging, actually...either i'm an all-around efficient swimmer or i just don't go that fast, even when i try. but at this point, i'm probably not going to get much faster before the tri.

WORKOUT
50 min swim, something like 90-95 lengths
27-ish minutes for 60 lengths

day 91: mock tri!!!

2009-05-09T22:04:00.003-04:00

i learned from last week's mistakes, and packed my transition bags friday afternoon so i wouldn't be up all night and do the mock tri on next to no sleep.

but then i also had 2 beers with dinner, felt very fuzzy, went to bed after 11, and couldn't sleep after 4 (alarm set for 5.45 am), so i didn't fare much better in the sleep department.

i began brewing espresso shots post-haste, as i made a pb sandwich for later on, filled my 4 sports bottles with either endurox or electrolytes, and ate a bowl of sprouted grain cereal with raw almonds and fresh strawberries. this is a winning base breakfast for heavy activity, i have determined.

we made it to the place in sudbury on time, where they're having an official sprint tri on sunday. so we kind of got to do the same course, which is cool! we quickly set up transition areas and i had only a moment to run to the bathroom (coffee working its daily magic) and throw on my new official team sugoi tri shorts, which thankfully fit!!

SWIM: 0.6 mi
we jumped in the pool in 2 waves; no wetsuits today, since not all of them arrived. i was in the second wave and struggled to get in my 48 lengths without hitting the feet of people in front of me; 6 people of varying abilities in 1 lane was tough, but good practice. i swam in my sports bra and tri shorts, which went fine; i also wore double swim caps and earplugs like i will in the lake. i had the added burden of a flexible neoprene wrist brace to keep me from further aggravating my forearm, which still protests any task i give my right hand. the swim went fine; i was so nervous and excited before it began, i think it took me nearly the whole time to settle in and calm down. i felt a little sloppier and less focused than i would have liked, but i did it in 23 min, feeling like i could have gone faster.

T1
we exited the pool, ran outside to the T1 area, and i got my tri top (with gels in the back pockets), race belt (with gels attached), socks and bike shoes, sunglasses and helmet, and cycling gloves all on. i also made sure to do my helmet early on, since we had it drilled into us not to touch the bike without our helmets clipped or we'd risk a time penalty. first, i'll admit, i grabbed a huge gob of chamois butter, looked around to make sure nobody was looking, and rather indelicately stuffed it down the front of my pants and made sure i wasn't going to be as torn up from my bike saddle. i also used one of those super-absorbent speedo chamois cloths to dry off my wet feet before putting on my socks; for the tri, i want to have an extra sport bottle full of plain water to rinse the sand off my feet before drying them. T1 took me about 3 minutes and change, and i could definitely have been futzing around less.

BIKE: 18 mi?
after mounting my bike in the official area, i started off to do 5 times around the huge loop they directed us to follow; i'm not sure of the exact mileage, but hopefully i will find out so i can figure out what my average speed was. the roads were totally fine, although had traffic; and because i was in the second wave of swimmers and plenty of people have hybrid or mountain bikes, i passed an awful lot of folks and had to make sure i wasn't drafting them, kept ~3 bike lengths behind, checked for traffic before passing, called out my pass, and completed a clean pass within 15 sec. needless to say, i think it explains my sore neck tonight; a lot of looking behind me while on the aero bars. i used the bars as much as possible, especially with my sore wrist giving me twinges; it was a nice break for it. i have to say, i think the bike might be my best section; i was really hauling and felt strong. we got a lot of cheering from mentors and coaches at directional points and water stops; it was so great! i drank most of a bottle of endurox during the first few laps, and took my first clif shot gel on the 4th lap (exactly 1 hour into the whole mock tri). the bike took me 53 min.

T2
this transition was a lot easier, since i was in race mode and had some exertion-induced calmness from the bike. i swapped to my running sneakers easily, thanks to my fuel belt bungee laces; and took off my helmet last, as we had been advised. i chugged the last of my endurox, thew a cotton headband on to keep my bangs out of my face, and took off. this was a quicker transition; definitely under 3 minutes but i forgot to check.

RUN: 4.4 mi
ok so i'm not going to lie here, the run was tough. i was hoping to maintain a 10 minute pace...ha!! my legs said NO WAY and the stitch in my side agreed with them on the first mile, which was definitely the slowest. i had to work hard to control my breathing - i wasn't out of breath but it wasn't the right cadence i keep when i run. the first mile was the slowest, for sure; at the time i thought i was running 12 minute miles and i was pretty darn disappointed. there was a water stop at the end of the 1.1, and i had a quick (but small) gulp there. i ran back slightly faster, but had to do some uphill - ouch. the terrain was rough on me; today taught me I HAVE TO PRACTICE RUNNING OUTSIDE ON REAL PAVEMENT! i think it will help a lot. i was also hating the burning chlorine/sweat mixture on my neck and chest, which i tried to ignore and wash away with some of the water in my dixie cup. at 2.2 miles and the water stop at the opposite end, i was at about the 1 hour 40 min mark and grabbed for my second clif shot gel, since i need to make sure to time them 30 min apart or less once i crack the gels, or risk a blood sugar crash. i went for my 2x shot espresso one, which gave me a lovely and much-needed boost for the next 1.1 mile leg. that one went great, and i must have made up some time; my footstrikes per minute were a lot higher and up where they should have been. i felt compelled to congratulate all my teammates passing by in the opposite direction; it was a total "we're in this together" feeling for me and i was so happy for them and proud to be a part of a group effort. the return 1.1 mile leg was slower, but not too bad; and i managed a small sprint at the end. the last uphill was torturous but i recovered from it quickly enough to sprint. i felt so slow during the whole run, but as i do the math now, it took me between 45-48 minutes (counting water stops and stopping to eat a gel, etc); so i wasn't much off the 10 min/mi pace at all! that's cheerful news :)

TOTAL MOCK TRI TIME, including transitions, water stops, fueling, etc: 2 hr 10 min.

afterward, i re-fueled with a mini bagel and peanut butter, a handful of sunchips, and a fresh bottle of endurox. i couldn't get remotely interested in the smorgasbord of doughnuts, cookies, brownies, etc.; between my iffy gel-induced stomach and my recent blood sugar woes, i was not interested. i felt strangely hungry but not interested in eating much for the rest of the day. i rehydrated pretty well, too.

and don't worry, i didn't just starve all those burned calories - i went out for barbecue and had some brisket, a couple of ribs, and 2 hoegaardens. top that off with some frozen yogurt and i feel quite satisfied with my dietary splurge for the week!

all told, it was a great day! totally inspirational, helpful, educational, supportive, and fantastic all around. i will be totally honest here: i wasn't that tired at the end of it all. yeah the run was not my favorite thing and i was happy to stop. could i have kept going? yes. did i feel great for the next few hours? very! am i tired and sore now? only a little. so in general, it's really improved my outlook for the race. i can do this thing!!

and. and. i got mine today and was freaking out when i saw how tiny it looked in the bag; i had to try it on and make sure it fit, and i'm sure glad it does, because i already put a scratch in it trying to get it on...I HAVE A WETSUIT!

day 90: off and PT

2009-05-09T21:58:00.002-04:00

much as i felt like i was on a roll, i wanted to take friday off. we had a mock tri scheduled for saturday, where we'd do 2/3 the full race distances and i wanted to rest up. i've noticed i do best, in terms of energy, output, comfort, and recovery, if i take the day off before a key workout (i.e. tough brick) and do a recovery workout, like swimming or yoga, the next day.

i went to PT full of news about how much my hip is improving, let them beat up on it for a while (i still have a mottled strong of bruises from hip to knee on that thigh from the earlier PT session this week). i hustled over to fast splits, a multisport store across the street, so i could pick up some last-minute necessities for the mock tri: chamois butter, clif gels, more electrolyte tablets, a larger water bottle for my bike, and a race number belt. i wanted to have everything i'd actually be using in the real race on hand so i could figure out how to use everything and if anything is too much of a nuisance to be worth it.

and word to the wise: i used to get these terrible, pounding headaches after every run, which would ensue the moment i left the treadmill and continue for at least 10 minutes. i always worried it was my blood pressure. well guess what? i bought some of those nuun electrolyte fizzing tablets to add to my water bottle, and the headaches are TOTALLY GONE. evidently some people are 'salty sweaters' - i must be one of these, because i feel like a million bucks with my electrolytes all balanced.

day 89: run and weights

2009-05-09T18:12:00.002-04:00

i made the mistake of trying to do weights and a scheduled workout together. when will i learn?

last time i tried doing weights first, i was dead and achy on the run. this time i ran first (45 min) and was pretty ineffective on the weights; i just couldn't make it through all the sets. that, and that weird right arm/wrist tweak i had several weeks ago popped up again - i think it's a combo of a hard bike day (all that pressure on the wrist) followed by weights and a lot of foam rolling, where i'm using my wrist to support myself a lot. so i'm in a brace now, just to preempt a long-standing injury; every time i try to lift anything with my hand, i get a tingling shooting pain in my forearm. not so good.

my run went great, i had 0 pain and felt only mildly sore stretching afterward - awesome!!

WORKOUT
45 min run (4.2 mi)
tempo run - warmup, 3x10 min running at 9.31 min/mile pace (slightly faster!) with 1 min walks interspersed; cooldown.

strength training - skipped a few things (shoulders, calves, pecs) and didn't finish all the sets for everything else...

day 88: hill intervals on my bike

2009-05-07T12:43:00.003-04:00

i heard that wednesday team practice (which i can never make it to, it being in boston on a school night and not being able to get my bike in or on my car in any way at all) was going to be hill intervals on bikes, which was a first. i used toporoute.com to plot their intended hill and tried to find a more hardcore one in my own neighborhood.

i biked about 8 miles out to the next town and decided to do some repeats up my nemesis hills: the ones heading up into that town, which is about 2.4 mi long with a 360 foot climb and an average grade of 2.9% (toporoute, i sure do love you). i did this hill a couple of times on my hybrid and considered selling my bike each time i reached the top; it goes on forever, and the busy traffic gets to watch you struggle and often shouts mock encouragement at you. this is the route to get to school, and when i began riding fernando to school last year, i went 5 miles out of my way just to avoid this hill with some smaller ones. well, yesterday i decided i was going to own it, and i did; it was just fine, although it wasn't a cakewalk on lewis, either. if anything, it gave me a lot of respect for the hills i used to attempt on fernando. i practiced downshifting into 1st on the big ring, which i don't use often but need to become comfortable with for being efficient up hills. i lost the chain going from 1st back to 2nd on the big ring, which has happened about 4 times now. i think some cables need tightening when i get a tune-up next week.

the other nemesis hill is one i could never avoid when i used to bike home from school on fernando, and i used to dread it all day long, especially in the summer when it was 80F and above. this hill is short, but brutal - 0.9 miles long, a climb of 210 feet, and a grade of 4.5%. i used to be sweating buckets at the top of that with my old gearing. yesterday, i decided i would do repeats of the lower, steeper portion of this hill; it's only 0.4 mi and 125 foot climb, but it's a 6% grade. i have no idea how these hills compare to what hardcore bikers do for training, but i am still in the peewee leagues here and i find them difficult. i did 4 repeats of this hill, with a short (2 min or so) rest in the middle to drain my sports bottle. i had thought i would do 10 but i realized 1) that is crazy for my first hill interval workout outside of spinning class and 2) with rush hour traffic it was getting to be a pain in the ass and i was running out of time.

i have decided i need to name every serious hill that i do with any regularity; when i lived in NH, i had names for all the hills on my 14 mi loop and i used to talk to them and tell them how much i was about to tear them up when i was on my ascent. i honestly feel like this mental psych-up was helpful, and i always do it anyway, but it loses something when you don't have names for your respected enemies. i'm nuts, i know.

so all told, my 75 min ride wasn't that long (20ish miles) but had some good interval work in the middle. i also got to go down that wicked long first hill on the way home, and even had the balls to do most of it on the aero bars (i did have to do some braking though, i can't handle going like 30+ mph with traffic and stray rocks in the shoulder, i like my bones in their current alignment).

i think i'll be doing more hill repeats next week on a good-looking hill close to home, so i can get more intervals out of it for my time. it's nice to be able to do something constructive on the bike if you don't have the time or conditions to make it out for a 25+ mi ride.

WORKOUT
75 min biking, including first hill repeats
~20 mi total, 5 major hills (4 repeats up 0.4 mi 6% grade hill)

day 87: longer run!! finally!

2009-05-07T12:37:00.002-04:00

ok so, running 4.5 miles is not nearly as long as the 6-7 i was getting in 1-2x a week before, but it's longer than i've run recently and it was PAIN FREE. i am so excited about this!

i worked on holding my transverse abs whenever i could during the run. i did some sprint work, which went very well; i increased the sprint duration from 1 min to 1.30, and kept the rest to 1 min. running 10 min at pace was a lot easier than it has been lately, too - i think all thanks to the progress i'm making with my hip. it still was sore afterward, but not nearly as much; usually i want to die when i'm stretching it immediately after a run, but not this time.

i went to PT that night and told them the good news, and was rewarded with a bruising deep-tissue massage along my IT band...probably the only free massage i wouldn't ask for more of, seriously.

WORKOUT
50 min running (60 on the schedule); 4.5 mi, HR 150-180
9 min warmup from walk to pace
10 min running at pace (9.40 min/mi)
1 min walk
5x sprints of 1.30 min at 8.52 min/mi; 1 min rest at 10.20 min/mi
2 min walk
10 min running at pace
6 min cooldown jog to walk

day 86: off; glucose tolerance test

2009-05-07T12:23:00.004-04:00

i hadn't intended to take monday off, but i wound up doing my oral glucose tolerance test in the morning. so, fasting until lunch isn't something i ever do, and guzzling 100g of straight dextrose is also not something i ever do.

if you thought i was cranky without breakfast and coffee, you should have seen me 10 minutes after drinking the dextrose. i had figured i'd at least get a sweet sugar rush out of it, but no - i got a splitting headache that lasted for about 3 hours, and i was immediately so tired i could barely hold a conversation; my eyes felt like they were closing and i had a hard time forming coherent sentences or paying attention. what a great way to be at work!

as soon as i got my blood drawn at 2 hours after the dextrose, i inhaled a lunch of yogurt, canned peaches, a leftover 1/3 of a veggie and chicken calzone, and half a clif bar. i felt nearly human about 15 min later. but the rest of the day was kind of shot; i had no energy whatsoever, and was not about to go work out on top of that.

at the time i felt certain something was wrong with me, since the sugar made me feel so crappy. i was at first confused to hear 2 days later that my results were "normal." i mean i'm not surprised i don't have diabetes, actually - i eat well and am very active, and no longer obese. but i know something is rotten in denmark; none of my teammates talk about almost passing out while working out.

then the nurse told me the actual test numbers. my fasting glucose is just fine, at 86. she said my 2 hour glucose after the dextrose drink was 53. 53??? unless she misread something, folks, i have reactive hypoglycemia.

anything below 70 is hypoglycemic, and symptoms (cold sweat, shaking, nausea) can usually be felt in the 60's. brain symptoms appear in the 50's and below (confusion, vision trouble, headaches, seizures...and coma). so if i was at 53, that is NOT GOOD. if that number is correct, it exactly fits the profile for non-diabetic post-prandial reactive hypoglycemia, where 2-4 hours after eating a meal with too much simple cars or sugar, your blood sugar crashes and you experience these symptoms. if, upon eating sugar/carbs, your symptoms abate within 10-15 min, then you have this problem. i'm not a betting man, but i'm pretty sure this is what is happening to me.

i have a dr's appointment to discuss the results on friday, but in the meantime i am being careful. treatment is living with caution, it seems; small, frequent and very balanced mini-meals, low glycemic index foods, limited sugar and simple carbs, limited alcohol (there goes my social life), maintaining a healthy weight and activity level. sounds like fun, right? but i feel like i'd do just about anything to avoid these really unpleasant crashes. including forgoing friday night gin and tonics.

the one thing i worry about is how to handle race nutrition. triathletes are obsessed with what kind of fuel to ingest and when during the race. you've all seen the millions of gel packets, gel blocks, salt tabs, sport beans, sport gummies, sport drink mixes, syrups, bars, and everything in between. most of these are just glucose or sucrose bases, which are kind of iffy for me - if i don't take them at just the right spacing, i risk a huge blood sugar spike and then bottoming out. so far the endurox, which is a mix of simple and more complex carbs and 4:1 with protein, has treated me just fine; and i think i'll hunt around for what diabetic triathletes use for gels and other mid-race fuel. i have a referral to a nutritionist this month anyway, so maybe she can help me. the balance between eating enough to prevent crashing and not eating too much is going to be difficult for me, but then - i guess if it's all hummus and hard boiled eggs, one tends to overeat less, right?

day 85: recovery bike ride

2009-05-04T14:44:00.002-04:00

after sleeping like a rock from the bike/run course preview, i went out for a tasty brunch with my husband and we hit the local bike shop again, since both of us are quite dissatisfied with our respective bike saddle experiences.

saturday's ride confirmed it: something is up with my seat. my butt is fine, thanks - we delicately call this "soft tissue damage," so as to avoid mentioning anything more specific about female anatomy. i have tried wearing my regular padded bike shorts. shorts with much thicker padding. tri shorts with next to no padding. all of those shorts with either gold bond powder (my old standby) or chamois cream, which is disgusting. no matter what i do, i wind up with road rash that's painful for a few days following my ride. saturday, i did the commando tri shorts/chamois cream, which was somewhat better - i was comfortable, if a bit oddly squishy, till about mile 17. then things began to rub. and rub. and burn. and catch fire. and i began to stand a lot, and squirm a lot, and adjust my shorts a lot, heedless of the dudes riding behind me.

i thought maybe a new seat was the answer; smaller and harder might be best. but the dude at the bike shop, who seems to know an awful lot, suggested i tilt the seat down a little (i have to say, my husband had advised the same - a few weeks of reading books on biking and he already knows far more than i!). i also mentioned this nagging problem that's developed in the past few weeks of longer rides on lewis - my left calf hurts on the outside, in a very defined, thin line that goes from mid calf to knee exactly on the outer face of my leg. it hurts especially on hills, and keeps being sore after biking and into the night. rolling it (ow!!!) and icing it have helped. i think my cleat might be a bit off on that side.

the bike store dude also suggested i get a serious fitting on my bike, since my original purchase fitting was basic and didn't really include anything in the aero position. i hadn't expected to be using the bars at all this year, so i hadn't worried about it - but i guess it makes sense that your pedal, seat, back, and arm position all change when you're out on the bars like that. they apparently spend 3 hours and use lasers and take a bunch of measurements and have you pedal a bunch so they can make all these intense adjustments to your bike so it's properly fit. sounds good, i thought - until i found out it costs $250. i mean 3 hours of time, i understand. but seriously, i'm not even a triathlete yet - can i justify this? am i this big of a yuppie? shouldn't i just losed another 20 lbs before i try to spend money getting "faster"?

of course, i reason that i want to ride my bike more and more, and time and money can be wasted seeing the ortho, chiro, and going to PT if i develop injuries resulting from having my bike improperly fitted. i know that i want to do 50-100 mi rides, even this year - and i know i would be physically capable of them right now, but i also know i would die of discomfort if i attempted one with the way things currently feel. so maybe it's worth considering; i have to mull it over. if i refrain from entering sports authority, the gap, or banana republic for the next 2 months, that fitting might be just about paid for.

though it was drizzly, gray, and not particularly warm out, being in the bike store made us both itch to take the bikes for a ride (and utilize our new sweet yakima bike roof rack). my husband wanted to try his new saddle, and i kind of felt like taking my hybrid fernando for a spin - i was curious to see how my calf would fare on regular pedals, plus it would be a nice recovery ride after the day before. and it would be nice to actually bike WITH my husband on his mountain bike, rather than whizzing past like a completely insensitive dork on my little speedracer (which yes, i have done before).

we had a nice ride together on a local bike path, and i got to remember what a pain my old gearing was, how heavy fernando is, how weird it is to sit upright on a bike, how great clipless pedals are...i don't know how i used to ride that huge pig of a bike 27 miles, and UPHILL, but i must have been awesome, because it's a lot of work!

WORKOUT
1h bike (12mi) on the hybrid; a more leisurely ride for fun and some muscle movement after the previous day's ride.

day 84: race course bike preview!!!!!!!

2009-05-04T14:26:00.002-04:00

part of why i had to rush out of my swim workout on fri evening was so i could book it to the local bike shop and pick up required items for saturday, which was a 2.5 hour drive north to the mooseman course and a team bike ride around the full (27.5 mi) bike course. boy was i excited and nervous!

i dropped $130 on my extra bottle cage, patch kit, frame pump, spare tube, energy gel, larger saddle pack, etc. i was not pleased, but it's like going to summer camp - you have to cross all the gadgets off the list before you feel like you're ready to pack and go.

in my usual fashion, i puttered around the house until midnight, filling up my new discounted mountainsmith cube bags with gear (so convenient!). i was petrified i'd forget something - bike shoes, helmet, food, socks, etc. i brought enough layers to outfit a freezing african village, since the forecast was 50's and rainy. i was almost too excited to sleep.

because i have the best husband ever, he rolled out of bed for me at 6.30 am and drove me into newton, where i was hitching a ride with two teammates. we chatted the whole way north, which made the trip go way faster; and we were all happy to have an opportunity to get to know some teammates better, since the social aspect has been a little lacking at practices. after much pre-ride fueling, tire pumping, gear showcasing, spandex strutting, and weather predicting, we broke up into 3 groups with the team mentors, and hit the course. i had placed myself into the faster/more experienced group; while i'd rather err on the side of modesty than arrogance, my bike is one evilly fast machine, i was only one of 3 or 4 people out of 30 bikers with aero bars, and i'll be honest here - it turns out i've been biking a lot more than many of my comrades, many of whom have been turning to spin class out of convenience. i figured i'd rather get my butt kicked than feel held up, so i went for it.

it turned out to be a good decision. i wound up passing some of the backmarkers in our group who wanted to chat with each other and take it easy. because i wanted to use my aero bars as much as possible, and i've never ridden with company on a serious ride, i wasn't comfortable behind people who were varying their pace and slowing down to do whatever - i was really scared i'd run into them. i also was frustrated behind them on hills; i find if i can't keep the right speed for me, i tend to bog on my bike and feel unstable and more tired when i'm climbing. i caught up with the 2 dudes at the front of the pack and we traded places and drafted one another for the last 18 miles of the ride, which was great fun. i got to experience "the wall," the one terrible hill in the course (which is quite hilly but mostly rolling; this one is an exceptionally steep, but short, grade), which is about 4 mi into the ride. it wasn't so bad at all, although now i know to downshift earlier. we really lucked out with some clouds and sun, and light winds, with perfect temps in the 60's - i was comfortable in a long sleeve techwick for the whole ride.

one thing i wish i'd done was use my big 3rd gear for some of the flats and downhills, but since i didn't know the course, i wasn't sure how economical it was going to be to upshift and for how long. now at least i have a good sense of where i can pick up speed on this course and where to conserve energy. i got plenty of practice drinking from both my water bottles and replacing them in both cages while going up gentle grades, and tried a clif energy shot gel around mile 18, which worked nicely and didn't bother me at all. i also spent at least 60% of the ride on my aero bars, which was great; going downhill, i was definitely faster than those without aero bars. i love them! how was i ever afraid of this bike?

all said, it took us 1:45, which included stopping 7 or so times to wait for the rest of our pack and check directions. i didn't feel like i was pushing myself particularly hard; it was like many of my training rides - maybe 6/10 effort. good times for this bike course, depending on the conditions, are around 1:30, so i feel confident that i will be ok on race day when it comes to the bike.

afterward i wanted to make it into a brick, but our group arrived 30 min ahead of the other ride groups, so i waited for my travel companions to get back and unlock the car so i could suit up in my sneakers and hit the run course. i only wanted to do 30 min of light running to save my poor hip, so we went out for a leisurely ~3mi jog. right before the run i had another clif gel, and felt good the whole time. when we finished i had some nuts and a clif bar in the car on the way home, which kept me doing well till dinner (redbones bbq strikes again! beer, cornbread, collard greens, and a couple of ribs have never tasted so good!). somehow i had the energy to be up till 3 am (?!?), but i slept in on sunday and made a good recovery. i did not stretch enough, however. :P

WORKOUT
1.45 bike (27.5 mi on the race course!)
30m run (3 mi on part of the race course!)
a great day!!

day 83: swim

2009-05-04T14:21:00.003-04:00

friday's evening swim went really well, considering my arms were pretty sore from lifting weights the day before. i keep trying to avoid swimming too close to lifting, but scheduling gets tough, you know?

i did two 150m sets at a faster, harder swim pace than my other 4x300m sets, just because i wanted to see how it felt to push myself more. granted, i couldn't sustain that quick pace for the full 0.9 mi and i know that, but i figure it's just like running - you won't get any faster if you don't do some sprint work.

while i decided to drop down to sets of 12 lengths rather than 13, i still improved my times from when i begain doing these 300m sets - and i have been able to maintain more consistent pace from set to set, and with less rest between. progress is progress!!

WORKOUT
55 min swim (had to rush to the bike shop before it closed); ~95 lengths total.
20 lengths warmup/drills (10 min)
1x300m, 30 sec rest, 1x150m faster, 1x300m, 1x150m faster, and last 2x300m (all with less than 1 min rest between).
times were from 5.05 to 5.15; 150m times were ~1.45, i think.
18 length cooldown with kickboard (6 lengths)

day 82: weights

2009-05-01T15:06:00.003-04:00

though prevaricating aimlessly about how and when to incorporate my second bike ride of the week, and whether or not to do two swims on consecutive days, i said to hell with it and just got back to weight training on wednesday. it was nice to get back into; i'd missed it while in SF.

also had PT again today; while it's stressful in that it's far away and takes a lot of time, i think it will be worthwhile. my hip already hurts less post-run than usual; i think the rolling and transverse ab work helps.

WORKOUT
~50 min weight training
2 sets of 12, 3rd set of 10; increased weight on last or next to last set.

day 81: short run

2009-04-30T21:13:00.002-04:00

first day back at home and i'd had plans to do a 75 min+ bike ride - and ought to have, so beautiful was the weather - but my jet lag said NO. we got about an hour of sleep on the plane, and then napped from 8 am to 1 pm, but i just didn't have the strength.

so i dragged my butt to the gym for a short run instead. it went fine, but reminded me that my hip had actually not been hurting much - i don't think i felt it at all on the place ride home! but the pain popped right up again when i began running. hello, old friend! glad you could join us!!

i was far less tired during the 8:57 min/mi sprints than usual - i think i could go at that pace for more than a minute. and i counted my stride, i am definitely running around 80-90 footfalls per minute, which is exactly what i should be doing, so that's great! now if only i could master this heel-flick turnover thing...

WORKOUT
75 min running on the schedule, so i did 35 min. 3.4 mi total.
warmup followed by 10 min running at pace (9.40 min/mi) and 6 or 7 1 min sprints (8.57 min/mi) followed by 1 min rest (10 to 10.20 min/mi); then a cool down.

days 74-80: PT and san francisco trip!

2009-04-30T20:59:00.002-04:00

my PT evaluation was the day before we left for the SF trip. they took a lot of time figuring out what's wrong with me - a lot of poking, prodding, lifting one thing and the other, walking...and the long and short of it is, my pelvis is rotated forward on my right side. my SI joint doesn't move on that side, though it should; and my gluteus medius muscle fails to fire when i'm doing stuff with my right leg. interesting, no? so i guess all that leads to intense hip flexor, IT band, and piriformis pain and inflammation. good times! my PT will involve more stretching, dedicated rolling of all these painful parts, work on strengthening my gluteus medius and transverse abs, and attempting to correct this pelvic tilt through exercises and some manipulation. i also get ice and stim. i'm ready to work, i want this to get better!

so i did indeed work out a little while i was on vacation in san fran. not as much as i would have liked, but all told, i only missed 1 workout, and it was a recovery workout. i think i can excuse myself there; i did a lot of walking up hills, and some drunken dancing, and was far too hungover on the day when i had planned to do said missed workout. i think 13 scotches can give me a free pass on that one, no?

we had a great time seeing friends, trying new things, finding an awesome breakfast joint full of avid cyclists (so many people bike there, it's crazy and cool!), and attended a beautiful wedding and really fun reception. i also came home with a few extra pounds, probably courtesy of wallet-busting cuisine and see's candies. hmm. but let me tell you, it made me realize how much i belong on the east coast and boy, i was happy to be home and getting back into my routines. i actually really like my life just the way it is; maybe sometimes it's good to go on vacation and realize this.

so i swam twice at the USF pool, and did a day of mixed rowing machine/solo spin bike. i was really good and rolled the hell out of my hip and butt on those days, stretched and did most of my PT exercises, and even iced my hip some. i even resisted the urge to do interval training on those bitchin hills out there, because i have been instructed to avoid hill running for the foreseeable future.

but now i'm home, i have a couple of speed building weeks left till the tri, and it's time to get back to work!!

WORKOUTS

1) recovery swim, 60 min: 5x300 meters, in addition to warmup, drills, cool down. the pool was actually 25 m and not yards, so it was only 12 lengths per set. my times were around 5.10-5.25 for those; i lost some since i haven't mastered the lap function on my watch yet. good times though!

2) "choice" workout, 45 min: i did 15 min warmup on a rowing machine - it's been awhile! i got a blister in that short time. but i have missed the motion of rowing and my gym has no concept II's, so i took advantage of it at USF. their upright bikes were stoneage and mostly broken, so i hopped on a spin bike in the studio for 30-some minutes and tried to keep from dying of boredom by doing some standing climbs at intervals and keeping my HR 130-150.

3) recovery swim, 60 min: in addition to warmup and cool down, i did 1500 m, which was 60 lengths, at as constant a pace as i could. my time was 27 min flat, which is about what i was aiming for and decent, i suppose; i think this is the same length as the swim in the tri (0.9 mi). so i should be ok! i realized i have to keep from getting lazy with my form when i'm tired.

day 73: weights and short run

2009-04-21T22:35:00.002-04:00

it's always so hard for me to get back to plan after a day off, which is why i hate to take days off. but this is recovery week, which works out nicely - since we're taking off for san fran on thusday morning, it means i have fewer and shorter workouts to do until we get back.

since my first PT session at marathon PT is tomorrow, i thought it might actually be helpful if i ran the night before; then all the things that bother me would be nice and sore in my hip, so i could point out all the painful spots. makes sense, right? my hip had been feeling a bit better over the past few days of no running; i'd been sleeping at night without having to wedge a pillow under my pelvis (is this why i'm sleeping better? not sure).

note to self: running after lifting just isn't any fun. you feel tired and leaden and sore with your first few steps and it just goes downhill from there. i had plans to do 10 sprint intervals (40 min run instead of 60; my coach said cutting the long runs in half and the short runs to 2/3 would be fine), but couldn't make it past 7; i had to take a bunch of walk breaks, too. weights went well, though.

WORKOUT
60 min weight training, still 3x12 (did 10 on some of the last sets to save some effort for running right after and swimming tomorrow; my bad rotator cuff is not fond of weights and swimming too close to one another)

40 min treadmill, 3.5 miles
HR kind of high again (post-weights?)
some tempo running for 5-8 min blocks (9.40 min/mi)
7 sprint intervals (8.57 min/mi and 10.20 min/mi rest)
several walk breaks of 1--2 min

day72: off

2009-04-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

i really hadn't planned to take monday off - it being patriot's day, and marathon day, i usually like to bust my own butt in honor of all the runners out there giving it their all. but, i had some experiments to finish before we leave for CA, and i was feeling dead tired. i hadn't had a day off in 8, so i decided to just let it be. and i got some good sleep, too. i'm actually sleeping well the past 3 nights or so; i'm trying not to get too excited about it.

day 71: long bike, aero at last!

2009-04-21T22:24:00.002-04:00

although i was thinking i should still do that swim for the week, it was a beautiful day on sunday. i feel like i need more seat time on the bike, since i think the swim is probably my strongest discipline right now. i'm also morose at the thought of not riding lewis for over a week while in san francisco, and sunday was the last nice day in the forecast till we left...so that settled it. i can do an extra swim in the pool at UCSF on the trip, right?

i plotted a longer course on toporoute.com, which is becoming an oft-used site for me. i decided to go further along the wachusett reservoir, though not all the way; i wanted to explore the sections that go through towns first by car (which i made my husband drive me around later on, after a delicious dinner at our favorite local roadside stand. the roads aren't bad and the town isn't sketch, so it's going to be on my short list - riding all the way around that reservoir!).

i biked the 8 or so miles out to the reservoir much faster than last time, mostly because i had the confidence of knowing where i was going. i got down on my aero bars on some of the long stretches of farm road - traffic be damned, i like riding this way and as long as i don't have a lot of shifting coming up, or a downhill section so steep i'm afraid to go without brakes, or a bunch of real twistys coming up - i love being out on those bars! i feel badass, fast, efficient, more relaxed - the break my wrists and back get is lovely, and i feel in tune with the bike on a new level.

i attacked those hills around the reservoir and even passed some other dude road bikers on the uphills, who did not seem particularly friendly about it. i zipped through town - no fear now! and made it home by my goal time, which was 1.40 for the 27.5 miles. so my average speed was 16.5 mph, which is pretty decent - i wasn't killing myself on this ride and it was quite hilly. i rode a section i'd never been on before to connect back to my main route, and i'll be damned if there weren't 3 of the longest, crappiest hills linked up one after the other, stretching into the distance for about 2 miles. thanks guys, wish i'd been prepared for those! halfway up i selected a better gear and felt more comfortable. all in all, not so bad at all - lewis and i are getting to be friends!

WORKOUT
27.5 mi bike on lewis; 1 hr 40 min total, 16.5 mph average. very hilly, good aero bar use, some more fine-tuning of gear selection.

day 70: swim/bike "brick," kind of

2009-04-21T22:13:00.002-04:00

i had a good team swim practice in the morning; we did the longest amount of continuous swimming yet (1500 meters, which is 60 lengths) and it clocked in around 27 min, which was pretty good! i feel like i could have pushed harder, though. i got accidentally kicked in the face by a dude who flip-turned on top of me because he misjudged what i was going to do, so it was good practice :) we also did some close quarters swimming (2 rows of 4 in a lane) which was also really good practice.

we were supposed to do a brick, and i wasn't sure of the best way to do it, since no matter how you slice it, the pool is far away from my bike. i toyed with the idea of riding the stationary bike for 15 min after an hour swim at the Y, but it didn't seem too appealing.

my husband had made plans to get together and "ride bikes!" (which needs to be said with utmost enthusiasm) with some friends who are bike crazy, albeit in a different way (both are fixed gear devotees who like to pick up stray bikes and create interesting frankenstein vehicles). so i met them about an hour south of boston after practice, went for a chill ride on a local short bike path with the boys and some of the ladies, where i finally got to practice using my aero bars - with everything so smooth and no cars, i got to really tuck down and haul. boy is that bike fast!! we did about 6 miles of back and forth on the trail.

back at the house, we were spoiling for some more biking, so the boys and i loaded up the bike racks and drove to a great bike path that goes from east providence, RI down to bristol - 14 mi each way. i got a lot more practice on the aero bars and stopping and starting at crosswalks, etc. we stopped for some eats - i was famished, riding after practice on nothing but a clif bar and my banana breakfast - and made the relatively poor choice of an italian grinder. sport peppers are delicious, but biking with a belly full of diet coke and spicy peppers and salami is not the best idea. it began to drizzle so we headed back, and the wind picked up along the water with huge gusts, so i left the guys to fend for themselves and tried to speed back to the car as fast as i could, which kept me warm. i stretched while i waited for the poor guys to get back.

all said and done, about 13 or so miles total of biking done about 2 hours after practice. not a brick, per se, but i'll take it - it was way more than the 75 min brick i was supposed to do.

WORKOUT
60 min team swim practice; warmups and cooldowns plus 1500m (60 lengths), which clocked in at ~27 min.

a couple hours biking, at slow speeds and with interspersed stops (and lunch). great practice on the aero bars!!

day 69: short run

2009-04-21T22:10:00.002-04:00

boy, i am so behind on posts! these will be brief; i want to get them in before i forget what i did.

i listened to the docs and cut my run volume in half. it was kind of hard to only run for 40 minutes instead of 75, but i managed...

WORKOUT
40 min running, ~3.5 miles; was supposed to be the long run of the week (75 min) so i did it at race pace (9.40 min/mi), following my coach's instructions to do 8 min run/2 min walk. i was pleased to discover my heart rate was much lower than it usually is running - like 150!

day 68: orthopedist and weight training

2009-04-17T15:29:00.002-04:00

my ortho appointment was on thursday. i declined to let them take x-rays of my hip, since i'm pretty sure i haven't fallen in the shower or developed osteoporosis lately. something that bothers me after running for the past 2 years is likely not a huge crack in my pelvis. just saying.

after much poking, prodding, and describing what the x-rays would have ruled out (stress fracture, arthritis...i am worried about neither), and some good old fashioned diagnostics...they don't know what it is.

the conservative treatment for my hip pain is PT, which is good. it sounds like a lot of things in my hip area are upset, and may or may not be related. i'm getting PT for both the IT band and my sacro-iliac joint; they think an oblique attachment point at the pelvis is also involved. no wonder it feels so good.
on top of PT 1-2x a week (i go for my first one next week before we take off for 6 days in san francisco), i was told to decrease my running volume by half for the next month. i see them again in 4 weeks, and if my pain isn't 50% improved, they want to do xrays/MRI, which is fine by me.

i got some ideas from my coach for the decreasing run volume, but can still do sprints and can make up the time with more swimming and biking. i'm thinking i could add the elliptical in there as well. yoga might not be a bad idea.

although, while doing my post-weight training stretching, my knee went out again for the first time in 6+ months. i was doing the inner thigh butterfly stretch and my knee locked and i felt that gross pain again. it popped back in (or the IT band popped back into place after being trapped over the condyle, i guess - that's the theory of what's happening to me) after forcing it straight. it's sore today; i'm going to take it easy. but this is definitely a result of my IT band being too tight again because i'm not rolling it out religiously; i have been kind of bad about stretching enough because i often don't have time. guess i just have to make time.

WORKOUT
1 hour weight training. 3x12 for most; slightly higher weight (back to pre-illness amounts). feel mildly sore today, but strong.

day 67: a long (but short) bike ride

2009-04-17T15:21:00.002-04:00

i jetted out of work early on wednesday to go for a nice outdoor ride, since the weekend is slated to be crappy and i had to wait to do an experiment till thursday anyway.

i had these grandiose plans to ride around wachusett reservoir, which is about 8 miles away and over 20 miles around. i thought to avoid downtown clinton and evening rush hour by only going halfway around and then backtracking. unfortunately, i kind of discovered that i am not much of an intrepid explorer on my bike. i only really enjoy it when i have some idea of what lies ahead. nasty surprises (no shoulder, lots of glass, TRUCK ROUTE, confusing sign-less intersections) do not make for a fun ride. i find i'm so distracted trying to figure out if i'm headed in the right direction, i don't enjoy myself and i also don't get into any kind of rhythm. maybe that is a metaphor for how i live my life.

anyway, now that i've ridden this part of the route once, including getting lost and doubling back 4 different times, i would like it more if i did it again on a sunday morning with little traffic. once i got back onto familiar roads, i noticed i was positively HAULING ASS and really cooking along on my fast little bike. i can't get good cadence if i don't know whether i have a big hill coming up, or what the concrete is like...just goes to show, i'd better make sure i get a good preview of the course before race day. and perhaps learn to be a little less wrapped up in what lies ahead, on my bike and in general.

WORKOUT
1.45 bike; only 25 mi, which is shameful for close to 2 hours.
i did do some hills and kind of some interval work. more importantly, i got more used to riding in traffic and with a lot of lights on serious routes.

and i faced my devil: downtown northboro at rush hour (by accident, not by master plan). i survived, and i had vibration pain in my elbows from the potholes to prove it.

day 66: running with ease!

2009-04-14T22:48:00.002-04:00

i started the week back up with a jaunt on the treadmill. i came home feeling really tired and down after my day, but my husband was super supportive and sweet, and offered to go to the gym with me to help get me going. how great! so we went to our complex gym and he rocked it for an hour on the stationary bike while i ran. i loved the company!!

let me tell you. days off really do wonders for your body, it seems. i ran over 5 miles this evening, either at my pace (9.40 min/mi) or doing TEN SPRINTS with SUB 9-MINUTE MILE PACE and i never got tired. or close to out of breath. i could have had a conversation the whole time. crazy! i love feeling fitter. maybe my attempts to incorporate some of the evolution running style is helping my efficiency, although i'm not holding my breath - i need to do the drills outlined in the book before i begin to get the right form, i think.

anyway, it felt great and i am excited to sign up for a 7 mile race for late june with my school running buddy. we can do this thing!

WORKOUT
60 min running on treadmill, 5.74 miles total; max HR ~150-160!
10 min warmup (2 min walk, 7 min jog to run pace, 1 min walk)
2x10 min @ 9.40 min/mi, 1 min walk
5 sprints of 1 min @ 8:47 min/mi, 1 min @ 10 min/mi
1 min walk
5 sprints of 1 min @ 8:47 min/mi, 1 min @ 10 min/mi
10 min @ 9.40 min/mi, 1 min walk
3 min jog
3 min walk

day 65: off

2009-04-14T22:47:00.000-04:00

i decided to take the day after my brick off, although i usually save off days for later in the next week. but i was tired from a family weekend, travel, and too much candy. so i tried to enjoy it!

day 64: if by brick, you mean brick dogs...

2009-04-14T22:36:00.003-04:00

i bet nobody knows what that means, but back in the jersey hood, "brick dogs up in this piece" means it's cold. so i made a little play there, you see.

so yes. it was quite cold and VERY WINDY on the morning of my first solo brick. the wind was a steady 20ish with gusts in the 30's - rough, i'm telling you. my husband and i took our bikes out shortly after breakfast and did an 8ish mile ride in about an hour. it was a nice opportunity for me to scout out the route, road and weather conditions. we came back home, i warmed up for about 10 minutes and had some water, and set back out again to try to get some brisk cycling in before the run.

i wound up going another 14 miles and change, down past the beach and took a nice 5 min break on the pier, watching the surf (at least it was sunny!). this was my halfway point and i ate one of the hammer energy gels, which was quite tasty!

i biked toward home and was amazed at how lewis, my bike, just eats up those hills like nobody's business. i played around with the gears and used all 3 on the big ring, which was good practice (i did pop the chain off during the first 5 min of that second ride, but it wasn't a big problem). i got back in about 50 min total, which means i was moving at a decent clip, especially considering the brutal headwind the whole way back - i felt like i was standing still some of the time.

after a quick shoe change and guzzling some water, i went out on my first 0.56 mi lap as quickly as possible to get my legs used to the transition. it was too windy to set up a bona fide transition area on the front yard, so i was spared that embarrassment; some old men sat out on their porch and waved at me in disbelief on my 5th lap or so.

i wound up doing a total of 4.4 miles in the hour of running, which was ok; i wasn't doing this for speed but to get used to the transition. i took short walk breaks for water or endurox each time i came by the house on the loop, and had a second gel (espresso flavor, with caffeine!!) 30 min in to carry me for the last half hour. those gel timings seemed to work great; i never felt hungry, dizzy, or tired. i mean my hamstrings and my glutes got tired at the end of the run, but that's about it. my mother-in-law took my niece for a walk in the stroller and my nephew came out to run ahead of me, so i had some company and would catch up to them on each lap and walk for a minute and say hi, and then continue on. talk about great moral support! i love my family.

i certainly earned the delicious lamb dinner and cadbury cream eggs; and i slept well that night! but the brick was, amazingly, not that tough and pretty fun.

WORKOUT
1:50 bike (8 mi and 14 mi, respectively; 22 mi total)
60 min running, outdoors! (4.4 mi total)

day 63: team swim!

2009-04-11T22:33:00.004-04:00

i finally went to team swim practice today, since i'll be missing one in 2 weeks when we're going to san francisco for 6 days. don't worry, i have mapped out every fitness opportunity, pool, and spin class within a 3 mile radius of the place we're staying.

i started out back in lane 7, where i was when i left off; at the end of practice, i was informed i was moving up to lane 8. i'm elite! just kidding :) but it's always nice to be making progress.

i was brave and wore my new skimpy tyr swimsuit, which i now love; i'm over how naked it makes me feel and instead, loving how much more streamlined i feel in the water without a baggy speedo hanging off me like excess skim (eew). we actually got in a real workout this time, which was great; not much in the way of speed building, but maybe more of that next week. it was nice to catch up with some teammates and the coach, who's been so cool and i'm so glad i got a chance to get to know her better and get some one-on-one advice after that team brick last weekend.

speaking of bricks, i'm doing my first real solo one tomorrow. i'm a little nervous; we're at my in-laws' for easter weekend. we brought our bikes, and the plan is to ride together for a little while, which will be a good warmup for me. then i'm going to brave the major route in the area (which has a wide shoulder and should be fine on a sunday) and ride 6ish-miles down to the beach (where we got married! yay) and back; that should be about an hour, but i can add on more if i feel like it. then comes an hour of running, which i hope to do in the neighborhood dead-end loop where my in-laws live. it's a little over a half mile, so i'm sure the neighbors will think i'm nuts when i run by about 12 times. we'll see. i might even set up a little transition area on the front lawn if i feel particularly exhibitionist. so like i said, i'm nervous (new place, cold weather (40 deg), winds (30 mph gusts), feeling like a douche working out for over 2 hours during a holiday weekend family visit, etc)...but i'm determined, and it'll be fun.

and there will be chocolate afterwards. win!

WORKOUT
60 min team swim practice, ~76 lengths
2 min circle swim warmup
drills - 100m each (side kick, hand drag, fingertrip drag, stroke count; i did some extra)
4x300m (12 lengths in this pool) at "comfortable" pace
100m swimming 3 people side by side (good practice!)
100m "sprint" (75% effort - 1:30! yay!)
50m cooldown

day 62: weights

2009-04-11T22:18:00.002-04:00

it was with utter disbelief, and definitely joy, that i stared at my husband when he announced that he wanted to get up early on friday morning to ride his new mountain bike before work.

i've created a monster.

awesome!!

i was pretty pumped, both because i see the cycling bug has bit him hard (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em? this is great) and also because i secretly was wishing i had the strength to get up early and do some much needed weight training. it's a lot easier to get up and go be active on too little sleep when you're not leaving a warm bed full of sleeping husband and dozing puppy. plus then we all get to have coffee together after being all yuppie and active before work. man, how great!

why didn't i ride my bike, you ask? it was too cold (in the upper 30's?) and i was too pressed for time; plus it was actually supposed to be an "off" day. it was nice to get back to some weights after over a week away from them. one of the training books i picked up has some guidelines for changing your weight training during the speed building phase; i didn't incorporate everything, but i did add an extra set to most stuff and also focused on doing quick, powerful reps with slow recoveries. i shied away from the ab bench and did floor mat and roman chair abs instead, to help my ailing hip.

for which, by the way, i have an ortho consult next week. i saw my primary care on friday, and got referrals for the ortho and PT. she thinks it's probably chronic inflammation of a tendon or ligament where my IT band inserts (which is then either my sartorius or tensor fascia lata). basically, i get evil hot and sharp pain on the upper part of my front pelvic crest, both in the abs and on the side, anytime my foot strikes the ground while walking or when i do something like try to throw a leg over my bike seat. i also have spasms in my lower back/piriformis on that side, she said - but they don't bother me that much. we'll see what the ortho says; i'm waiting on that to seek PT. i also have a glucose tolerance test next week, to help determine if i'm pre-diabetic or have reactive hypoglycemia. my doctor mentioned that i was likely insulin resistant when i was 300 lbs and producing tons of insulin; and i might be overproducing now and hypersensitive when fasting/doing strenuous exercise. i guess my body not re-regulating after losing enough to make an entire person is a possibility. i also have a referral to a nutritionist, to help me figure out how much and what kinds of pre- and post-workout snacks to plan during my training, and when best to eat them based on the blood levels they get from glucose tolerance test. cool. i like getting things addressed and moving on.

i miss lifting, and my post-weights protein shake; it makes me feel jacked for 5 minutes.

WORKOUT
60 min weight training
about 5 lbs under previous weights (before being sick); 3 sets of 12 with explosive reps for most exercises. added calf machine, cut any non-mat ab and oblique work. had to take it easy on the pec flys, since some of the fascia, etc. was sore between my ribs in the back from thursday's vigorous swimming.

day 61: new swimsuit or peanut butter sammich = fast?

2009-04-09T20:14:00.008-04:00

so i forgot to mention, i am MORE THAN HALFWAY through my training. which is both exciting and terrifying; i wish i had more time to get more buff and faster, but i am also tired of stressing about when to fit this schedule in. i feel like if i had my own races on my agenda and my own schedule to follow, i might feel more flexible...but perhaps not. i do like to adhere to schedules.

i was careful today, after yesterday's blood sugar episode...more protein flakes and banana for breakfast; veggie burger, hummus, pita, string cheese, and kiwi for lunch; mid-afternoon snack of 2% cottage cheese and pineapple; and...my new strategy: eating a sandwich of smart balance peanut butter and half a banana on light whole wheat, in the car on my way to the pool. it was in my tummy about 20 min before i started exercising.

and let me tell you. i felt great. i had plenty of energy; i didn't get super tired during those 5x300m sets; and get this...i was MUCH FASTER. like, i shaved 30 seconds off those 13 length times (5:30!! some 21 second lengths!). that's more than a whole length. crazy!

in the interest of full disclosure, i also have a new swimsuit. the blown-out speedo that's at least a size too big is gone; i replaced it with a sleek tyr suit, which has way less coverage and made me feel like a cabaret star in the locker room (and not in a good way). so i'm sure there's less drag from the new suit, but 30 seconds? and not being tired? i think it's both.

and, i was mindful and had half a clif bar on the way home in the car and a string cheese when i got home, before dinner (which is being cooked right now, yay!). not that any people who read this are actually interested in what goes in and comes out of me, but i think it's important for me to make careful note of what works well, both energy wise and preventing these crashes. i am realizing that i need to build meals not just based on foods that are low in weight watchers points, but i need a really good balance of carbs, protein, AND FAT. i have spent the last year and a half eating as little fat as possible. and that's not conducive to getting peak performance from my body; there's room for nuts and healthy oils.

anyway, we'll see what the doctor says; in the meantime, i'm going to play this one safe.

except for sunday, which is easter; i have a 2 hour brick to do that morning (1 hour each biking and then running). i will eat a hearty, healthy breakfast and experiment with a hammer nutrition gel during the brick.

but afterward, i'm still eating some cadbury mini eggs. it's easter! but then i promise i will merely lie on the couch.

WORKOUT
60 min swimming; 103 lengths? max HR 135-140 after 300m sets
5 min warmup (10 lengths easy)
10 min drills (15 lengths? i lost count; i was distracted by how mad some lady got at me that i didn't want to have a 3rd person in my lane and swim in a circle. how do you do that when you're doing sprints? i don't pay $50 a month to have some slowpoke kicking wake in my face. she's going home and sticking needles in a voodoo doll of me).
5x 300m sets (13 lengths each, 1 recovery); 30 sec or so rest between each. first lengths were ~21 secs!! first 3 were 5.30 to 5.35. last 2 were in the 5.40's. average is still ~25 sec/25 yards; but initial speeds and overall are FASTER!! :)
5 min cooldown (4 lengths kick, 4 easy).

day 60: spinning and...another blood sugar crash

2009-04-09T19:50:00.004-04:00

the weather just hasn't been cooperating with me for a weekday ride - i can't get out of work before 5 or so, and it's too chilly/damp/dark by the time i have time. plus there's that pesky rush hour thing.
so how, then, was i supposed to get in a 75 minute bike workout when spin class is only 50 min? easy, i say - show up early and spin away on my own for a half hour before class starts.

i thought i had prepared well for a long spinning bout. special k protein cereal with a banana for breakfast (and obligatory espresso), a leftover cold chicken breast, half a yam, and a yogurt for lunch; and my planned pre-class snack of a clif bar.

where did i go wrong here? two things, i think. i left out how about 3 hours after lunch (2 pm), i asked a friend for one of those delicious fiber one bars; i felt snacky. they're basically glorified candy bars for fatties, with their sticky granola and chocolate chip goodness (think quaker chewy bars with more fiber). then i had my clif bar "this is my balanced carb/protein" snack around 4.30. which is 2 hours before class starts. mistake number two.

i got there early, hopped on the bike, and tried to get my heart rate up to a respectable level for 25 min after warming up. things felt good; i got sweaty and had to take off my techwick; people showed up, class started, i began to sip my endurox so i'd have some fuel during class. about 10 min into class (so 40 min into my workout), i felt funny. a familiar funny. cold sweat. jumpy eyes that i couldn't focus on anything. mental cloudiness and unease. shakiness. hollowness in the pit of my stomach. lightheaded. on man. is it really this again? there's no way. i ate so much today, and had pre-workout snacks. i can't go eat something now. i'm not burning that much up. this is totally how i got to be so fat. if i eat now, i won't have any calories left for dinner. oh man.
and then - yeah, it was bad enough, i swallowed the embarrassment of hopping off the bike, ran to my gym bag, and nabbed one of the power bar carb max bars i keep in there just for such an emergency. i locked myself in a bathroom stall, sat in my lovely new bike shorts on the toilet (eew!! but i didn't feel like i could stand), and scarfed that bar. i hobbled my way back into class and mounted my bike; the instructor asked if i was ok, which made me think i must have looked like something was up when i left. i eased back in, having only missed about 5 minutes; but i had no energy. all i wanted was a nap.
i remembered i had the endurox in my water bottle, so i downed that too. about 10 minutes later i began to feel human again, and by the end of class, i was actually putting some effort in. but still, i feel like i can't even count this workout, since i was basically just going through the motions.

whenever i have a crash like this, it always hurts my healthy eating for the day. there's the added power bar, the peanut butter on grain crackers when i got home, and then the chicken and rice burrito i got for dinner. i felt great after eating that! so in the end, not eating right and avoiding fueling up because of calories just winds up hurting me more in the end.

i'm starting to think this really is not normal. i have a doctor's appointment tomorrow anyway, since i'm trying to get a referral to the ortho for my hip, just to see what's up there. so i'm thinking i'll mention it and tell them that i think more than simply a fasting glucose test is in order. i mean, i never feel messed up first thing in the morning; it happens during exercise if the last thing or last time i've eaten isn't precise. i know hypoglycemia without diabetes is rare, but i think they ought to look into it.

i know i probably should have just left class and gone home after the crash, but i was kind of curious to see what my recovery would be like and whether i could still keep moving when i felt that way, just in case it ever happens during a race. i had a similar bout of this last friday, when i was swimming and had to run to the emergency vet to meet my husband and dog; on the way out i felt this coming on and was able to stave it off with a packet of trail mix and a granola bar from the vending machine. still, twice in a week isn't cool. i'll try to get to the bottom of this; but i think i just can't eat anything treat-like during the day. i seem to be able to handle a small dessert at night, provided i eat it shortly after dinner; if i wait and eat it late, i feel lousy and very hungry the next day. i wish i were superhuman and could just not eat anything sweet ever again.

WORKOUT?
75 min spinning - not much effort, due to the blood sugar crash.

day 59: longest run yet!

2009-04-08T12:55:00.002-04:00

i'd planned on swimming to ease back into a new week of training after the busy last week spent getting back on track after being sick, but between work schedule and the dog needing to go out, i couldn't make it to the pool.

i'm still stressing about when i can find time to include weight training in all this, much less yoga, both of which have kind of fallen by the wayside. but as long as i get my weekly workouts in, those are gravy; i won't beat myself up about additional things i've added to the schedule myself. otherwise i'll never feel good about my efforts - you can't ever do everything 100% of the time.

having just bought both a new bathing suit and a pair of tight running capris, i was happy to either swim or run. while i ordinarily might have balked at wearing spandex "tights" for running at the gym, after sunday's wedgie-thon that prompted me to go commando in my running shorts moments before the race, i've decided that comfort >>> fashion for all aspects of training. that's just it.

the gym was as crowded as i've ever seen it, since it was the last day of a join-up special with low fees. i found the last available treadmill and got moving. i will say, while this run (75 min - longest volume yet) was difficult, i was really proud of finishing it and not letting myself slack off; all my non-warmup or walk sections were at a 9:40 min/mi pace. that's by far the longest i've ever run at that speed, and i used sunday's disappointment in the final hill to motivate myself to keep going for those last couple of 10 min running intervals. i tried really hard to keep my form good, but it always deteriorates when i get tired and my stride lengthens by my foot-strike moving up too far, which causes me even more hip pain. i did my best, and practiced some of the mental training i'd been reading about - that confidence comes from results, and results come from confidence; i guess talking yourself up with affirmations when you start getting tired really does make a difference. worked this time, for sure!

i had to ice my hip afterward; i'm thinking of going to an ortho to find out what exactly is going on with it, mostly at the urging of my husband. i can't sleep in any position without jamming a pillow under my hip or thigh to relieve whatever tension is on that hip, so maybe he's right. i guess i have to view it as keeping myself in good shape for whatever events await me after the tri; since running aggravates it most, if i want to do any long distance races, i'd better get it addressed.

other than being tired and hungry after the run, i felt really good; i'm actually not appreciably sore today. i did drink 1 scoop of endurox during the run, since we're told to use fuel during any workouts over 60 min in length. maybe that's why i'm not sore, and why i didn't have my typical post-run headache.

WORKOUT
run: 75 min; 6.8 mi total
max HR ~160's (wow, improvement!) after 10 min running stints

10 min warmup - 4 min walk, 6 min from 12 min/mi jog to slightly faster than pace
5x10 min run @ 9.40 min/mi, 1 min walk; alternated drinking endurox and water during each walk break. cut last run segment by a few minutes so i had time to cool down.
5 min walking cool down

day 58: off

2009-04-08T12:50:00.002-04:00

since i'd had 8 straight days of workouts without any downtime, and my coach suggested i ease up the day after my race to prevent any kind of illness relapse, i decided to take a day earlier in the week than i otherwise might have.

it gave me the opportunity to put in a solid 11-hour day at school, which was nice because i wanted to catch up on things that i couldn't do while i was out sick for a week. but i definitely felt antsy that i wasn't doing anything active on monday; i feel like i am a prime candidate for over-training, and i have to remind myself that days off are just as crucial to my training schedule as days on.

this begins the speed building phase - until race simulation phase and pre-race tapering, this is what we're doing! aerobic base building is over. i have 1 less workout a week, but 1 brick each week - so essentially, the same number of workouts but over 5 days, not 6. of the two swim, bike, or run workouts each week, one is longer and to be done at a more endurance-pace; the other is shorter and should incorporate speed-building techniques like intervals, hills, tempo, or fartlek (which will always make me laugh).

my first real brick in my solo workouts will be done at my in-laws' on easter sunday; i hope the weather cooperates for a long bike and run!!

day 57: 5 mi city road race!!!

2009-04-08T12:18:00.004-04:00

i tried really hard to get a good night's sleep, but i was rushing around as usual until 11 or so, trying to get all my gear together...power bars, water bottles, gum, layers, extra hair elastics...the list is unending.

but as it turns out, i was pretty glad that i'm an over-packer; when we got to cambridge, we were dismayed at the overcast skies and fierce wind. we'd heard it was going to be 60 and sunny - perfect weather! no such luck. all bundled up, we hustled into the VFW to pick up our bib numbers and wondered how we could possibly survive that wind in shorts and tank tops. we stayed in the warmth, stretching and checking out the course map, as long as we could; then it became packed with tons of runners, strollers, screaming babies - our signal to brave the nasty wind. we parted ways from my husband, who was pretty unimpressed with the indoor mayhem and went off with his camping chair in search of a good vantage point; i felt bad that he was going to have to sit and twiddle his thumbs for about an hour before getting to see us pass by for 5 seconds. my friend and i went on a quick warmup jaunt up the street, after which it suddenly didn't feel so cold anymore. we lined up at the start about 1/2 pack back; we were chattering about races and training and whatnot when suddenly, the gun went off and we snapped into focus for the unexpected start.

this race had no timing chips, just bib numbers - i pinned mine to my leg, since i was waffling about whether or not i was going to wind up taking off my long-sleeved hooded top layer, and if i wasn't wearing my number, i might not get a time. we started out pretty slow, although the starting pack was nowhere near as packed as it was for the 5k. we got into a good groove and i suddenly remembered to set my stopwatch about 3 min into the race - good lord, why can't i think of anything when it's race day? i become useless at anything but running in one direction. luckily, they had race officials posted at each mile marker - boy it was nice to have mile markers! yelling out times as we passed by; it was a great way to figure out if we were keeping our goal pace of 10 min/mile or less. we were indeed - as far as i can remember, we were under 10 min/mile the whole way along. things felt pretty good and we hit the water station on the way into the tight path along the reservoir; we walked for about 5 seconds while trying not to soak ourselves while drinking, and got started again. in my head, i was thinking it would be an accomplishment if i could run this whole race without stopping to walk, since i've never actually run 5 miles straight - all my 5 mi+ treadmill workouts incorporate some walking, even if only 1 min for every 10 running. the water stop was the only walking i did, so i feel pretty good about that!

around mile 3, i began to lag behind my friend; we'd been running side by side and trading places as we passed slower runners till this point. first i was 5 paces behind her, then 10, then 15 or so. i was coughing to clear my throat every minute or so, which i knew would happen; i think my lungs still aren't clear from my bronchitis/whatever i had for those 10 days. i didn't want to chance sudafed or cough syrup before the run; i had no idea how it would make me feel under exertion. so i just dealt with the congestion as best i could, but it's annoying when you can't breathe through your nose and the mucus in your throat messes with your rhythmic breathing, which for me, also messes with my pace. i got warm enough - the sun came out! - that just before mile 4, i took off my top layer and was comfortable in my tank. just then i saw my husband filming us with his little digital camcorder; i waved and was so happy to see him!! i felt a little down when i realized he couldn't possibly make it to the finish in time, with us running and 1 mile to go, but i was so glad he caught us! it kept me motivated and upbeat during the whole race, knowing that he'd be there when i finished.

from mile 4 to 4.5 was the fastest half mile i've ever run; in comparison, the last half mile was definitely the longest. i made the mistake of grabbing another sip or two of water as we looped past the water station; i think this annoyed my stomach and sloshed around. what really got me was something i hadn't expected - the entire last half mile to the finish was up a hill. what!?! as i've done all my training on treadmills, i have zero experience running hills. i felt momentary panic, and tried to remind myself that it's all mental, the race had gone smoothly thus far, i wasn't that tired, i could totally handle it. the problem was, i had an adrenaline dump when i knew i only had a half mile left, but because i was trying to run uphill, i couldn't translate my desire for speed into moving my legs faster - it felt so slow! try as i might, i just couldn't sprint the way i wanted to; and i feel like that disappointment slowed me down further. my coughing was getting constant as i struggled uphill, and although i felt let down that i couldn't run as fast as i wanted to and finish up strong, i kept seeing people around me slow to a walk, gasping, and all i wanted to do was be like, 'come on guys, we're almost there! let's do this thing!' but i figured if i did that, i just might get punched in the face. perhaps deservedly. so i just kept on keeping on, laughing at the police officer holding traffic who was jumping up and down and yelling the theme song to "rocky" as he cheered us all on. he might have been making fun of us, i can't say - at the time, i was feeling pretty good about it.

i suddenly heard my husband's voice yelling my name and cheering just as i was hanging my head and coughing - how'd he get up here so fast?? and i perked right up, spotted him filming, gave a wave and felt renewed energy to make it up the never-ending hill. where was the bloody finish line anyway?? i finally crossed and was immediately shunted into a strange makeshift queue alongside other runners; at the exit, we gave our bib numbers for timing purposes. i found my friend and husband, and we were all smiles as we found some bananas and water, and tried to half-heartedly stretch a little in the crowd.

we had plans to go load up at our favorite barbecue place in davis square, where my husband and i went on many of our early dates, and they even catered our wedding. a post-race feast of st louis ribs and sausage was delicious, if a mite heavy - i felt grossly stuffed for the rest of the day.

which, by the way, was not spent lounging on my couch with my feet up...rather, my husband and i went on a fun bike ride, since the weather had magically turned to beautiful. we stopped at our local ice cream stand that had just opened for the season, and i felt i had earned my waffle cone of mint oreo and milky way ice cream (when was the last time i had real ice cream?? who knows!).

anyway, it was a great day, a good experience, and i am really excited that we stayed on our intended pace. my official time was 48:57, which meant my pace was a 9:48 min/mi; definitely under the 10 min/mi goal. i'll be ecstatic if i can run the 10k in the triathlon at 10 min/mi after all the biking and swimming, so it's good to get used to running these types of distances at a pace slightly faster than my anticipated race pace (this is "tempo" training, from what i understand - i recently bought some books geared toward triathlon training, including running, weight training, and mental training). this race felt light and easy until that last half mile, so my future plans include more training outside with real live hills; i'm sure the tri course is hilly. since this was the longest distance either my friend or i had ever raced, it made us feel confident and start talking about running a 7 miler in june and a half-marathon this fall. exciting!

WORKOUT
5 mi city race
pace: 9:48 min/mi
time: 48.57

(followed by a leisurely 6 mi-bike)

day 56: first team brick!!

2009-04-05T21:29:00.003-04:00

so despite being tired and feeling overwhelmed on friday night, i set the alarm for 7 am (compromise, see? extra 30 min of sleep!) and hustled to natick for the first team brick workout. well, i hustled but still stopped at dunkies to make sure i was appropriately fueled after so little sleep.

so in this case, a brick workout was biking followed by running - commonly held to be the more difficult of the two transitions, since your legs hate you for it. i, personally, thought a brick was called such because it was two disciplines stacked (swim then bike; or bike then run). but i guess it could also be B(ike)R(un)ICK. i don't know. whatever, you get the idea.

so lewis and i made it to practice on time and without any issues with the bike rack on the highway, despite the high winds. it was not the best weather for still having a sore throat and biking on something you can hardly keep upright (cloudy, windy, cold), but i was game. first i was reassured that i'd be taken into a parking lot with the other newbies to work on clipless pedals. as the chaos ensued, it became clear that i should just go ahead and try doing it with the group and if i fell and humiliated myself, well, then we could go to the parking lot idea. because of the weather, we did a short (1 mi or so?) loop around the complex and main road on the bike 3 times, scrambled back to our grassy makeshift transition area, and ran another small loop (1/4 mi? 1/2 mi?). we repeated this 3 times, which actually took about an hour, i think. it was super helpful - learning how to lay out the transition area on a small square of towel next to your bike to simulate the cramped quarters on race day; laying out run shoes, bike shoes, socks curled up and ready to put on, helmet and shades on top of bike shoes, gloves to the side...making sure left is on the left and right on the right. things you might overlook unless you tried it a few times!

in the rush and chaos of the exercise, there was little time to think about clipping in and out carefully; i wanted to GET THE HELL OFF THAT BIKE AND GO RUN, and then i wanted to GET THE HELL ON THAT BIKE AND GO PASS SOME PEOPLE. so i became a lot smoother with my starts and stops, although i need to work on my mounts and dismounts with that painful hip. one of the mentors mentioned that he saw the determined, competitive look of "no way am i going to finish behind all these people" on my face as i was clipping in for the bike leg, and he knew i would be fine. i commented that i probably have that look on my face a lot in my life :) as it turns out, i was the first woman finished and only the second person. i'm not overly elated though, i think in the confusion, a lot of people did some extra laps of the run or the bike; i had cut part of the bike loop out by accident on one of the laps so i ran an extra loop to be fair. but it's nice to know that i'm at least around the same pace as my teammates, which validates all the solo work i'm doing all week long. if they can get to the finish line, i can too!

so it went great - the biking and running were both pretty relaxed, i didn't get tired but definitely worked up a sweat, and my legs took the abuse of the transition without any complaints. i was coughing a lot just to clear my throat from all the post-nasal drip i still have, and i got a lot of great one-on-one time with my coach after the drills. she gave helpful advice for getting back into training after my 10 day illness (since i didn't really take it that easy, she recommended resting early this week and for more than a day if i begin to feel iffy). she helped me with my running gait, isolating my transverse abs (hey i found them!), and gave me advice on my terrible hip pain. she said to find a good massage therapist to work on the whole area, ice it more after activity, and see if my chiropractor can detect a leg length discrepancy that could be underlying it. then maybe i could get shims in my shoes or something to help out.

afterward, we had a great recommitment celebratory breakfast - mini raisin bagels and peanut butter have never tasted so good. we got to chat and socialize a little more than we usually do at swim practice, which was nice. i also got to try on some of the race singlets and had to change my order (men's small, who'd have thought!). i wore my new tri shorts (and yes, i went commando like i'm supposed to!) to practice to see how they'd be for the bike and run; they were super comfortable and my bike seat is apparently made for just these kind of shorts. i had no complaints at all.

so, it was a great day, i'm glad i went to practice in spite of being exhausted...and i made up for it when i got home by taking a 3 hour nap. i woke up feeling wonderful and went out for brunch with my husband, and had a generally relaxing day in which to rest up before sunday's road race.

WORKOUT: BIKE AND RUN BRICK
~60 min
biking, T2 transition practice, followed by running. distances might be ~5 mi biking total and ~1-2 mi running total.

day 55: friday swim

2009-04-04T18:39:00.002-04:00

i thought about taking the day off, with the busy weekend ahead...but i decided i'd better lift or swim, and i felt like swimming.

i had a relaxing and nondescript post-work swim at the Y; i've kind of forgotten all about it now because as soon as i finished, i learned my husband had to take our dog to the emergency vet for breathing problems. he's fine now, but it was kind of a chaotic night and got me to bed pretty late (1 am) for my early morning team practice and first brick on saturday. first i had a nice little meltdown about how tired i am, how there's never enough time in the day, how i feel like i'm not good at anything, and how i dislike how people perceive how i live my life and almost wish i didn't know anyone outside my immediate family so i could move through life in a vacuum and be excused from other people's opinions, because they feel like they are always negative and like nothing i do is ever enough. it was a fun half our or so. solution: sleep more, care less. i'll see what i can do.

WORKOUT
60 min swim; ~100 lengths, max HR 125 after 300m sets
5 min warmup (10 lengths)
10 min drills (10 lengths?)
5 x 300m (13 lengths) with 1 length cooldown, 20 sec rest between each (70 lengths)
first two sets were 5.50 min, average 26.9 sec per length (early laps were 25 sec/length); last 3 sets were around 6 min per, which i couldn't get any faster; seemed to correlate with when i started to get really hungry.
5 min cooldown (4 lengths kickboard, 6 freestyle)

day 54: first run in a while

2009-04-03T10:46:00.003-04:00

i'm still a day behind on posts...maybe i'll catch up after tonight's swim!

i was pumped to road-test my new turf shorts on a treadmill run, and they didn't disappoint. maybe i should have run outside on such a beautiful day, but i wanted to go to my WW meeting (for the first time in over a month; don't want my friends thinking i quit!) and i still haven't found a local place to run. though i haven't really tried much, either...

i was so comfortable running in these shorts; i am desperately happy to have found them. i got a lot less sweaty on my hour-long run and the only uncomfortable thing was the mega-wedgie i got about 10 steps into my warm up. at this point, i just ignore it and run with it; it's only going to come back anyway. i think i need to invest in those non-cotton seamless undies for longer runs, we'll see.
i also tried my new wicking penguin socks, which were super comfy; and my new bungee-laces in my running shoes, which will save me from having to tie my shoes at the race transition.

i was amazed at how relatively easy the run was, after spinning was so tough; i figured i'd be wheezing and crawling after 10 minutes. not so. i only began to feel it after 30 min, and decided to go for a full 60 rather than my bailout plan of "40 min if i'm tired." i did some sprints again, and did them at a quicker pace; 8.57 min/mi. and i did 6 of them! i tried really hard to incorporate better running technique based on a pdf my coaches sent out. i tried having my foot strike be right beneath me, rather than far in front of my body; landing on the balls of my feet and not my heels to quicken the foot transition; and being really upright but allowing the slight forward lean. my pace was much quicker due to this shorter stride, and i found it easier to maintain. i tended to want to get long and sloppy toward the end when i was tired, but making myself shorten up helped a lot. i think this is good for me.

granted, i barely slept last night due to intense hip pain; i'm starting to think it's not just my IT-band causing the hip and oblique agony. i think something at the top of my butt/lower part of my back (maybe my piriformis?) is also tight and pissed off, and pulling at or causing referred pain in my hip. i discovered this spot of extreme rear soreness by using my foam roller. that thing is indispensable. maybe i'll get around to calling in for PT again.

tomorrow morning (i have to get up at like 6.30 on a saturday! man!! i am so tired!) is our first brick; we're doing a bike, then run before our team breakfast. i was in a nervous frenzy because i was thinking, ok i am still such a spaz on my bike, i hope the area isn't too busy or full of traffic lights; and then i was thinking dude, i just ran over 5 mi on thursday, and then i have to race on sunday, do i really want to run on saturday with my hip like this? but a quick email to the coach reassured me. i'm not the only clipless pedal klutz; they're going to have a special parking lot practice for us, send us on a short ride, and then we're only doing like a 20 min run to practice the transition aspect of how much your legs hate going from the bike to the run. so other than being tired, i think i'll be totally fine. i wish rain and wind weren't in the forecast, but at least sunday is supposed to be warm and sunny for the road race. yay!

WORKOUT
60 min running (treadmill); max HR ~170 after sprints; 5.37 mi total
10 min warmup (2 min walk, 8 min jog to run)
10 min at decent pace (9.40 min/mi)
1 min walk
5x 1 min @ 10 min/mi, 1 min sprint @ 8.57 min/mi
2 min walk
5 min @ 9.40 min/mi
5 min @ 10 min/mi
1 min walk
2 min sprint @ 8.57 min/mi
2 min @ 10 min/mi
5 min @ 11 min/mi
7 min walk

day 53: since when is spinning this hard?

2009-04-02T10:12:00.002-04:00

after the humiliating showing on my new bike on tuesday, i wanted to get in some cycling-related cardio. i was really excited to go to spinning class with my snazzy new specialized bike shoes. i was also nervous that they wouldn't fit the spin bikes, even though i made sure to ask that question at least 3 different times at the bike shop. i'm not the annoying child-like customer, or anything. but yes, mirable dictu, the shoes fit and i was spinning away in no time. it was much easier to clip in and out on the spin bikes - maybe my new pedals just need a little breaking in.

so i'm not sure how much of it was being clipped in with proper bike shoes, and how much of it was the 10 days off, but this spin class kicked my butt right proper. i was breathing really hard. coughing with lung pain during the sprints. giving it my all and having nothing left at the end of some of those sprints. i even backed it off a little, reasoning that i didn't want to wind up on the couch with some kind of relapse; after all, this was my first cardio since being ill. weights and swimming are pretty low HR, minimal effort tasks for me. this was some serious sweating. i always wondered in my past spin classes if i was doing something wrong - everyone around me always looks like they're near death, red and panting, heads hanging in agony, while i'm covered in a light sheen of sweat and grinning madly for the next hill in the session. i figured they must have been trying a lot harder somehow, or on much higher resistance...but i think i was just in pretty decent shape before i got sick, and this is how spinning feels if you're not already working out 10 hours a week and just coming to class like a normal human being. wow, it was actually kind of tough and i felt proud when i was done. and hungry, as usual.

i am still puzzled that i dropped 4 lbs while i was sick - and it's still off. i figured it was a wasting away kind of thing, transient water weight, lost muscle... but honestly, i think i lost weight lying around for 10 days and eating whatever i wanted (which was mostly chicken soup, fruit, and cadbury mini eggs, i'll be honest here). so i figure that previously, i was either losing fat and building muscle so the scale stayed even, or...perhaps my female body has decided to be recalcitrant and protest this much exercise by refusing to drop any weight, especially if i'm going to go feeding it a low-fat, calorie restricted diet. so i have been moving away from all these clif bars and endurox - i still have some; like a half a clif bar before and then after spin class so i don't pass out on the way home to my dinner, etc; and i'll use the endurox for long workouts, but more conservatively. i'm trying hard to keep with more whole foods and include more fat (nuts, goat cheese, avocados), and save bars for emergencies when i'm starving. i'm also trying not to eat dessert anymore, at least not as a daily habit. when i was just trying to inch the scale down, having a frozen yogurt pop each night was a nice way to keep from feeling deprived. but now i really don't need the sugar. i'm definitely eating over my daily WW points allowance every day, cause i'm just hungry all the time. but i'm trying an experiment where i'll only eat healthy things if i'm hungry, points or no points. this is different than the last year and a half of dieting, where if i had points left in my day i'd grab frozen yogurt or a diet cookie rather than a banana or a yogurt because dammit, i wanted a treat...i'm trying to get back to the food as fuel idea. i've been loathe to just eat when i'm hungry and stress less about calorie counting, just because i'm still terrified of becoming huge again. but i'm also working too hard to wind up being tired and less fit because i'm not taking in enough volume or enough quality food. there has to be a happy medium.

in other news, i finally found a pair of running shorts that might be made just for people like me who are tired of the front-wedgie syndrome. they're new balance turf shorts, which are cut long but slim to nearly the knee. unfortunately they are kind of baggy up top - maybe i should have ordered the medium, as crazy as that sounds to me? but i'm taking them for a test run tonight and hoping they'll be good for sunday's 5 mi road race.

i also dropped half my monthly "fun allowance" at REI today when i went to go pick up said running shorts. i realized i'd better get stepping and buy a pair of tri shorts so i can practice biking and running in them; i don't want to have the lack of padding be an unpleasant surprise on race day. i also got a second pair of bike shorts - i've lasted 3 years on only one pair, which i got away with by always wearing underwear. i have finally decided to wear them the way you're supposed to - commando. i can't take the pressure from panty seams on my new bike anymore; i just can't. so having a second pair to hand wash and rotate into the mix will help, with spinning class in there and all. i also dropped money on my first bike jersey, with back pockets; now i understand why these exist. i can't always carry a camelbak. but i also got an under-seat pouch for my phone and ID; carrying those in my pocket the other day really sucked. what else? oh, an incredibly light pearl izumi windbreaker that fit snugly, weighs like 2 oz, and would pack into a lollipop wrapper. and my first pair of non-cotton socks, with little penguins on them. between running races and the tri, i need some wicking socks like a pro. with penguins. yep. and don't worry; nearly all of these things were on clearance, and i also returned a sweater that i bought at xmas that was too big, so i got store credit for that. it still hurt my wallet, but i need these things. i think.

in other news, i think my left arch pain is back due to my bike shoes. i'm going to look into putting insoles in them. i first hurt my arch when i started doing the 30 day shred dvd, which has a lot of plyometrics in it. amazingly i never hurt my arches when i weighed 300 lbs; only now. yeah. ever since then (sept?), i can only wear arch-supporting shoes and insoles, and just having my foot in my bike shoe, which is pretty flat, causes pain. it's not related to pressure of standing in the saddle, etc - although i'm sure that doesn't help.

WORKOUT

50 min spin class, plus an extra ~15 min warmup since i got there early.
lots of effort; hills and sprints, which were easier RPM-wise with the clip-in shoes. max HR was truly max. i was spent. not sore though!

day 52: pure fear and humility (or, first time on the new bike)

2009-03-31T22:11:00.003-04:00

i only made it 7 miles. 7 miles, in 50 minutes, most of which spent frantically kicking my left pedal into upright position and trying to click in, while keeping the front tire straight, while avoiding potholes, while listening for approaching cars in the late afternoon wind and rush hour melee.

note to self: next time, pick an early sunday morning. wouldn't life have been better if your first time coming to a complete stop on your new bike out in the word hadn't been on an uphill, at a traffic light, at 5.05 pm on a sunny day, with 8 cars behind you trying to make a short left arrow onto a 45 mph major thoroughfare? yeah probably. good job.

nobody honked or doused me with a milkshake. but there were times (when a garbage truck passed by, when a student driver cut me off, when someone pulled out without checking for oncoming traffic) where i nearly peed my padded shorts. i had no trouble clipping out in time to stop; clipping in is another matter. i've discovered that if i remain calm, it's ok to pedal with my right foot in and use the arch of my left shoe to get the other pedal cranking enough to make the turn at the light, etc until i'm going straight and can kick the pedal up into position and take 5-10 seconds to clip in. it's hard to keep calm when you're waiting for green in a long line of impatient drivers in a rush to get home from the office, though. what was hardest was trying to check behind be for oncoming cars so i could cross lanes and make a left turn, etc. while trying to keep the bike straight, reach down for the brakes, keep an eye out for rutted road and rocks...i wound up turning around in a lot of driveways and even clipping out entirely and pushing my bike across the street. oh, the shame.

when i was cranking along though, i was cranking. higher rpms. nearly no effort. moving right along. feeling like a piece of my bike and not a huge behemoth atop it. it was strange that gusts of wind nearly blew me over and made me veer off course. seriously? yes. it was weird that the shoulder was nearly unusable, for all the sand and gravel. it was weird that motorists weren't more considerate - seriously people, does this look remotely easy or graceful? and it was weird that i was thinking all this while i was meandering up a hill, focusing more on what i needed to practice and where the sand patches were than the fact that i was on a hill. oh really? yeah i guess i am. i guess this hill usually makes me downshift 4 gears on fernando, stand in the saddle, and huff and puff at the top. funny, i'm still sitting and i downshifted once and i'm quite comfortable and could use a lemonade. hills? eat me, i'm ready.

pedaling in a straight line away from a traffic light? we'll see.

"WORKOUT"
in quotes because it's embarrassing. 7 miles in 50 minutes. pah. this was a technical ride. by technical, i mean i have a lot to work on. i almost went to the gym afterward, but i am still coughing up tin cans and old boots, so i decided to let my guilt prompt me to sign up for spin class tomorrow instead. i will make this bike an extension of my limbs, just you watch. i just hope i do it by june 6th.

day 51: swimming, at long last!

2009-03-31T11:01:00.004-04:00

it's been weeks since i went swimming. first there was the wrist, then there was the illness...but i was back in the water like a fish yesterday evening, like nary a day had passed.

i actually followed the workout that our coach had emailed us; i've missed the last 3 team swim practices, so i wanted to make sure i was up to speed with what the rest of the kids are doing now.

although i confess i don't understand how to use the nifty multiple lap channels on my watch, i could figure out the stopwatch function, so i timed all my sets of 300m. what amazed me was how consistent they all were; i did 5 sets (12 lengths each) with about 20 sec rest between each one. i figured with having been sick, my lungs still being full of crud and all, i'd get winded and would slow down with each successive set; not so. i was pleasantly surprised by my times and how reproducible they were. ballpark, i was swimming:
25y: 25 s
50y: 50 s
100y: ~1:40's
300y: ~5.20's or 30's

i realize now that 300 m is actually 328 yards, so in the 25 yard pool, i should be swimming 13 lengths for 300 m, and not 12. oh well; i'll fix that next time. but so i really am averaging 25 to 27 seconds per length. if you calculate it, 0.9 mi is 1584 yards. that's 63.7 lengths of this pool. if i'm averaging 25 seconds per length, i should swim that in 26.4 minutes. so, if i factor in some slower swimming, the maelstrom at the start, taking time to sight the course buoys, etc...i'd say shooting to swim the 0.9 mi in 30 min would be something i should feel really good about. this swimming has all been without flip turns, so i have no idea what that would do to my lap times in either direction. it's nice to have some kind of ballpark goal to work toward, though; i am definitely goal-oriented.

and, i need a new bathing suit. i wore an old sports bra underneath this year-old speedo. what happens to the front of my suit when i swim is kind of like what happens to a balene whale when they unhinge their jaw and scoop up huge mouthfuls of water to filter-feed. only they aren't flashing the world in doing so. anyway. this suit is old and blown-out; i'm in a conundrum as to whether i just need a smaller size, whether i really have a long torso, or whether i just need a modest cut because i hate flossing with my bathing suit. rather than try different combinations of these variables, i opted to just order a tankini from speedo. this way, i get the benefit of XL bottoms and a L top to fit my weird proportions. i hope it's not too attention-getting for pool laps but you know what, i want to be comfortable; if people are enthralled by my choice of swimwear, whatever. it's a good investment because i need something sturdier for surfing in RI this summer when we visit my in-laws; my cheap old navy bikinis make me nervous in the waves and never stay put for more than 10 seconds. this should do nicely, plus if i ever do any other triathlons in warm water and i need to forgo a wetsuit, i can pull on bike shorts after the swim and ride and run in the tankini top. i think, anyway. let's see if it fits when it gets here.

WORKOUT
60 min swimming (90 lengths total):
5 min warmup (10 lengths easy)
10 min drills (10 lengths; hand and fingertip drag, fist plant, breathing, rotating, etc)
5x300m (in this case, 12 lengths, so 300 yards) at "comfortable pace" - i'd say it was 6/10 for me; 20-30 sec rest between
averaging 25-27 sec/length.
5 min cooldown (10 lengths easy)

day 50: back to the land of activity - weights

2009-03-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

it was sunday, and i'd been off for 10 days. 10 DAYS I TELL YOU. what's one more day, especially when it's cold and dreary out? and you're still sick? and you tried to get up for yoga when the alarm went off but your throat felt like it was bleeding and the thought of a hot room made you feel faint? and all you really felt like doing was lying on the couch, watching the inaugural formula one grand prix, and ordering pizza?

what's one more day? you just spent over a grand yesterday on your bike and today is day 50, five zero, and you have not that many days left till the triathlon! and you have to run 5 miles in exactly one week with a bunch of fast runners! and you just joined this awesome community, go TRIbal , and all its awesome buff female tri-competing members are out there working hard and living life and you're...on the couch again. ok, yeah.

so i got up and went to the gym and commenced with lifting, a good way to ease back into normal life. i dropped all my weights by 5-10 lbs to avoid any crazy strains or problems, which i need now like a hole in the head; and i upped the sets to 3x10. i was amazed at the cold sweat that broke out rather quickly, and that my right pelvis/oblique is still sore (i think there is something seriously wrong in that part of my torso. i think that bench crunches are not a good idea for me). i had thought about adding 20 min on the elliptical to the end, just to get in some light cardio, but you know what? i was beat. and i picked up a pizza on the way home. but i'm back!!

WORKOUT
45 min weights. lower wt (5-10 lbs less), more sets (3x10).

day 49: I HAS A BIKE

2009-03-28T22:11:00.004-04:00

i'm still hacking up loads of goo. HOWEVER. my goal is to do my regular flow yoga class tomorrow morning without dying, and thus i will arbitrarily decree that i am well enough to start doing workouts at LOW intensity. because i am a little nervous that i paid someone $20 and said i would run 5 miles 8 days from now.

i also thought this would be the prime time to get a bike. why? because 1) buying a bike takes time, and one thing i have lots of now but don't have when i'm training is, indeed, time. 2) i am getting seriously impatient. 3) it's the weekend and i could make my husband drive and figure out how to use the old, scary and decrepit bike rack that was given to me. 4) i just got a sweet 1.9% APR offer on my discover card, which was totally empty until about 5 hours ago. 5) the first team bike ride is next saturday. why show up with fernando and embarrass myself with my slow and steady calves of steel? 6) the idea of having less than 2 months to get used to a totally different bike set up, learn the shifting, and practice clip-in pedals was beginning to scare the ever-living crap out of me.

ok so i bought my bike. i saw him online, said that is the bike for me sirs, went to the store, and got the last one. he's a 2005 specialized transition multi-sport 54 cm, and his name is lewis. behold.

do you see that?? lewis has aero-bars!! but the elbow pads flip up so you still have full use of the handlebars. i got him for a really good deal on closeout ($850) at wheelworks, which was the store that was most recommended to me. i can see why; they spent a solid hour fitting me and happily taught me how to shift him. i walked out of there with ~$1100 on my discover card, after all was said and done, with my sale shoes, clips and pedals, fitting, water bottle cage, spare tube, and chain lube. my heart was in my throat the whole way home, but lewis made it with nary a creak or groan. i rode him in my parking lot at dusk and as i coasted to a halt, aglow with satisfaction, i promptly forgot my feet were attached to the pedals and went "oh!!" as i clipped out just in time to save myself from falling sideways in comical slow motion. i think i will get the hang of it; i spent a little more to get pedals that look like big beer bottle openers - you can only clip in on one side, but the contact patch with your feet is larger for more comfort on longer rides. i think they are easier to pedal if it's taking you a few turns to get the shoe clips seated, too. AND i can use my new shoes in the spin bikes. score!!

it's a happy day. the lungs are still sore, and now the wallet is too; but in my head, the day is awash with fanfare and confetti and balloons. lewis is in the garage making friends with fernando, although i'm sure they both know that my bike naming scheme is no coincidence; anyone who's been watching formula 1 for the past year or more knows that, while fernando alonso may have been my hero 3 years ago when i bought my hybrid, lewis hamilton is much faster and is only a rookie still. i expect grand things from both lewises. this is the beginning of a beautiful career.

day 45: diagnosis: slack

2009-03-24T18:35:00.003-04:00

i decided to man up and go to the doctor today, a feat on its own since i'm reluctant to take antibiotics for most things and honestly, what else can they usually do for you?

i must have made an impression, since i left with zithromax, codeine cough syrup, and a note excusing me from work till next monday. i'm serious. i asked them, so hey you say i should rest, how long do you mean by that? and i was told, stay in bed through the end of the week - don't leave the house for anything, don't do anything; catch up on sleep and tv. i was like, seriously? good thing i asked for explicit instructions; when they said "rest" i figured they meant 1 more day. jeez.

in the end i'm glad i went and took them seriously, because i began to cough up stuff with streaks of blood in it this afternoon - hey guess what? i must be really sick! ok then.

i had emailed our coach yesterday, asking how long one should take to ease back into training. she said generally, you should take as many days to get back into the program as you took off. wow, that'll be over a week now. great. the doctor said i could start back up again next week.

since our recommitment paperwork is due at the end of this week, i had to consider whether or not i should decide to continue training and fundraising for the tri. and you know what? i'm going to. yeah it sucks that i'll have lost 2 weeks of peak performance. yeah maybe that'll make me go slower on june 6. but you know what? i could have run this tri last week before i got sick, and that's after only 5 weeks of training. i'll have 2 months after i get back on my feet, and i can't imagine i'll have lost all this hard work in a week and a half off. granted, i've lost 4 pounds and it's probably all muscle, but...guess i'll just have to enjoy building it back!

so i'm still here, the flu and a touch of pneumonia or whatever this ends up being isn't enough to keep me down for the count.
just for another week.

days 41-44: we have the plague.

2009-03-23T15:53:00.002-04:00

it started with a tickling hack in the back of my throat on friday. i thought maybe it was allergies. when it had become a hoarse hacking by evening, i decided i wouldn't run that night; another day down the tubes, which got me upset. i set my alarm for morning swim practice but had a fever overnight, which broke around 4 am...no way was i going anywhere.

in the morning i felt better with some tylenol, and felt i had to honor my commitment to volunteer at the multisport expo at MIT this weekend. i think being on my feet for 4 hours wasn't helpful, even though i felt ok. needless to say, i got sicker into the night and it's been a parade of fevers, a terrible sore throat, chills and body aches, and deep coughing. i have this problem where i can't be inactive for more than 2 days or my discs start giving me trouble; spending a few days on the couch is a recipe for total agony. i can't wait to get up and moving again, although i still feel horrible. all i can manage to do is sleep; even tv is kind of a strain.

so of course, i am really stressed out that i can't train right now. i am trying my best not to think about it and to rely on all the hard work i've done to get in shape already. i am also bothered by the opinion some people seem to have that i got sick because i'm training. i'll tell you why i get sick. it's because i'm the kind of person that has to be busy and filling my free time with activities and pursuits an commitments, or i'm not happy. when you mix that with the inability to sleep well, i think you get a tired and over-committed person. what can i do about it? not much, really...cause if i start de-scheduling myself, suddenly everyone notices that i'm down in the mouth and no fun anymore. to each his own, you know? i can't worry about all the people out there that don't understand the things i like to do; anytime something is foreign to you, it's going to seem crazy. the best thing you can do is support your friends in their endeavors, or at least not feel the "i told you so" schadenfreude when they stumble. there are a lot of hobbies or time sinks people have that i fail to understand; i'd pretty much rather do anything else than spend my time cooking, or watching an entire season of a show, or tied to the computer, or chatting on the phone for hours, or playing with kids, or decorating my house, or being a restaurant-bound foodie. but if those things make others happy, i'm just glad they've found them. maybe everyone doesn't always feel so magnanimous.

so anyway, i'm focusing on getting better and keeping my sanity; anyone who thinks i brought being sick on myself can send me some cough drops, or just keep their editorial comments to themselves, you know?

day 40: off, with feeling

2009-03-19T21:18:00.005-04:00

i'd planned on doing a short run today, and found some $10 clearance adidas running shorts on an errand today. perfect time to road test them, right?
sometimes it is amazing how on one side of an evening, you can be suited up for sweating in your new running shorts, warming up on the treadmill. on the other side of the evening, you ate a large burger out at the pub and ordered dessert for the first time in, oh, 2 years. and ate it all. and now have a chocolate lava brownie a la mode in your stomach, and you're going to float it in some red wine while watching 'road house.'

only one thing can derail an evening with this much panache. i call them the menstrual gnomes, and they live inside every woman. they make you do horrible things and make you insufferable to all surrounding you for about 48 hours.

but you know, i hadn't had a day off in 8 days and i'm tired. and while i haven't lost a pound since i started training, i did lose an inch off both my waist and my hips in the last month. the chocolate lava debacle notwithstanding. it's not as if i'm not running another 5.5 miles tomorrow...

but i will say, i think running shorts are not made for people built like me. i doubt a lot of people built like me run after much, except maybe the ice cream truck. but this is a serious problem; i was really warm running that 5k, and i bet i'll need shorts for the 5 miler. maybe spandex is the answer, unattractive as it may be. anything's better than rolling up a twisted burrito of coolmax fabric between your thighs.

day 39: spinning friends!

2009-03-18T21:32:00.003-04:00

back to spin class again today, since the wrist is still in a brace. patience and ibuprofen seem to be paying off though - i was able to wash my hair tonight, and using the flexible neoprene wrap during spinning was enough to keep me from stressing it. i think i'll be good to swim at practice on saturday. in the meantime though, just biking and running...

class was good tonight; it was a different instructor and i felt chatty, so i talked to some of my fellow spinners, which was a nice change of pace from my usual focused and laconic self. while i distinctly remember being about to pack my nalgene this morning, i found i had forgotten it, and my wallet, in the mess of dirty workout clothes on the loveseat. 50 min of spinning without water kind of sucked, i won't pretend it didn't; but i managed much better than i thought i would, after digging frantically through all my belongings in hopes of finding $1 in change to buy a bottle of dasani. i came up with $0.10, so sweat was my only beverage during class. mmm.

this instructor had a totally different style - much more workout-oriented than the other woman, who likes to give you descriptions of big hills and flat roads to picture. this was cold, hard sprints and resistance work interspersed; i didn't mind the change up, and she had cheesy techno music, which i will always love. anything but spinning to sheryl crow; anything.

i definitely found that by trying to stabilize my core more consciously, i connected better during the entire stroke and didn't waste any energy. it requires mental effort, though. it sure is nice to be able to lean forward and rest on the handlebars without being uncomfortable; my back is finally trained.

i started chatting with a friendly and helpful fellow after class, whom i overheard discussing all the various triathlons he, his teenaged son, and much of their extended family race in together. he was a wealth of info about where to get cheap bikes, bike shoes, good local events, local teams, websites, the most difficult aspects of transition, etc...and he encouraged me to try the 5.45 am spin class, which is apparently geared toward triathlete training, and which i ought not to feel too novice to attend. hmmm. hmmm, i say.

anyway, i am ready to do a run tomorrow and see the chiropractor, and hopefully celebrate an even less painful wrist. until then, i need sleep.

WORKOUT
50 min spinning.

day 38: running with intervals

2009-03-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

hah! 2 posts in one day, and i'm caught up! though typing is a little slow with my wrist brace, but i'm willing to be patient and let this guy heal up.

i also feel like my lower abdomen is about to explode, and i have an inkling that some red wine, chocolate and a heating pad might cure what ails me. i'm just glad i wasn't feeling that before my run tonight.

so i'd been reading in a running magazine - and no, i do not yet consider myself to be a real athlete of a caliber where i can just order magazines like "running," "triathlete," "hardcore badass" etc. without feeling like a poser and a yuppie. this was a free issue at PT that i picked up for all its local road race schedules, and was pleased to find had some content, as well. i was reading an article on how to get faster, for all running levels; apparently interval work is very necessary, and running increasing distances at the same pace rarely pays off for anyone. hmm. so i followed their advice on how to incorporate some intervals in my run, and it was definitely challenging but felt like it would be a welcome addition to my repertoire. granted, they expect you to run like, 5 times a week but then, i guess if i were training for something that didn't involve swimming and biking, i suppose i would be running that often. either way, i felt really good about doing sprints at a 9.05 min/mile pace, which is faster than i've ever run before. i also tried really hard to keep my pelvis from bopping all over the place, and somehow that wound up shortening my stride length. i've heard that's a more efficient way to run; i always figured it would make you aerobically spent more quickly but no, i think if you're in decent shape it requires a lot less effort than lumbering your long limbs forward in a long stride. but at the end of it all, not only was my IT band as sore as it usually is from running, but my inner hip flexor hurt too. so i must be doing something different!

and, icing on the cake - my friend at school and i took the plunge and both registered for the marathon sports cambridge city 5 mi run on april 4. what's the first thing you do when you finish your first 5k? if you're me, sign up for something more arduous. yeah!

WORKOUT
60 min running, 5.42 mi
5 min walk
5 min jog
run 2 miles at easy pace (10 min/mi)
5 sets of intervals (i was going to do 10; by the time i made it to 3, i was like NOT TODAY): 45 sec sprint (9.05 min/mi), 1:15 regular pace (10 min/mi)
tried to just run another 2 mi at 10 min/mi as planned, but kept getting kind of tired and would take a 1 min walk break every 5-7 min instead of 10 min. oh well.
5 min cooldown jog/walk.

day 37: spinning

2009-03-17T10:06:00.002-04:00

i realize i am a day behind on blog posts; i keep hoping to double up and catch up, so maybe i'll get around to that tonight.

i went to my semi-regular monday night spin class, and had a great time doing 4 hills and sprints between. i am definitely able to deal with higher resistance levels for longer, and get up to 110 rpm without feeling like i might fall off, and actually keep my upper body pretty still. i've even worked on my stability when standing in the saddle, which has felt more efficient; a friend sent me a helpful blurb on some principles of pedaling. unfortunately i think i really need to get clip-in shoes that can be used in spin class as well as my future bike, since trying to finish the stroke through my heel makes my foot slide out of the straps on the pedals. the balls of my feet also get tired from being cinched in so tightly; so i may well purchase shoes before the bike. i have about $500 saved, but it might take another month before i get to my 800 mark and can make a purchase. i'm feeling pretty impatient about it now that the weather's nicer.

in other news, my PT screening on saturday didn't wind up being what i'd expected; they didn't have time to do a gait analysis, since i have "so much going on." if by that they mean 2+ years of IT band agony and the discs in my back, yeah i guess i do. they analyzed my walk and said my pelvis moves all over the place, which is likely true while i'm running and could lead to low back, hip, and IT band pain. i was given some stretches (piriformis and IT band), a glute strengthening exercise, and some transverse abs work - which i know is a good thing, but i always have trouble isolating them. they're so vague. i was also told that my hip ad- and ab-ductor lifting machines are probably a pretty bad idea, and i should cease and desist. it's possible i made my IT band worse with all the PT i'd done for my mis-diagnosed patellafemoral syndrome; i bulked up my adductors too much, and everything's out of balance, and i use certain muscles too much and others not at all. basically i'm a mess, but i bet a lot of people are. i was encouraged to see more IT band PT, and will be calling my insurance to see if i can just go there for this chronic problem.

in still other news, my stomach has been feeling awful for weeks now; but it was particularly bad fri through post-race sunday night. i keep getting these crippling cramps that double me over and never result in production of anything interesting out of either end, if you catch my drift; i just suffer through them and the eventually subside. they never bother me during exercise. i think i've got too many beans/legumes in my diet, and too much sugar with all these bars and drinks (ok maybe a clif bar 5 days a week and endurox 3-4 days a week isn't crazy, but i still eat frozen yogurt and regular sweetened yogurt, etc). plus last friday was the attack of the mini milky way bars, so i'm trying to cleanse myself of crappy food right now. i'm sticking to meat, fruit, lots of veggies (but no beans! it's so hard, i love them!) and plain dairy. i think the only sweets i'm permitting this week is dark chocolate; i want to see how the old stomach does. i did finish the endurox i'd mixed up for the 5k and wound up not drinking (beer instead, remember?); i had it during spin class and it didn't seem to cause any problems. we'll see. not being in intense discomfort every afternoon/evening is worth the sacrifice for me right now.

oh and in still more news, i tweaked my wrist pretty badly. i don't know how; i think it may have happened at the gym on friday night when i was lifting, but i don't remember being like "oh crap, i just injured myself didn't i." i do think i remember, on the shoulder press maybe, being like "huh that kind of sucks on my wrist, maybe i'll stop now and not finish my reps." and then i finished my curls and such with no issue. but it hurt this weekend on and off when i did certain things, and yesterday it started to really bother me. i was careful with it during spin class, but afterward it was definitely pissed. i iced it, took 800 mgs ibuprofen, and have it in a wrist support wrap today. small things (pulling on pants, lifting a full mug, starting the car, downshifting, opening doors) can cause surprising amounts of pain, so i really hope it's not too borked. i have made the executive decision that this means no swimming, lifting, or yoga till further notice (hopefully only a few days). i will just run and bike and do lower body/ab work in the meantime, and i'm not going to stress about it. so there.

WORKOUT
50 min spin class. max HR after final hill and sprint was 180 bmp...i definitely worked.

day 36: first 5k road race!!

2009-03-15T21:00:00.004-04:00

if you ask me, it doesn't matter if you've run 5 miles on a treadmill a few times - the thought of running 3.1 on a road with 4000 other people is pretty scary. at least, it is to me. the last time i ran outdoors was probably the famous 14-minute mile i ran during freshman crew practice, after which i summarily puked and was excused from further running. i mean, sometimes i take the dog on jogs through trails in the woods or on the beach; that's actually what made me discover that i could finally run, which prompted me to try running on a treadmill, which prompted me to address my unfulfilled dream of doing a triathlon - i'd always figured i couldn't do 1/3 of it and would never get there. but here i am, running. for real.

i guess paying an entry fee, getting a bib and a timing chip, and lining up with thousands of other freaks really legitimized this whole running thing in my mind. this stuff is real!

i was really glad to be doing my first 5k with a friend from school. she's run her share and knew what to do, and it was really cool to have someone to jog around with like a dork for a warmup, and stretch with, and comment on the crowd with, and generally feel inadequate and intimidated with. i think i might have peed my pants, had i done it alone.

i had been feeling pretty chill and nonchalant until 5 min before the start time. then my heart began hammering with nerves and excitement. the relaxed half-jog through the start balloon arch was super anti-climactic, as was the first 1/2 mile or so. we were running a race? really? but we were talking! and it wasn't hard and i wasn't sweating! and there was no way to go faster - the street in front of me was paved with a sea of green bodies jauntily making their way uphill. my cell phone in my pocket began to drag my pants down. over and over again. i hadn't wanted to run with it, and that was why...but a quick stash of it between my two dwindling assets in my new and quite springy motion control sports bra, and i didn't have to keep hitching up my drawers any longer. granted, i felt pretty bad when i handed a phone covered in boob-sweat to my friend post-race so she could call her bf, but hey. we do what we must.

i had forgotten to set my stopwatch and had no idea how we were doing, so i decided i'd just enjoy the sights (a guy in a green speedo and nothing else; another guy in spandex from head to toe, literally - no eye or mouth holes, anything!) and the sounds (raucous somerville locals cheering us own from the balconies of their road houses) of my first REAL RACE. i managed to run up a slight hill - what an achievement, that's a first! and suddenly got kind of tired around the middle. things picked up again though; i was following my buddy's pace, since my extra 8" and long stride might have been kind of unfair. as it turns out, i felt like we ran exactly how i wanted to run, with the exception of when there were too many people in front of us to go any faster. at one point we passed the track belonging to the neighborhood middle school, and i couldn't help but beam. in 2004, when i lived in davis square, i ran on that track on the day of the boston marathon. i had been watching it on tv and felt so inspired, i decided to alternate jog/walk 2.6 miles (get it, like 26 miles only smaller?) in honor of all the brave souls busting their butts across the river. since that year i've always done something on marathon day in honor of the participants; last year i added laps to my regular swim workout and swam 100 lengths. now that's no big thing, but at the time it was way more than i'd ever attempted. maybe next year i'll run the marathon myself, who can say? but it brought a prickle of tears to my eyes to think back 5 years and how hard those 2.6 miles of jogging/walking were, and here i was running past that place in my very first little 3 mi race, and i wasn't going to stop and walk at all.

we hit the lone water station, which i suppose wasn't necessary, but it was sunny and hot, i was beginning to wish i hadn't worn my leggings, and my sudafed had worn off - so it was really nice to wash the post nasal drip down with a sip of water. once the finish line was in sight, we went all out (for what, maybe 1/4 mi? not sure) - and i mean i really did my best, passing dozens of people as i went alongside in the dirt, determined to make each second count. i was so busy running toward the balloons, i lost sight of my friend and also the time clock; i didn't give it a single thought. on the other side of the arch i tried to walk it off, but this sudden explosion of lactic acid overwhelmed my stomach from the sprint, and i thought i might very well wretch up my oatmeal and cliff bar all over the finish area. it passed pretty quickly, and then i felt so great that i kind of wanted to go do the whole race all over again. which is a good thing, since double that distance is exactly what i'll be doing at the end of mooseman. only i bet it will feel pretty different by the time i get to the run.

we got our sweet beer-opener medals, returned our chips and headed to the bar. 2 stouts later i was swooning with happiness, and likely dehydration; i felt a great sense of accomplishment, and like this was the start of a bunch of fun weekends with friends. one of my other friends, who likes to read about my fitness pursuits and make barfing noises to voice her disapproval of all things physical, actually got out of bed early and came down to davis to watch the race and surprise me. i didn't see her, but i sure was touched! i nearly cried at that, too.

all in all, my friend and i received the same time - which is no surprise, since we ran side by side until the final sprint. i feel it was a good first 5k effort, and i'm perfectly happy with being in the middle of the stack (which we were, to be sure), and i'd be perfectly happy to do it again some weekend. and even some longer races, to prepare for mooseman. and after that, who knows??

RESULTS

5k road race, final time 30:09, pace 9:43 min/mi.

day 35: more spring biking!

2009-03-15T07:08:00.002-04:00

i wanted to get in that 90 min bike this weekend; it was more of a priority than the swim. i figure my priorities should be running > biking > swimming, since i am freaked out by the former and totally good with the latter (ok i may need to perfect my technique, but as it stands right now, i know i can swim a full mile in 30-35 min without being remotely flustered).

after driving in to newton for a PT screening at marathon physical therapy (more on that later), i hustled home, had lunch with my husband, and went out for a strict 90 min ride - i had evening dinner and a show plans with a friend and was on a tight schedule. can you believe my weekends are sometimes less flexible than my weekdays? i need a seminar on having less commitments.

i had a nice, if a bit chilly, 21 mile ride around the neighborhood. it's possible i should have worn leggings underneath my bike shorts; mid-40's is a little chilly for shorts alone, and fingerless gloves. i learned from last time though - i had my fleece headband. i had just enough time for a quick walk with the dog and a shower before my evening plans, which brought me home close to 1 am...my poor husband rose at 5.30 for what's likely the last ice race of the season, and i was pretty conflicted about missing it. can't do it all, though - i've been looking forward to running this 5k with a friend for weeks now. i'm hoping i'll have a new running buddy!

WORKOUT
90 min bike; 21 miles; avg = 14 mph. more hilly terrain this time. good stuff.

day 34: weights

2009-03-15T07:03:00.003-04:00

i have some catching up to do, i know...believe it or not, i've been too busy to do much in the way of blogging the last few days. this morning finds me getting ready for my first 5k, and up earlier than expected because i can't sleep. mind you, i'm operating on less than 5 hours of sleep but i've gotten so good at that lately!!

there was no way i could find time to do a 90 min bike and weights on friday, so i settled for my weights. i also had a rough day of being sleepy (yes i did go to bed early, 10ish!) and eating lots of junk food (for me, it's definitely a bad day when a bag of m&m;s and several mini milky ways have my name on it. yeah yeah, i'll work it off...either way, it's not the kind of fuel i need).

lately my left shoulder (of torn rotator cuff fame) has been bugging me after swimming and lifting. i also tweaked my right wrist doing something at the gym on fri, and it's still bothering me. these, along with being tired, prompted me to turn off the alarm on saturday morning and forgo swimming practice for the first time. did i feel bad? kinda. did i make up for it later in the day? sure.

WORKOUT
~45 min strength training. kept higher weights, went up in reps to 2x12. added in a second set of lunges (10 and 8 with 10 lbs). think the inside grip shoulder presses are what tweaked my wrist; should avoid.

day 33: swimming and sleep

2009-03-12T19:50:00.002-04:00

this morning was finally the last straw. i am so tired, i just can't go on.
so tonight, we have these exciting and clandestine plans to go to sleep at 9 pm. i can't wait!

i'm not exhausted from the training, per se. i'm exhausted because i've had a week plus of 5-6 hours of sleep a night. i am glad i never decided to go for my MD; i simply can't live life this tired. i have a short fuse, i'm a human eating machine, i'm seeking caffeine in all forms several times a day, i keep screwing up simple tasks, and i nearly well up at the thought of my comfortable bed and pajamas.
so i've decided a new part of my training involves aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and more on the weekends if possible. i won't do very well with training if i'm always a zombie, and i'll wind up catching every illness along the way.

today i managed to squeeze in a swim at lunch; it went pretty well, considering i was pressed for time and everything today has colluded against me to go wrong. i tried to figure out whether this new stroke is making me any faster, so i tried to roughly time a 50 (no flipturn, of course). it was ~45 sec, which was faster than i expected; about 85% effort, and i'm not sure how long i could sustain that since we do mostly drills these days. but still, that may well be faster than before. i have to somehow find time to do 90 min of biking tomorrow, and weights; i'm tempted to double up this weekend and ride after saturday's swim or sunday's 5k so that i can actually ride outside, but there are plans for post-race pints of guinness, so sunday might not be a good idea. hmm.

WORKOUT
60 min swimming; 100 lengths (1..4 mi) total.
mostly drills; 10 warmup and cooldown, 12 total kickboard, all the rest focusing on breathing, relaxing head in the water, torque, power strokes, high elbows, etc.

day 32: off

2009-03-11T13:40:00.003-04:00

so i was going to go to spinning tonight, but part of trying to keep a good balance in my life factors in things i need to do for school and time i need to spend with my husband. i also only got ~5 hours of sleep again, so i think the unexpected day off is a good thing; i'll still get all my workouts in this week without having to double up, i'm confident.
plus i need more sleep; this is getting ridiculous.

day 31: a tough run and weights

2009-03-11T13:32:00.002-04:00

despite being up too late on monday night, i got up at 6 on tuesday and went for my 60 min run. i was tired and feeling pretty emotionally spent; i figured running would help me get away from my thoughts and make me feel better, the way exercise usually does. no such luck.

i was in such turmoil that i couldn't get it together enough to focus and keep up the pace for the 10 min sets. i kept having to take a break and walk, not so much from exhaustion as from feeling like i might cry. i kept wanting to just hit 'stop,' go home, and curl back up in bed for the day. i don't usually have problems finishing out a workout, no matter how tough it is physically. but i see how having mental strength can really make or break you physically.

i was able to finish out the 60 min, though i didn't feel proud of any of my efforts. i went home and slept for another 1.5 hours, and woke up feeling much better; the rest of the day went pretty ok. i even managed to get back to the gym and lift in the evening, which felt great - i got my usual endorphin kick and felt positive and energized. so i'm over that mental hump, but i haven't forgotten how much my attitude and outlook was able to affect my performance. i'm going to make sure to mentally prepare for the race and get in the right mindset in the days prior to the triathlon.

WORKOUT

60 min run; 5.23 miles total. max HR ~170.
5 min walk
5 min jog to run
4x 10 min run (9.31 or 9.40 min/mile), 1 min walk; for the middle 2 sets, probably only ran 5-7 min and walked the rest.
2 min jog
8 min walk.

weights
added 5 lbs to everything and decreased to 2 sets of 10 reps. finally back up to curling 25 lb dumbbells; first time since i tore my rotator cuff.

day 30: spinning makes me feel jacked

2009-03-09T20:26:00.002-04:00

i seem to be finally making progress on getting over this cold. i did not make any progress in getting to bed early or getting a good night's sleep; the time change is still messing with my head.

i was clever enough to book my spin bike yesterday; i think i am getting the hang of this scheduling in advance thing. i was a little tweaky during the day, with sore shoulders and that left hamstring. neither ever seem to hurt when i'm actually doing anything, just afterward. i honestly thought maybe my shoulders felt sore in anticipated protest of all the swim paddles i was browsing online today, but then i remembered yoga and figure i stretched them real good. but yes, i bet they will hate those paddles. i think i will make every effort to not do any swimming or running days back to back again; biking would probably be ok.

speaking of which, spinning was awesome tonight; i had the same instructor as the second class, when she made me feel like a hero afterward. rather than intervals, she had us doing one huge, long climb for the entire class; the last 20 min were all standing and we kept stacking on the resistance. it was beautiful. i finally got my ass semi-kicked; i didn't have much left and i began to do my weird blinkless expressionless staring into space, mouth hanging open as i contemplate just how much longer i can keep this up. when i do that, it means i'm seriously working. i like it.

i was drenched in sweat and left puddles around my spin bike, but never actually got out of breath. i will say, today i wore a much tighter top because all my workout gear is dirty and stinky, so i resurrected some clearance bin nike spandex number i ordinarily wouldn't be caught dead in. funny how when you get down to brass tacks with training, you only care about whether your clothing is going to get in your way or be uncomfortable, and not whether it makes you look like a kielbasa. naturally we have mirrors in class, which is good for making sure your form isn't going to crap when you get tired. i caught sight of myself in them when i was dialed in, and i nearly hooted with surprise. dude. I LOOKED SO DIESEL. while i do not suffer from false modesty, i also do not suffer from a terrible amount of confidence, so i am just going to go ahead and revel in the fact that while i have spent 99% of my life like most women - feeling totally gross and pudgy - today, i felt wicked buff. i'm going with it, i'm sure the feeling will be gone soon enough. i don't know where those shoulder muscles came from, but i am going to keep drinking that protein powder.

WORKOUT
50 min spinning class; high intensity and resistance for 80-90%. max HR ~170's. good stuff! drank 1 scoop of endurox - half during and half after; also had 1/3 of a power bar carbmax before class, since i was feeling hungry. had plenty of energy with no crashing. yay!

day 29: sweating it out

2009-03-08T21:28:00.002-04:00

i nearly missed yoga this morning thanks to the time change; apparently my alarm clock doesn't synch up automatically. i ambled through the kitchen, brewing my 6 shots of espresso, heating up my oatmeal, taking out the dog. i sat down with my latte and pile of vitamins and began to leisurely check email when i noticed the time on my laptop. crikey! 10 minutes to yoga and it's a 10 minute drive! i left my breakfast cold on the counter, tossed in my contacts and donned my prana gear, and hauled ass. i was only a few minutes late but it feels bad to disturb everyone's wa; i'm usually early so i can pick a good spot for my mat and relax a little before we get cranking.

i was worried i'd have a lousy practice with all this anxiety and tension i brought with me by running late; i truly hate not being able to go through my morning routines (like eating and brushing my teeth). but i was dying to get everything all loose and stretched out; my left hamstring is still kind of sore after biking yesterday, and while i ice it in the evening, i worry i'm not stretching enough (ok, i'm definitely not stretching enough). i struggled a bit through class today, having to pause and clear my throat a lot and i noticed i was sweating way more than usual. i guess i'm still sick. my mat was actually so wet with sweat that i slipped around a lot and had a hard time keeping some poses, so i actually bought an anti-skid mat topper after class; i'd had an eye on these for a while. i think i muscled through too many of the poses rather than opening myself up to them; for instance, i was so excited to take wheel since i knew i could do it, i wound up stressing my wrists by putting myself into wheel through my arm strength rather than springing into it. when i started class, my left shoulder was really tight from the back-to-back days of swimming and i had a hard time straightening my arm or bringing it overhead, which worried me; but eventually the heat and sweat got to work and i felt like my shoulders, hips and hamstrings all benefited from class today.

during class the instructor, whom i like very much, talked about being in the moment and not letting what has been or fear of what will be dictate how you live in the now. straightforward and nothing novel, i know; but when you hear these words as you're more than an hour into manipulating your body and mind into higher connectivity through sheets of sweat and a blinding sunbeam, it's like it penetrates to your core and you finally understand what some words and sentiments mean that might ring empty in your ears on any other day. i really enjoy the layers of myself that are exposed during those 90 minutes; they might close back up right after class, but at least i know they're there and i can find windows into my life that i didn't have before, even if i can't open them at will. it's good to be reminded.

WORKOUT
90 min intermediate flow yoga class.
drank the other half of my 1 scoop of endurox during and after class; definitely kept my energy from flagging, especially since i'm not feeling 100%.

day 28: swim practice and a muddy bike ride

2009-03-07T17:59:00.008-05:00

this morning i questioned how worthwhile it would be for me to drive in to boston for practice, since i swam yesterday and my shoulders felt like anvils...but i went anyway, and i'm really glad i did.

i got moved up to lane 7 (of the 8), which is just as likely due to the need for redistributing warm bodies evenly as it is any improvements i've made, but i'm happy about it anyway. it's nice to swim with people of similar pace. we also get slightly harder workouts than the lower lanes, which makes me feel like at least i get some cardio in return for my 45 min drive and $6 parking. the drills were helpful, and we did more continuous swimming this time. we also all got in the shallow pool and practiced starting swimming in a large mass of legs and elbows; it was educational, to say the least. it was chaotic, and that's without the frenzy of people actually racing or scores of elite athletes focused on time. i think our open water swims later in the season will be extremely helpful.

i came home and had a tasty panera lunch again - my old standby, a bowl of the low fat black bean soup and a french baguette. this is a hearty base for a bike ride, i discovered last year. it was sunny and near 60 today; my muscles were tingling with anticipation when i was in the parking lot running errands on my way home from practice. after devouring lunch, i got suited up and planned a 20-24 mile loop into the next town. i figured i'd go as far as i felt comfortable, depending on the conditions and how my lungs were doing.

first off, i underestimated how cold i'd be. i was wearing my bike shorts, and my fingerless padded bike gloves, which were fine; but then only a performance tank and a wicking long-sleeved top. luckily i'd brought an extra light zip-up jacket in my camelbak mule cargo area. i usually bike about 1/4 mile or so on my "shakedown route" of one of the bumpier roads; then i stop in a parking lot and adjust anything i need to, which is usually my seat height (it tends to inch down on me over time). so i threw that layer on and things improved. i was warm enough and doing just fine, but had a tough time on the bigger hills included in this route; i felt slow and gummy, which was probably partially me on my sudafed and mucinex regimen, partially all the sand in the shoulders, and partially all the gunk getting kicked up into my chain. today's workout was supposed to be 75 min of bike, and since i had my handy new watch on, i knew that when i got to the next town, i was way more than halfway through the workout time. so i took the short way back, which includes going down some quick hills. usually i love these because you can pick up so much speed and it's a reward for having come up similar hills on the other side of town. not today.

so, today i learned: melting snow + road sand and dirt = OMG MUD. i didn't mind the few flecks of mud i'd gotten on my legs on the way into town, but coming down these hills at serious speed, there was nowhere to go that wasn't wet, and no way to avoid kicking up a huge back-soaking spray. by the time i reached the bottom, my legs were drenched and freezing, i was spitting grit out of my mouth, and i was really glad to be wearing sunglasses. here is some photo proof for your edification. trust me when i say the camera on my cell phone doesn't do justice to my impression of pigpen.

awkward angle, but you can see the candy shell. oh yeah.

and i am definitely not at all impressed.

based on the effort required to wipe down my bike, clean my chain, run laundry, and hand-wash my chamois shorts, i'd say today's ride wasn't truly worth it. i'm glad i went and all, but i think i had gotten way too excited about this balmy weather and had high hopes for this idyllic springtime ride through cherry blossom-lined lanes with chickadees chirping and children offering me a free drink from their lemonade stand. not so much.

i decided to try some of the endurox R4; after discovering that 2 scoops equates to 5 weight watchers points (270 calories of mostly carbs), i thought 1 scoop was a good place to start. i brought it in my new marathon sports water bottle and had a few swigs when my energy flagged before i got to the hilly section. it did seem to keep me energized without any crashing or sugar highs, and didn't taste sweet. i drank more when i got home, but should have had the whole bottle; i forgot i'd halved the serving size and put the other half in the fridge to keep from overdoing what i was taking in. oops. guess i'll try some after yoga tomorrow.

so ice racing is canceled due to this melt-inducing weather, so i get to sleep in tomorrow, and i get to go to yoga! i am so pumped. i have been lying on the couch for the last 3 hours watching tv, and i realized i have not done this (namely, nothing) in exactly a month. it's pretty sweet. this is definitely recovery week.

WORKOUT
80 min bike; 19 mi with the hybrid. average speed ~14 mph. felt a little slow but then, i am sick; it's ok.

notes for next time: bring 1 more layer than you think you need for spring biking. think about road conditions, not just air temp. and if you're sick or it's not over 70 deg, bring a fleece headband. i would have liked mine today, with all the wind in my ears.

day 27: snot and swimming

2009-03-06T22:25:00.002-05:00

status update: still sick. but exercising.

i ventured to the pool today, and if you've been counting, it's been more than a week since i last swam. in that time, something must have clicked...call it muscle memory, whatever - the first few mindless strokes i swam were in "proper form" like we've been learning at practice. i was stunned; i hadn't even thought about it and had mentally told myself, look man if this new stroke thing makes you hate swimming and makes you skip swim workouts, you should just go back to your old style and at least enjoy this part of the race. it's like once i gave myself up to just swimming, it all seemed to fall into place. groovy.

not that it's all second nature, mind you - keeping the new stroke fluid and most efficient takes some thought. i spent a lot of time doing sets of 10 laps working on things like alternate breathing (i swam all my laps today on every 3rd stroke, thank you very much!), proper arm movement, breathing and head position, and i finally figured out something else - i was trying to twist my torso to get that rotation, but i found out i do it naturally if i try to get full reach and arm extension at the catch of each stroke. length=rotation, i guess. so anyway, what i want to work on next is really connecting with my lats and pulling all the way through to the end of the stroke; i think a lot of people fail to utilize all the strong muscles in their back and get the most of each stroke.

i was planning to go home and lift weights, but i'll tell you, a) my chest hurts every time i cough and b) i think my rotator cuff might have quit on me, had i done so. so i decided to pat myself on the back for a job well done in getting to the pool today and making the most of my newfound ability with the technique changes, and not cap off a good day by overdoing it and derailing progress. lifting only 1 time during recovery week won't kill me.

i can't wait for another bike ride in the sunshine tomorrow. and i bought myself a timex ironman watch with 30 lap memory (whatever that means). this purchase came with much trepidation because i haven't worn a watch since i was 8. but i need a stopwatch now, and i'll need to know how long stuff's taking during the race or i'm going to stress about it. so horray for gadgets!

WORKOUT
60 min swim; 90 lengths total, HR ~125
all sets of 10 including warmups, 1 set of kickboarding, and each set working on a different aspect (breathing, arm position, pull, rotation).

day 26: full-blown plague and rest

2009-03-06T10:04:00.002-05:00

yep, i am officially sick, much as i have been denying it.

it's lung-butter hacking time, kids. i was going to go for a run with a friend at school tomorrow, to take advantage of the 60 deg weather forecast. plus, we're running a 5k together next sunday, so i thought a little preview might be a good idea, since my outdoor running experience consists of chasing after my runaway puppy or trying to catch the fedex truck. but i will not be exposing these lungs to an outdoor run this weekend; i'm not that stupid.

i am, however, stupid enough to have plans to swim today, lift weights this evening, swim at practice tomorrow, and take fernando out for a spin in the spring-like air afterwards. then ice race sunday, and look - i will still have all my workouts in for the week. between mucinex and sudafed, i bet i can bring this plan to fruition, but i make no guarantees.

day 25: sore throat and lifting

2009-03-04T21:30:00.002-05:00

yeah, so i still have a sore throat.

i'm taking the occasional sudafed and scarfing cold-eeze lozenges like candy. i was supposed to go to a bike clinic at wheelworks tonight, but i felt so crappy at school that i couldn't bring myself to face a 1 hr+ drive in lousy traffic, with the inspection this far expired, and my headache. nope. i can't even buy a bike yet anyway.

so i went home, ran by GNC to pick up my endurox before they gave up on me and reshelved it, and decided to try lifting and see how i felt. otherwise, i was looking down the barrel of swimming AND lifting tomorrow, and i just don't have it in me this week.

it actually made me feel better. i resolved to stop if i felt sick; i took it nice and slow to avoid that gross cold sweat you can get in a drafty gym if you aren't feeling well. it actually made my sore throat recede (?!?) and gave me a nice burst of energy. i promptly took some protein powder when i got home and heaped on more than whatever calories i expended with a pasta dinner. if i felt better, i might actually care; all i care about right now is sleeping and the magic idea of waking up feeling better, and not worse. maybe i can beat this with positive self-talk.

WORKOUT
60 min of strength training. kept all weights the same, but increased nearly all reps to 2X15. will increase weights next time and decrease reps to 10.

day 24: run

2009-03-03T22:05:00.002-05:00

yeah, i was awesome again and got up at 5.45! i always feel like a trumpet fanfare awaits me each time i manage to do this.
short post tonight; i feel like collapsing on my keyboard and falling asleep. i woke up with a sore throat that i thought was thirst, which might go away upon having my pre-run banana/water combo (nope) or at least be gone by the time i finished my run (nope). i'm still sucking on cold-eeze zinc lozenges as we speak; i can't handle the idea of being sick right now. no way.

the run went well; i was back to my 10 min run/1 min walk combo, but this time i kept a 9.31 min/mile pace rather than my 9.40 min/mile. that might not seem like a substantial gain, but i realized that jumping to a 9.15 was just crazy and too abrupt. this was uber-manageable and i think i should be able to take some time out of my average mile on a regular basis. i read somewhere this week that for each pound you lose, you can take a couple of seconds off your mile time or something like that. that is definitely not the factor behind my increasing speed...the scale remains quietly unimpressed. while i am eating more, it's not with reckless abandon and i'm surprised i'm not just shedding pounds. on the one hand, i bet i am building some muscle. also, i have been chronically dehydrated due to sheer business and laziness (what a great combo, i master it daily). i may not be a full-fledged biochemist yet, but i do remember hearing about getting micro-tears in your muscles when you work them hard, and how they tend to swell and make you retain water. add that to only drinking about 1L a day when i should be drinking 3, and maybe that's part of the scale stagnation. but then i was complaining when i lost 3 lbs in a week so you know, maybe i'm just never satisfied.

the state of my throat tomorrow will determine whether i just lift or do some cardio too. that, and i somehow tweaked my left hamstring during the run today; it felt fine until about 30 min post-run, when it began to twinge and never really stopped. i sat on an ice pack intermittently during the day, much to the amusement of coworkers. it still bugs me when walking, but not on stairs - go figure. i might save that last 75 min bike workout for closer to the weekend and give my poor hammys some rest.

WORKOUT
60 min run, HR 160-170; 5.5 miles
5 min warmup (3 min walk, 2 min jog)
5 min to pace
1 min walk
10 min run (9.31 min/mile), 1 min walk x 4
5 min cooldown (2 min jog, 3 min walk)

day 23: spinning

2009-03-02T21:40:00.002-05:00

this week begins my first "recovery" week, following the last two of aerobic base building. what does that mean? i get two days of rest instead of one, and my 5th workout gets to be a choice (swim, bike, run). also, most of the workout times are significantly shorter, in order to give me a needed rest from the gains i've made the past couple of weeks. i think i'll enjoy it, but i'm still going to strive for 2 lifting sessions and try to somehow find a yoga class i can make; ice racing on sundays makes that tough, but you never know whether the conditions will have us racing or not until just before the weekend.

although i was annoyed that i had to suffer the inconvenience of a significant amount of snow without enjoying a cozy day at home doing the zillion things i never have time to do, i decided to make up for it by doing spinning tonight after school. kind of weird that doing spinning brightens my day, but i figure it's way cooler than 60 min on the regular gym bike.

class was strangely...easy. i can't figure out why. yes, my butt is feeling more and more like a block of wood i rest upon occasionally and less like a soft mush of raw nerve endings; it's finally gotten accustomed to bike seats again. it's kind of like the first few weeks in flip flops; you wonder if your big toe is ever going to forgive you but lo and behold, your feet begin to remember the warmer weather wear and adapt. so i've got my spring butt back, i suppose.
that, and leaning forward to rest my hands on the spin bike handlebars (position 1) is no longer some weird back-racking hunch that i can only hold for moments at a time; it's now a default position. climbing up out of the saddle is actually easy. making big changes in resistance: easy. bringing rpm's up to 110: suddenly do-able. hmmm. i am not sure when the elves came and stole my legs at night and replaced them with spinning-competent legs, but it happened magically in the past week.

cool.

so maybe it's sleep, or a day of rest, or my body just adapts quickly to new torturous labors with efficiency - either way, i'm not arguing with it. we'll see how tomorrow's intended early run goes.

WORKOUT
50 min spinning class. max HR probably 160, it was just not that bad. plenty of intervals, a lot of resistance cranking. felt great!

day 22: off

2009-03-02T21:36:00.002-05:00

i enjoyed my day off by getting 4 hours of sleep (yay) and heading up north with husband and dog for a fun and relatively warm day of ice racing on newfound lake.
it was really cool to drive the same roads we've been on every winter and think about how they'd feel on a road bike. a lot of the people we ice race with are locals and have spectated mooseman before, and all said the same thing - the water will be cold! that should be interesting, seeing as how the pools i've swum in are always so toasty.

i was a little stiff from sitting in the car so much, and wound up eating a metric ton of carby food (pretzels, bagel, garlic bread, chicken parm)...and way too much of it. but, i think i was a human eating machine from being so tired and run down; it prompted me to get 9.5 hours of sleep that night, which made me feel like a new person. horray, day off, even though you make me feel like a slacker.

day 21: injury prevention clinic, weights, first bike of 2009!!

2009-02-28T15:20:00.002-05:00

after another questionable night's sleep, i rolled out of bed at 6.45 on a saturday (i used to think such things were criminal; now i just don't think). i headed in to newton for a clinic on injury prevention at marathon sports PT, which turned out to be super useful and informative. i'm definitely going there for a screening on which areas are weakest, least flexible, and an analysis of my running gait - i definitely need it. i already know my hip flexors are always tight and lead to a lot of my IT band trouble. which is still causing me to have daily firey hip pain, which i largely ignore. who needs to sleep on that side anyway?

then i came home for a quick snack and turned right around to go to the gym for some strength training. my intention was to come home for lunch and then head right out to the pool, but i was definitely feeling very meh about the whole idea of driving all the way to the Y, sharing the pool with family swim people, being all chlorinated, and let's face it - struggling with how much i hate the technique change. i played a bunch of different scenarios in my head. i do some time on the elliptical at the gym instead, so i still get in some cardio but don't have the time sink of going to the pool. i go home and take a nap and write off that last 60 min session, and try not to feel guilty about it. i prevaricate about what to do and waste the whole day and wind up not getting any of my tasks (oil change, fix blinking airbag light, dishes, laundry) done and feeling bad about not doing all my weekly workouts. hmm.

i also stopped at GNC after the gym and bought more myoplex lite, which is my favorite protein powder du jour for my post-lifting snack (only twice a week, i can afford it). i was hoping for some advice on good carbo stuff for endurance; the guy recommended endurox (which has been featured in many triathlon articles and books i've seen) and this stuff called dark matter. neither are cheap; i'm going to go back and get a gold membership and pick something up that i can drink before and during longer cardio workouts that will replenish my energy but not give me the sugar crash. i hope these do the trick.

i decided to bring a surprise lunch home from panera for me and my husband so i could, you know, actually SEE him today and talk to him. that was quite nice. it was balmy enough outside (38 deg? sunny and quite windy?) that i had the insane idea to ride my bike. a fleeting thought became an obsession. it had to happen.

i got my butt out the door by 1.50, after taking some time to fill my tires (hadn't ridden since october) and get extensively suited up (bergelene base layer, EMS running rights, sugoi padded bike shorts on bottom; base layer, wicking layer, hind spandex top, and new EMS wind-resistant fleece hoodie on top; gloves, of course! and a new wind-resistant headband under my helmet for my poor ears). i did my favorite quickie local loop, which goes through town and has some nasty ruts and sand piles, but fernando can handle it (doesn't he look happy? the pic in the sidebar was kindly taken by my ever-obliging husband after i returned home). i think it will be a little while before any road bike i may purchase can actually be ridden on the roads where i live; and i don't have a bike rack yet, and no bike will fit in my car (i barely fit in my car). so we shall see.

it was chilly and windy but so great; i love the sunshine, you see. i thought i would faint with happiness when i caught a whiff of the spray-on SPF 50 i was using for biking all summer, which must have saturated the back of my camelbak as i sweated. it smelled like happy days of sunshine and exertion; so great. and wow, i think i am in better shape now than i was last summer: biking is a lot easier. i rode in a higher gear than i used to for 90% of the trip, didn't have to get out of the saddle on many of the hills where i used to, and wasn't terribly tired or sore afterward. all in all, it was 16.4 mi in 70 min, including a rough headwind on the way home. i was pleasantly surprised.

now i'm in a great mood, about to go out for a friend's birthday dinner, and looking forward to my day off tomorrow - which entails getting up at 5.30 am and heading north to newfound lake, where we've done winter ice racing with the BMWCCA for the past 5+ years. it'll be interesting to drive those roads knowing i'll be biking them in a few months! i can't wait.

WORKOUT

weights: 45 min; mostly same as before, 2x12 on all with no issue; going to increase wt and drop reps next time.

bike: outdoors! 16.4 mi, few moderate hills; 70 min. which amounts to 14.4 mph average.