31 Aug
Swim: 4500 yrd
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Swim--A weird combination of IM, fly drills, and a long freestyle set. The whole workout really had me confused. And it took a long time! At least it was fun. Especially the fly drills and sets.
Other--I managed to finish all of my nuclear reactor homework before the weekend, and we don't have much to do in the lasers class! Provided Ernesto doesn't wreck havoc on the eastern seaboard, this is going to be a pretty good weekend. I also made a completely delicious loaf of bread today. It is super tasty! A friend gave me his secret recipe, and it took me 8 hours to make it. I woke up at 5:15 this morning to start it, came home on my lunch break, and finished it just before swim practice. Maybe it tastes so good because it took such a long time to make.
Inspiration--Wow, bloggers are going NUTS over IM Wisconsin for next year given the contest that just came out. It's crazy! I can't even comprehend the training for an Ironman, let alone the pain that a race like that would require!!! Someday... but not any day soon, that I can promise!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Run
30 Aug
Run: 13 mi
Core: 11 min
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Run--60 min on my own through the beautiful streets of Bethesda, 6 miles with Team in Training, 1 more mile on home. The weather was BEAUTIFUL: light mist/sprinkle, low(er) temperatures, cloudy. It was so perfect! And I made friends with the cutest orange cat. (All I could picture in my mind was putting objects on that silly cat.) Haha! He/she didn't seem to mind my sweat too much. Easy weeks are the BEST! I really hope to rock the 15K this weekend.
Core--9 x 1:10 of abs/oblique/back exercises.
Mental--ALL day today I learned about neutrons. I worked on a crazy problem set for nuclear engineering for about 7-8 hours. But to balance it out I also watched my new Netflix movie Bring It On: All or Nothing! Oh man, who needs a lobotomy when we have cheerleading movies! No, I liked the first two Bring It On movies, but this one was beyond dumb. But entertaining, so I'll keep it for a few days!
Picture--Here's a picture from the IronGirl triathlon. I have NO clue what my hair and my lower jaw are doing. I don't really look like that! Oh well, it was a really fun race and a hard effort. A great end to my first triathlon season! I can't wait for next summer!
Steph and LUCKY after the IronGirl triathlon!
Run: 13 mi
Core: 11 min
------------------------------------------------------
Run--60 min on my own through the beautiful streets of Bethesda, 6 miles with Team in Training, 1 more mile on home. The weather was BEAUTIFUL: light mist/sprinkle, low(er) temperatures, cloudy. It was so perfect! And I made friends with the cutest orange cat. (All I could picture in my mind was putting objects on that silly cat.) Haha! He/she didn't seem to mind my sweat too much. Easy weeks are the BEST! I really hope to rock the 15K this weekend.
Core--9 x 1:10 of abs/oblique/back exercises.
Mental--ALL day today I learned about neutrons. I worked on a crazy problem set for nuclear engineering for about 7-8 hours. But to balance it out I also watched my new Netflix movie Bring It On: All or Nothing! Oh man, who needs a lobotomy when we have cheerleading movies! No, I liked the first two Bring It On movies, but this one was beyond dumb. But entertaining, so I'll keep it for a few days!
Picture--Here's a picture from the IronGirl triathlon. I have NO clue what my hair and my lower jaw are doing. I don't really look like that! Oh well, it was a really fun race and a hard effort. A great end to my first triathlon season! I can't wait for next summer!
Steph and LUCKY after the IronGirl triathlon!Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Run
29 Aug
Run: 3 mi
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Run--The Weather Channel says it's 92 degrees but it feels like 99 degrees. My mind did not want to run today, but I tricked it into 3 miles. It was just so hot out there. This is an easy workout/run week, so I don't mind taking it easy. No pressure!
Nutrition--The most important thing right now is to be drinking enough fluids. The next most important thing is to be eating lots of fruits and veggies. I will start eating better breakfasts; no more honey nut cheerios. I need something more substantial, especially if I have class in the morning. I still have some pancakes in the freezer! Yay!
Run: 3 mi
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Run--The Weather Channel says it's 92 degrees but it feels like 99 degrees. My mind did not want to run today, but I tricked it into 3 miles. It was just so hot out there. This is an easy workout/run week, so I don't mind taking it easy. No pressure!
Nutrition--The most important thing right now is to be drinking enough fluids. The next most important thing is to be eating lots of fruits and veggies. I will start eating better breakfasts; no more honey nut cheerios. I need something more substantial, especially if I have class in the morning. I still have some pancakes in the freezer! Yay!
Rest
28 Aug
Rest
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Rest--Energy was nill on Monday, so a day off was in order. This is an easier week, so taking a day off is probably a good idea. It was a good opportunity to catch up on some necessary sleep, especially since classes are back in session. Sleeping through a class on nuclear reactors spells disaster!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--Energy was nill on Monday, so a day off was in order. This is an easier week, so taking a day off is probably a good idea. It was a good opportunity to catch up on some necessary sleep, especially since classes are back in session. Sleeping through a class on nuclear reactors spells disaster!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Race
27 Aug
IronGirl Sprint Tri
Swim - 20:06 (1000m, 1:50/yd)
T1 - 2:27
Bike - 1:11:24 (17.5 mi, flat tire = 11:30)
T2 - 1:29
Run - 26:52 (3.3 mi, 8:09/mi)
Total Time - 2:02:17
Overall - 307/1274
AG - 17/69
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Swim--Wow, this was the best open water swim I have EVER had! I was calm, the water was nice, they gave us hot pink swim caps (yay!), and it was a great course. Too warm for wetsuits, but a good temp. At the beginning I just let everyone thrash around in the water, and I concentrated on finding my groove early. Focusing on my right elbow pointed toward the sky and reaching out in addition to an efficient pull helped tremendously. I actually felt energized from the swim!
T1--The transition area was pretty big (1800 participants), so I had to run a ways to get my bike. We were racked according to age group/swim wave, and there were quite a few bikes there when I grabbed mine. Everything seemed to run smoothly.
Bike--I flatted out 10 FEET from T1. No fooling. I tried to pump it back up, but I ended up changing out the tube. In a sprint tri! It took me a little over 11 minutes (maybe I should work on that...). Of course there are a bazillion people watching me do this, and I see my entire age group go by me on their bikes. But I successfully fixed it and concentrated on picking them off one by one. The course was pretty challenging, but not like central VA challenging. There were some pretty big hills, and there were a LOT of cars, so it was ridiculously hard to pass people. I almost went crazy, especially since I was trying to make up some big time. Why did I name my bike LUCKY?! Remind me again! We're not speaking, and he has to spend the night in the car as punishment.
T2--A lot of bikes were racked, but I managed to pass enough people on the bike to make up some places. I forgot to catch this split on my watch. Oops!
Run--Wow, another death march. What is the deal with these super hilly run courses on triathlons??? I power walked up 2 or 3 hills because I could power walk much faster than I could run up them. The mile markers were placed incorrectly too, so I don't have accurate mile splits for this either. A lot of people were reduced to walking the entire thing. Village People were handing out water on the course. It was so funny! There was also a Hawaiian water stop.
Overall--I had some beef with the stupid little logistical things (i.e. directions, head's up on super anal instructions for transition area), but the race was really fun. It's disappointing that I would have came in 5/69 instead of 17/69 had it not been for the flat. I e-mailed Desiree Ficker and asked if I could have my picture taken with her for the transition Olympics, but I couldn't find her afterward. Oh well! She is really nice. It was incredible seeing so many women come out to do this thing and have fun. Final tri of the season is done! Onto the marathon and ultra!
IronGirl Sprint Tri
Swim - 20:06 (1000m, 1:50/yd)
T1 - 2:27
Bike - 1:11:24 (17.5 mi, flat tire = 11:30)
T2 - 1:29
Run - 26:52 (3.3 mi, 8:09/mi)
Total Time - 2:02:17
Overall - 307/1274
AG - 17/69
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--Wow, this was the best open water swim I have EVER had! I was calm, the water was nice, they gave us hot pink swim caps (yay!), and it was a great course. Too warm for wetsuits, but a good temp. At the beginning I just let everyone thrash around in the water, and I concentrated on finding my groove early. Focusing on my right elbow pointed toward the sky and reaching out in addition to an efficient pull helped tremendously. I actually felt energized from the swim!
T1--The transition area was pretty big (1800 participants), so I had to run a ways to get my bike. We were racked according to age group/swim wave, and there were quite a few bikes there when I grabbed mine. Everything seemed to run smoothly.
Bike--I flatted out 10 FEET from T1. No fooling. I tried to pump it back up, but I ended up changing out the tube. In a sprint tri! It took me a little over 11 minutes (maybe I should work on that...). Of course there are a bazillion people watching me do this, and I see my entire age group go by me on their bikes. But I successfully fixed it and concentrated on picking them off one by one. The course was pretty challenging, but not like central VA challenging. There were some pretty big hills, and there were a LOT of cars, so it was ridiculously hard to pass people. I almost went crazy, especially since I was trying to make up some big time. Why did I name my bike LUCKY?! Remind me again! We're not speaking, and he has to spend the night in the car as punishment.
T2--A lot of bikes were racked, but I managed to pass enough people on the bike to make up some places. I forgot to catch this split on my watch. Oops!
Run--Wow, another death march. What is the deal with these super hilly run courses on triathlons??? I power walked up 2 or 3 hills because I could power walk much faster than I could run up them. The mile markers were placed incorrectly too, so I don't have accurate mile splits for this either. A lot of people were reduced to walking the entire thing. Village People were handing out water on the course. It was so funny! There was also a Hawaiian water stop.
Overall--I had some beef with the stupid little logistical things (i.e. directions, head's up on super anal instructions for transition area), but the race was really fun. It's disappointing that I would have came in 5/69 instead of 17/69 had it not been for the flat. I e-mailed Desiree Ficker and asked if I could have my picture taken with her for the transition Olympics, but I couldn't find her afterward. Oh well! She is really nice. It was incredible seeing so many women come out to do this thing and have fun. Final tri of the season is done! Onto the marathon and ultra!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Run, Bike
26 Aug
Run: 14 mi
Bike: 17.7 mi
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Run--I know what you're thinking. No, running and riding isn't exactly the best pre-race tri strategy! TNT hosted a run at Carderock, and it was the last long run with the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathoners. Some of the 1/2-ers are on my team, so it was nice to wish them well. The trail was pretty rocky, and I definitely felt it in my lower legs. Originally I wanted to run 16 to round out my week at 60 miles, but the wiser, more mature Steph decided that with the cycling and the race tomorrow, 14 was good enough.
Bike--I rode my bike from Bethesda down to the run. Wow, there is some good cycling out on MacArthur Blvd. My legs were pretty tired riding (uphill) back home. I sure hope this triathlon goes well tomorrow! Marathon's only 9 weeks away...!
Run: 14 mi
Bike: 17.7 mi
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Run--I know what you're thinking. No, running and riding isn't exactly the best pre-race tri strategy! TNT hosted a run at Carderock, and it was the last long run with the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathoners. Some of the 1/2-ers are on my team, so it was nice to wish them well. The trail was pretty rocky, and I definitely felt it in my lower legs. Originally I wanted to run 16 to round out my week at 60 miles, but the wiser, more mature Steph decided that with the cycling and the race tomorrow, 14 was good enough.
Bike--I rode my bike from Bethesda down to the run. Wow, there is some good cycling out on MacArthur Blvd. My legs were pretty tired riding (uphill) back home. I sure hope this triathlon goes well tomorrow! Marathon's only 9 weeks away...!
Rest
25 Aug
Rest
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Rest--It has been a long week, academically and athletically. TNT had a long run scheduled on Saturday, and the last tri of the season is on Sunday, so it seemed prudent to give the legs a bit of a break from the high(er) mileage of this week. I managed to do a lot of work on my thesis, and I went to the running store to try on some trail shoes for the JFK 50 Miler. Wow, those things feel weird! But I'm just not sure I can finish a 50 mile race in my road trainers... Hmmm.
Rest
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Rest--It has been a long week, academically and athletically. TNT had a long run scheduled on Saturday, and the last tri of the season is on Sunday, so it seemed prudent to give the legs a bit of a break from the high(er) mileage of this week. I managed to do a lot of work on my thesis, and I went to the running store to try on some trail shoes for the JFK 50 Miler. Wow, those things feel weird! But I'm just not sure I can finish a 50 mile race in my road trainers... Hmmm.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Run
24 Aug
Run Noon: 5 mi
Run Eve: 6 mi
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Run Noon: 1 mi WU, 3.5 race, 0.5 cool. Race was on the NNMC base at noon, which was so ridiculously hot and sunny. The course was fun though! I had some SEVERE stomach pain/issues. I was about to cry. Later, that same pain knocked me out for 3 hours in the afternoon. Pace was 7:15 (25:21 for 3.5 mi).
Run Eve: Mini-track session with the MD TNT Team. We warmed up and did 6x800 on the track and then cooled down. Also the mountain bike takes me from point A to point B (and C, D, etc).
Splits:
3:27
3:25
3:17
3:11
3:10
3:09
Nutrition--I am eating everything in sight, and I have the hugest craving for beef. I am not kidding! After every run my body wants to eat the entire side of a cow. But I don't cook meat or have it in my house, which poses a problem! I don't exactly know how many calories I have been eating, but I bet it's over 3000. I hate to say it, but I actually want my metabolism to slow down. Next week is an easy week, so I'll have time to take it easy.
Rest--I can't sleep well at night, maybe because of the heat or because I'm exercising (and eating!) too close to bedtime. I'm almost pretty high strung from working on my thesis. I need to figure out a way to chill out. Maybe drinking a lot of fluids before I go to bed will help. How about a mountain biking magazine!
Run Noon: 5 mi
Run Eve: 6 mi
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Run Noon: 1 mi WU, 3.5 race, 0.5 cool. Race was on the NNMC base at noon, which was so ridiculously hot and sunny. The course was fun though! I had some SEVERE stomach pain/issues. I was about to cry. Later, that same pain knocked me out for 3 hours in the afternoon. Pace was 7:15 (25:21 for 3.5 mi).
Run Eve: Mini-track session with the MD TNT Team. We warmed up and did 6x800 on the track and then cooled down. Also the mountain bike takes me from point A to point B (and C, D, etc).
Splits:
3:27
3:25
3:17
3:11
3:10
3:09
Nutrition--I am eating everything in sight, and I have the hugest craving for beef. I am not kidding! After every run my body wants to eat the entire side of a cow. But I don't cook meat or have it in my house, which poses a problem! I don't exactly know how many calories I have been eating, but I bet it's over 3000. I hate to say it, but I actually want my metabolism to slow down. Next week is an easy week, so I'll have time to take it easy.
Rest--I can't sleep well at night, maybe because of the heat or because I'm exercising (and eating!) too close to bedtime. I'm almost pretty high strung from working on my thesis. I need to figure out a way to chill out. Maybe drinking a lot of fluids before I go to bed will help. How about a mountain biking magazine!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Run
23 Aug
Run: 16.5 mi
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Run--Between 9:30-10:00 pace for a truly easy (but longer) run. I'm tired and very hungry. 15K and Marine Corps Marathon on the horizon. It can be done. Food is going into my mouth in about 10 seconds.
Run: 16.5 mi
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Run--Between 9:30-10:00 pace for a truly easy (but longer) run. I'm tired and very hungry. 15K and Marine Corps Marathon on the horizon. It can be done. Food is going into my mouth in about 10 seconds.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Swim, Strength
22 Aug
Swim: 4500 yd
Strength: biceps, tri, shoulders, legs
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Swim--Swimming 5000 yd would have been ideal, but two new girls showed up today who couldn't do fly or breaststroke. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time talking about the strokes instead of actually swimming them. *sigh.* Oh well, 4500 yd for an IM day is still pretty good. Hopefully they remember how to (somewhat) do all of the strokes. They were both triathletes who have never swam IM before. During my first masters swim practice, I felt the same way, except I was a LOT slower!
Strength--Legs are still a bit sore from yesterday's run, but feel pretty good overall.
Training Plan--At first I micromanaged myself and had each run mapped out on my training calendar. But I found that I am MUCH happier and MUCH more likely to actually follow my training plan if I have "weekly" goals instead. For example: one rest day, two strength/core sessions, 8000 yd swimming, one double-digit run in the middle of the week, one speed session, total mileage around 55 miles. The flexibility is GREAT, and the goals are achievable. I find I don't freak out over workouts as much anymore.
Progress--I like experimenting with training plans. This year I really wanted to try out this triathlon stuff and find out if I could use that as a good base for marathon training. Seems to be ok so far. The only problem was I kept injuring myself on my bike. If I qualify for Boston, I am going to cut my (running) mileage WAAAAAY back and focus on shorter, faster races. I would like to try that run-3-times-a-week training plan that Runner's World put out, just to see what it's all about. I can do a good tempo run on a treadmill. I can't run 5 days in a row on a treadmill or I'll go postal. I am also going to buy a bike trainer and go NUTS this winter (and I have Netflix)! I'm so psyched! My A race for next spring/summer is going to be the Eagleman 1/2 Ironman, just to try it out. And then the Air Force is going to move me to my next mysterious location! Hopefully my mileage via Eagleman will help me run a blazing fall marathon in 2007. My body is still maturing, and I want to be patient while I am trying to cut some more minutes off my marathon best. Maybe someday I'll run a 100 mile week, but it won't be anytime soon, that's for sure. Patience will pay off! No fear in training!
Swim: 4500 yd
Strength: biceps, tri, shoulders, legs
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--Swimming 5000 yd would have been ideal, but two new girls showed up today who couldn't do fly or breaststroke. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time talking about the strokes instead of actually swimming them. *sigh.* Oh well, 4500 yd for an IM day is still pretty good. Hopefully they remember how to (somewhat) do all of the strokes. They were both triathletes who have never swam IM before. During my first masters swim practice, I felt the same way, except I was a LOT slower!
Strength--Legs are still a bit sore from yesterday's run, but feel pretty good overall.
Training Plan--At first I micromanaged myself and had each run mapped out on my training calendar. But I found that I am MUCH happier and MUCH more likely to actually follow my training plan if I have "weekly" goals instead. For example: one rest day, two strength/core sessions, 8000 yd swimming, one double-digit run in the middle of the week, one speed session, total mileage around 55 miles. The flexibility is GREAT, and the goals are achievable. I find I don't freak out over workouts as much anymore.
Progress--I like experimenting with training plans. This year I really wanted to try out this triathlon stuff and find out if I could use that as a good base for marathon training. Seems to be ok so far. The only problem was I kept injuring myself on my bike. If I qualify for Boston, I am going to cut my (running) mileage WAAAAAY back and focus on shorter, faster races. I would like to try that run-3-times-a-week training plan that Runner's World put out, just to see what it's all about. I can do a good tempo run on a treadmill. I can't run 5 days in a row on a treadmill or I'll go postal. I am also going to buy a bike trainer and go NUTS this winter (and I have Netflix)! I'm so psyched! My A race for next spring/summer is going to be the Eagleman 1/2 Ironman, just to try it out. And then the Air Force is going to move me to my next mysterious location! Hopefully my mileage via Eagleman will help me run a blazing fall marathon in 2007. My body is still maturing, and I want to be patient while I am trying to cut some more minutes off my marathon best. Maybe someday I'll run a 100 mile week, but it won't be anytime soon, that's for sure. Patience will pay off! No fear in training!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Run
21 Aug
Run: 16.5 mi (2:08:27)
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Run--I didn't do a long run this weekend because Joy was visiting, and I wanted to do a long tempo/marathon pace run anyway. My pace ended up being 7:47 (even with a 9:00 first mile). I didn't drink any Gatorade or eat any gels during the run, just drank from water fountains along the way through Rock Creek Park. It was still very hot (90 degrees with about 65% humidity). Splits were 1:05:14 and 1:03:13 (uphill 2nd half). I know I could not hold that pace for 10 more miles; my back was yelling at me. More core workouts! I think a Subway sandwich, lots of fluids, and some easy stretching are in my near future. Yum!
Mental--Graduate Health Physics classes started up today. I am excited because I love the structure. This will really help my thesis, and I'm very excited. Nothing like learning about nuclear reactors at 7:30 in the morning!
Strategy--I have a strategy that's constantly in my mind when I'm marathon training. This is marathon #9, but each race is so different. Here's how I like to break it up pace-wise in my mind: 10 miles, 17 miles, 20 miles, 10K. It worked like a charm during my last two races and helped me negative split both of them (although slower times, just went for the negative split). This is my first shot at a Boston qualifying time AND a negative split, and I think I can do it. I haven't nailed down my paces just yet in my mind for MCM, but I have been thinking about it. I made a pace spreadsheet that's pretty cool for determining total time by changing the paces in those increments mentioned above (if you want me to e-mail it to you, let me know, I'll be happy to do so!).
Recovery--This body can handle high mileage (as long as it's not on the Capital Crescent Trail everyday). My mind can handle high mileage too. But when I get home I make sure I stretch out really well, I walk around a lot even if I'm sore. The secret is swimming after hard runs. I learned this (on accident) after my first marathon, but I didn't do it for the next 3 and I paid the price. Then the next 4 I followed up every race with an easy swim, and it was great! I completely recovered several weeks faster. Also, I make sure I drink a lot of water and Gatorade before going to bed because sleeping totally dries me out. Keeping a waterbottle by the bed is a good idea too. I'll paraphrase what I read in an old Runner's World recently: A cool-down isn't to cool down from the race you just ran, but it's only to prepare to run hard future races. Time to chill out, catch up on some reading, and enjoy the rest of the night.
Run: 16.5 mi (2:08:27)
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I didn't do a long run this weekend because Joy was visiting, and I wanted to do a long tempo/marathon pace run anyway. My pace ended up being 7:47 (even with a 9:00 first mile). I didn't drink any Gatorade or eat any gels during the run, just drank from water fountains along the way through Rock Creek Park. It was still very hot (90 degrees with about 65% humidity). Splits were 1:05:14 and 1:03:13 (uphill 2nd half). I know I could not hold that pace for 10 more miles; my back was yelling at me. More core workouts! I think a Subway sandwich, lots of fluids, and some easy stretching are in my near future. Yum!
Mental--Graduate Health Physics classes started up today. I am excited because I love the structure. This will really help my thesis, and I'm very excited. Nothing like learning about nuclear reactors at 7:30 in the morning!
Strategy--I have a strategy that's constantly in my mind when I'm marathon training. This is marathon #9, but each race is so different. Here's how I like to break it up pace-wise in my mind: 10 miles, 17 miles, 20 miles, 10K. It worked like a charm during my last two races and helped me negative split both of them (although slower times, just went for the negative split). This is my first shot at a Boston qualifying time AND a negative split, and I think I can do it. I haven't nailed down my paces just yet in my mind for MCM, but I have been thinking about it. I made a pace spreadsheet that's pretty cool for determining total time by changing the paces in those increments mentioned above (if you want me to e-mail it to you, let me know, I'll be happy to do so!).
Recovery--This body can handle high mileage (as long as it's not on the Capital Crescent Trail everyday). My mind can handle high mileage too. But when I get home I make sure I stretch out really well, I walk around a lot even if I'm sore. The secret is swimming after hard runs. I learned this (on accident) after my first marathon, but I didn't do it for the next 3 and I paid the price. Then the next 4 I followed up every race with an easy swim, and it was great! I completely recovered several weeks faster. Also, I make sure I drink a lot of water and Gatorade before going to bed because sleeping totally dries me out. Keeping a waterbottle by the bed is a good idea too. I'll paraphrase what I read in an old Runner's World recently: A cool-down isn't to cool down from the race you just ran, but it's only to prepare to run hard future races. Time to chill out, catch up on some reading, and enjoy the rest of the night.
Rest
20 Aug
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I wanted to take a rest day Saturday, but I decided that with all the walking around and the crazy kayaking, I really needed a serious rest day. I dropped Joy off at the airport really early (after going to bed at 1:30AM), so I went back to sleep for a few hours. I just cleaned up this place and did some leisurely reading. It was very nice. I also took a nap. Dehydration set in, but it wasn't too bad. It was nice to chill out and stay off the feet!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I wanted to take a rest day Saturday, but I decided that with all the walking around and the crazy kayaking, I really needed a serious rest day. I dropped Joy off at the airport really early (after going to bed at 1:30AM), so I went back to sleep for a few hours. I just cleaned up this place and did some leisurely reading. It was very nice. I also took a nap. Dehydration set in, but it wasn't too bad. It was nice to chill out and stay off the feet!
X-Train
19 Aug
X-train: Kayaked for 90 min, walked for several hours
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X-train--My roommate from USAFA visited for the weekend. It was the greatest weekend I have had in a LONG time! She is a funny, cheery, wonderful person, and she's so great to hang out with! Kayaking was fun; we raced to the different bridges along the river which totally killed our shoulders. We also walked all over Georgetown and the National Mall. Our dream is to recruit a bunch of people that were in the USAFA Marathon Club with us and go to Tuscany on a bicycle tour in summer 2007 or run the Las Vegas Marathon together.
X-train: Kayaked for 90 min, walked for several hours
------------------------------------------------------
X-train--My roommate from USAFA visited for the weekend. It was the greatest weekend I have had in a LONG time! She is a funny, cheery, wonderful person, and she's so great to hang out with! Kayaking was fun; we raced to the different bridges along the river which totally killed our shoulders. We also walked all over Georgetown and the National Mall. Our dream is to recruit a bunch of people that were in the USAFA Marathon Club with us and go to Tuscany on a bicycle tour in summer 2007 or run the Las Vegas Marathon together.
Steph and Joy after crazy kayaking races
We killed 3 miles of sea floor with the amount of sushi we ate
Friday, August 18, 2006
Run
18 Aug
Run: 6.5 mi (33 min hills)
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Run--Today's run brought back the confidence! The hills were tough, but having the vision of the finish line at Marine Corps suddenly dwarfed the size and length of the hills. Nothing like practicing for that victory lap! The calf is feeling a lot better, which is surprising given the hill workout. Steph *hearts* hills.
Rest--The last complete rest day was 9 August. The next rest day is tomorrow! The week rounds out with 56 miles of running over 4 days combined with a speed workout and some crazy swims. Tomorrow is a day of drinking a lot of fluids, resting, stretching, and strategizing for the next few weeks. Some key "progress report" races are coming up. Good thing is, my body is tired and not broken, and my mind is still super motivated to train. Less than 10 weeks until the marathon!
Mental--Wow, my brain was about to explode from cabin fever! So the best remedy was to visit a museum! The Hirschhorn was calling my name, and I saw an exhibit I had wanted to see for some time. I was completely blown away, and the Hirshhorn retains its status as my favorite museum in Washington DC. Well done!
Run: 6.5 mi (33 min hills)
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Today's run brought back the confidence! The hills were tough, but having the vision of the finish line at Marine Corps suddenly dwarfed the size and length of the hills. Nothing like practicing for that victory lap! The calf is feeling a lot better, which is surprising given the hill workout. Steph *hearts* hills.
Rest--The last complete rest day was 9 August. The next rest day is tomorrow! The week rounds out with 56 miles of running over 4 days combined with a speed workout and some crazy swims. Tomorrow is a day of drinking a lot of fluids, resting, stretching, and strategizing for the next few weeks. Some key "progress report" races are coming up. Good thing is, my body is tired and not broken, and my mind is still super motivated to train. Less than 10 weeks until the marathon!
Mental--Wow, my brain was about to explode from cabin fever! So the best remedy was to visit a museum! The Hirschhorn was calling my name, and I saw an exhibit I had wanted to see for some time. I was completely blown away, and the Hirshhorn retains its status as my favorite museum in Washington DC. Well done!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Swim, Core
17 Aug
Swim: 5100 yd
Core: 13 min
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Swim--I love swimming with the masters team, I really do. Lately I have to go early and swim beforehand because the workouts our coach has lined up aren't long enough (one killer workout last week was an exception!). I like to swim 1000 yd before practice, and if the entire set isn't 4000 yd, I'll swim with paddles until I reach a total of 5000 yd. Swimming with paddles, especially when I'm already tired, helps tremendously! I have been trying to swim the IM drills/sets with the Gold group, but my freestyle just isn't there yet. But I told my coach I would try my hardest at every practice. I want to be "comfortable" in Gold before I am reassigned to a new base! Oh, pull-ups are really hard to do after swimming a lot; do them beforehand!
Nutrition--I have been eating a lot 'better.' I have lots of good foods in my house: melon, milk, low-fat cottage cheese, peaches, walnuts. I have only been eating when I am truly hungry. It's all good. I admit, I get sick of drinking liters of water all day, so I will allow myself to drink whatever I want. Yes, it's extra calories, but I would rather have extra calories and be super-hydrated than not want to drink water. I drink Gatorade, OJ, and chocolate milk throughout the day, but mostly water. We would probably have world peace if every single person in the world was properly hydrated.
Swim: 5100 yd
Core: 13 min
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--I love swimming with the masters team, I really do. Lately I have to go early and swim beforehand because the workouts our coach has lined up aren't long enough (one killer workout last week was an exception!). I like to swim 1000 yd before practice, and if the entire set isn't 4000 yd, I'll swim with paddles until I reach a total of 5000 yd. Swimming with paddles, especially when I'm already tired, helps tremendously! I have been trying to swim the IM drills/sets with the Gold group, but my freestyle just isn't there yet. But I told my coach I would try my hardest at every practice. I want to be "comfortable" in Gold before I am reassigned to a new base! Oh, pull-ups are really hard to do after swimming a lot; do them beforehand!
Nutrition--I have been eating a lot 'better.' I have lots of good foods in my house: melon, milk, low-fat cottage cheese, peaches, walnuts. I have only been eating when I am truly hungry. It's all good. I admit, I get sick of drinking liters of water all day, so I will allow myself to drink whatever I want. Yes, it's extra calories, but I would rather have extra calories and be super-hydrated than not want to drink water. I drink Gatorade, OJ, and chocolate milk throughout the day, but mostly water. We would probably have world peace if every single person in the world was properly hydrated.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Run
16 Aug
Run AM: 3.5 mi
Run PM: 15.5 mi
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Run AM--I ran the Huntington loop. Nothing exciting to report. I drank a many a fluid throughout the day, and I feel good!
Run PM--Ran the Rock Creek Park Trail to the Capital Crescent Trail for 9 miles (first 8 at 1:08). Met up with the TNTers to run another 5, then 1.7 on home. My knee started feeling a bit weird with 2 miles left, but stretching and ice will cure all! Stretching really helps. My body craves food! Yum!
Goals--I don't want to completely abandon my goal of 3:25 at MCM, but I want to be realistic. Those 8:30's weren't that easy in the first miles of my second run today. I think training to qualify for Boston is totally legitimate, but there's a big difference between 3:25 and 3:40. A Goal--3:25, B Goal--3:40, C Goal--sub-4:00! That sounds totally reasonable! Should marathon pace runs be somewhat easy? I have no idea! Every marathon is a different animal.
Run AM: 3.5 mi
Run PM: 15.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run AM--I ran the Huntington loop. Nothing exciting to report. I drank a many a fluid throughout the day, and I feel good!
Run PM--Ran the Rock Creek Park Trail to the Capital Crescent Trail for 9 miles (first 8 at 1:08). Met up with the TNTers to run another 5, then 1.7 on home. My knee started feeling a bit weird with 2 miles left, but stretching and ice will cure all! Stretching really helps. My body craves food! Yum!
Goals--I don't want to completely abandon my goal of 3:25 at MCM, but I want to be realistic. Those 8:30's weren't that easy in the first miles of my second run today. I think training to qualify for Boston is totally legitimate, but there's a big difference between 3:25 and 3:40. A Goal--3:25, B Goal--3:40, C Goal--sub-4:00! That sounds totally reasonable! Should marathon pace runs be somewhat easy? I have no idea! Every marathon is a different animal.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Run, Swim, Core
15 Aug
Run: 6.5 mi
Swim: 3700 yd
Core: 14 min
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Run--Splits: 1.7 mi (14:20), 1.55 mi (12:32), 1.55 mi (12:27), 1.7 (12:41), total time 52:02 for avg pace 8:00/mi. For some reason, it felt ridiculously hot out there. It took a while for my body to remember what it felt like to run. I need to be drinking a lot more fluids! Today's run was pretty good, and I think most of my runs now need to be at this pace if I can do it. It didn't feel too hard, except for the heat.
Swim--It was a shorter set at masters practice today, which was ok with me. Again, it took me a while to warm up (I didn't make it to the pool early before practice). Fly is getting better every time! I need to figure out how to keep my feet under the water; I smack the surface. Freestyle is coming along (avg 200 yd pace is 3:25 now). Right arm is coming along; keep that elbow high and reach!
Core--3 sets. 1:10 of abs/obliques/back/push-ups for a total of 12 exercises.
Log--One may notice that I don't have my training plan posted. I like using this blog thing as a measurement of what I am actually doing instead of comparing what I should be doing to what I am actually doing. Yes, there is value in that, but I would rather focus on what I have done to see where I can reasonably go.
Run: 6.5 mi
Swim: 3700 yd
Core: 14 min
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Run--Splits: 1.7 mi (14:20), 1.55 mi (12:32), 1.55 mi (12:27), 1.7 (12:41), total time 52:02 for avg pace 8:00/mi. For some reason, it felt ridiculously hot out there. It took a while for my body to remember what it felt like to run. I need to be drinking a lot more fluids! Today's run was pretty good, and I think most of my runs now need to be at this pace if I can do it. It didn't feel too hard, except for the heat.
Swim--It was a shorter set at masters practice today, which was ok with me. Again, it took me a while to warm up (I didn't make it to the pool early before practice). Fly is getting better every time! I need to figure out how to keep my feet under the water; I smack the surface. Freestyle is coming along (avg 200 yd pace is 3:25 now). Right arm is coming along; keep that elbow high and reach!
Core--3 sets. 1:10 of abs/obliques/back/push-ups for a total of 12 exercises.
Log--One may notice that I don't have my training plan posted. I like using this blog thing as a measurement of what I am actually doing instead of comparing what I should be doing to what I am actually doing. Yes, there is value in that, but I would rather focus on what I have done to see where I can reasonably go.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Bike
14 Aug
Bike: 26 miles
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Bike--A friend and I biked through the Shenandoah National Park in two sections. First section: rode down 600 ft for 2.5 miles, then climbed about 1100 ft over next 4 miles, then rode back. Second section: small rollers for 14 miles. I rode LUCKY, my friend rode his hybrid. We weren't out to break any world records today. But we had fun, and it was beautiful at the park.
Injury--This was NOT something I needed to do for my calf (there's a theme here...). My plan for tonight is to clean everything up, ice my leg, elevate it, drink a TON of water, and go to bed. I did stretch it out several times during the day today, and I will stretch it tomorrow as well. I am not in any condition to do hills or speedwork, but slow running seems to be ok. Again, cycling needs to go on the backburner for now.
Bike: 26 miles
------------------------------------------------------
Bike--A friend and I biked through the Shenandoah National Park in two sections. First section: rode down 600 ft for 2.5 miles, then climbed about 1100 ft over next 4 miles, then rode back. Second section: small rollers for 14 miles. I rode LUCKY, my friend rode his hybrid. We weren't out to break any world records today. But we had fun, and it was beautiful at the park.
Injury--This was NOT something I needed to do for my calf (there's a theme here...). My plan for tonight is to clean everything up, ice my leg, elevate it, drink a TON of water, and go to bed. I did stretch it out several times during the day today, and I will stretch it tomorrow as well. I am not in any condition to do hills or speedwork, but slow running seems to be ok. Again, cycling needs to go on the backburner for now.
Adam, his bike, me, my LUCKY on Mt Marshall summit, VA
Steph and LUCKY in the midst of the Shenandoah Valley!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Run
13 Aug
Run: 24 miles (9:19 pace)
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Run--Wow, I'm tired. The run took me 3:43:30, which did not include water stops and stretching breaks (there were 7). I purposely didn't track any splits, and I made sure that the first half was slower than 10:00/mile. I knew if I didn't take it easy, my right knee and calf would completely explode. I think I am going to invest in The Stick and try to squeeze out the lactic acid before it wrecks my day. I feel a lot better now having another 20 miler under my belt for this race. This is the longest run I'm going to do (but I think I have several more runs at this distance, at a faster pace).
Injury--The leg actually feels pretty good, considering it just transported me 24 miles via pounding. Stretching has really worked, so I will probably keep doing that. I've been massaging my upper calf and ITB on my thigh pretty well, and it's been feeling a lot better.
Nutrition--I almost totally bonked on this run. I was out there in 85 degree temps (not too bad) with only two gels and some drinking fountains. Either I need to invest in a water bottle holder thing or carry more gels. I'm not sure how I am going to survive this 50 miler just yet. 14:00/mi, here I come!
Run: 24 miles (9:19 pace)
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Wow, I'm tired. The run took me 3:43:30, which did not include water stops and stretching breaks (there were 7). I purposely didn't track any splits, and I made sure that the first half was slower than 10:00/mile. I knew if I didn't take it easy, my right knee and calf would completely explode. I think I am going to invest in The Stick and try to squeeze out the lactic acid before it wrecks my day. I feel a lot better now having another 20 miler under my belt for this race. This is the longest run I'm going to do (but I think I have several more runs at this distance, at a faster pace).
Injury--The leg actually feels pretty good, considering it just transported me 24 miles via pounding. Stretching has really worked, so I will probably keep doing that. I've been massaging my upper calf and ITB on my thigh pretty well, and it's been feeling a lot better.
Nutrition--I almost totally bonked on this run. I was out there in 85 degree temps (not too bad) with only two gels and some drinking fountains. Either I need to invest in a water bottle holder thing or carry more gels. I'm not sure how I am going to survive this 50 miler just yet. 14:00/mi, here I come!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Bike
12 Aug
Bike: 46.5 mi, 14.5 mph
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Bike--Today was the first day I have ever participated in a group ride... and I had a GREAT time! The people were so nice and positive, and the route from Bethesda to Poolesville was gorgeous.
Cons--It was a little slower than I would have liked, and we took a few too many breaks. At first I was also TERRIBLY intimidated by these people, as I still have no idea where I am at with my cycling, and since this was my first 'real' group ride, I wasn't exactly sure about ettiquete. Two men were over 6'6", and they were BUILT. One dude's tricep was as big as my head. I was also intimidated by their crazy-decked-out custom Italian road bikes. During the ride, my shoulders were incredibly tense and my left arm was completely spazing! Weird... The top of my right calf was hating on me for a while; I might be feeling that later. The shoulders are a bit sunburned.
Pros--LUCKY and I had a pre-game chat, and we knew we were going into this together. I am willing to learn, and I wasn't dropped. I actually picked up the slack and led for a while, which probably didn't help the really tall dudes since I'm 5'4" and 118 lbs. I love the long, gradual uphills; I felt very strong. I actually led on all of the long uphills as well. I had enough liquids and food. This was the longest distance I have ever ridden, and my butt doesn't even hurt! I also learned how to relax my shoulders and stretch out in different riding positions on the bike. I have a lot more confidence handling and just being on the bike in general. And I only learned how to ride a road bike last April! I am ready to try to some faster rides! Oh, and one guy was GORGEOUS!!! I will definitely be at another group ride!
Injury--I should ice it tonight -OR- stretch it like crazy. I'm not sure how the calf is going to respond to running. It did ok on the bike after a LOT of stretching this morning before the ride. But the bike was what caused the injury in the first place.
Nutrition--I need to drink a LOT more during the day. I don't even want to talk about what I have been eating. I wrote a little something about tiny decisions we make daily that add up to something big. Well, this homemade ice cream maker is going to be the death of me! More later...
Discipline--Many bloggers have written quite a bit about discipline over the past few weeks, especially those training for Ironman races coming up soon. (WARNING--A tangent is about to occur). Tangent: Debussy said that "Music is the space between the notes." When I was a serious double bassist, my instructor would repeat that mantra at every lesson and master class. I remember cranking through sonatas, concerti, dances, poems, my fingers hammering away at every note, my bow flying across the strings, in an effort to please my instructor with my athletic skill on such a large instrument. That's what I had practiced, after all! He would sadly shake his head. There was garbage between the notes. I was distant from the music, and in my quest to nail every note with perfect intonation, volume, tone, I had forgotten how and why I was drawn to the art in the first place. It took maturity, mentoring, practice, and passion to learn how to perfect the spaces between the notes. The beauty, the emotion, the time, the love, the frustration, my soul--all in the spaces between the notes. End Tangent: Turns out that is how I should have been looking at this training business all along. It's not the miles we crank out on the bike, the strokes in the pool, or the bazillion steps in a run. It's that time between workouts where we replentish our bodies and souls, we know when to stop and know when to crank it, we tweak our training plans, we have patience during the bad days and relish the great days, we enjoy looking forward to a long run in sunny weather, we surprise ourselves in the moment when we realize just how far we've gone, and we are willing to do it all again tomorrow. Discipline is the space between the notes.
Bike: 46.5 mi, 14.5 mph
------------------------------------------------------
Bike--Today was the first day I have ever participated in a group ride... and I had a GREAT time! The people were so nice and positive, and the route from Bethesda to Poolesville was gorgeous.
Cons--It was a little slower than I would have liked, and we took a few too many breaks. At first I was also TERRIBLY intimidated by these people, as I still have no idea where I am at with my cycling, and since this was my first 'real' group ride, I wasn't exactly sure about ettiquete. Two men were over 6'6", and they were BUILT. One dude's tricep was as big as my head. I was also intimidated by their crazy-decked-out custom Italian road bikes. During the ride, my shoulders were incredibly tense and my left arm was completely spazing! Weird... The top of my right calf was hating on me for a while; I might be feeling that later. The shoulders are a bit sunburned.
Pros--LUCKY and I had a pre-game chat, and we knew we were going into this together. I am willing to learn, and I wasn't dropped. I actually picked up the slack and led for a while, which probably didn't help the really tall dudes since I'm 5'4" and 118 lbs. I love the long, gradual uphills; I felt very strong. I actually led on all of the long uphills as well. I had enough liquids and food. This was the longest distance I have ever ridden, and my butt doesn't even hurt! I also learned how to relax my shoulders and stretch out in different riding positions on the bike. I have a lot more confidence handling and just being on the bike in general. And I only learned how to ride a road bike last April! I am ready to try to some faster rides! Oh, and one guy was GORGEOUS!!! I will definitely be at another group ride!
Injury--I should ice it tonight -OR- stretch it like crazy. I'm not sure how the calf is going to respond to running. It did ok on the bike after a LOT of stretching this morning before the ride. But the bike was what caused the injury in the first place.
Nutrition--I need to drink a LOT more during the day. I don't even want to talk about what I have been eating. I wrote a little something about tiny decisions we make daily that add up to something big. Well, this homemade ice cream maker is going to be the death of me! More later...
Discipline--Many bloggers have written quite a bit about discipline over the past few weeks, especially those training for Ironman races coming up soon. (WARNING--A tangent is about to occur). Tangent: Debussy said that "Music is the space between the notes." When I was a serious double bassist, my instructor would repeat that mantra at every lesson and master class. I remember cranking through sonatas, concerti, dances, poems, my fingers hammering away at every note, my bow flying across the strings, in an effort to please my instructor with my athletic skill on such a large instrument. That's what I had practiced, after all! He would sadly shake his head. There was garbage between the notes. I was distant from the music, and in my quest to nail every note with perfect intonation, volume, tone, I had forgotten how and why I was drawn to the art in the first place. It took maturity, mentoring, practice, and passion to learn how to perfect the spaces between the notes. The beauty, the emotion, the time, the love, the frustration, my soul--all in the spaces between the notes. End Tangent: Turns out that is how I should have been looking at this training business all along. It's not the miles we crank out on the bike, the strokes in the pool, or the bazillion steps in a run. It's that time between workouts where we replentish our bodies and souls, we know when to stop and know when to crank it, we tweak our training plans, we have patience during the bad days and relish the great days, we enjoy looking forward to a long run in sunny weather, we surprise ourselves in the moment when we realize just how far we've gone, and we are willing to do it all again tomorrow. Discipline is the space between the notes.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Swim, Strength, Run
11 Aug
Swim: 2000 yd
Strength: biceps, lats, tricep, shoulder, chest, pull-ups, core
Run: 3.9 mi
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Race--Pictures from the Sprint Tri last weekend (yes, they wrote the wrong # on my leg!)
Swim--I was pretty doggone tired from yesterday's killer set, so I could only muster 2000 yd. When I swim by myself I usually confine myself to freestyle technique and longer distances/intervals. Sometime I will compile a list of all the freestyle drills I know (maybe 10 or so) and drills for the other strokes as well. I managed to swim 1000 yd straight with a buoy and paddles. Those things work wonders for one's form.
Strength--The weight room was calling my name, so I decided to finish off the week with a killer arm set: lots of shoulders, negatives on the pull-up bar, and lats. I finally increased the weight this week. It would be nice if dumbells were made in increments of 2.5 lb instead of 5, but I guess it only makes a person stronger! 15 lb to 20 lb for arm curls was a huge increase for me. Just takes practice though. This exercise ball is my best friend!
Run--This was another test run. I didn't keep track of pace or anything. I just wanted to run my "Huntington Loop." It was GORGEOUS outside!!! I took it extremely easy, and I stretched well before and afterward. I LOVE RUNNING!
Injury--I think the knee is ok. I think the culprit is my right calf. I think my hamstring is ok too. It's the very top of my calf that caused everything else to go wiggity-whack. Massage seems to work well in addition to some crazy stretching. I must have been overcompensating somewhere else which caused my knee to rebel. But now that I know what it is, it'll be easier to keep everything in check.
Mental--I read a bazillion tri and running blogs, I admit it. People come from all sorts of backgrounds, and people's goals are as varied as can be. I am just as motivated by a totally newbie triathlete who tri's to lose 100lbs as I am of the triathlete who is trying to qualify for Kona for the 5th time. Of course, I was thinking where I fit in that spectrum. I'm not a great runner, but I'm not a very slow runner either. I'm not a professional triathlete, but I have ended up in the top 10% of women finishers in every race I've done so far. I couldn't decide if I wanted to "step it up a notch" in a big way or not. I felt like I would have to sacrifice so much if I decided to take running and triathlon to a new level. But on my run today I realized that it's not this switch that I just have to turn on. It's those little decisions I make in my daily life, it's slowly increasing the mileage and the speed, it's everyday taking that one step further, faster that will allow me to reach that level. I love running!
PS--I am $84 away from reaching twice my goal for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team and Training Marine Corps Marathon fundraising!
Swim: 2000 yd
Strength: biceps, lats, tricep, shoulder, chest, pull-ups, core
Run: 3.9 mi
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Race--Pictures from the Sprint Tri last weekend (yes, they wrote the wrong # on my leg!)
Swim--I was pretty doggone tired from yesterday's killer set, so I could only muster 2000 yd. When I swim by myself I usually confine myself to freestyle technique and longer distances/intervals. Sometime I will compile a list of all the freestyle drills I know (maybe 10 or so) and drills for the other strokes as well. I managed to swim 1000 yd straight with a buoy and paddles. Those things work wonders for one's form.
Strength--The weight room was calling my name, so I decided to finish off the week with a killer arm set: lots of shoulders, negatives on the pull-up bar, and lats. I finally increased the weight this week. It would be nice if dumbells were made in increments of 2.5 lb instead of 5, but I guess it only makes a person stronger! 15 lb to 20 lb for arm curls was a huge increase for me. Just takes practice though. This exercise ball is my best friend!
Run--This was another test run. I didn't keep track of pace or anything. I just wanted to run my "Huntington Loop." It was GORGEOUS outside!!! I took it extremely easy, and I stretched well before and afterward. I LOVE RUNNING!
Injury--I think the knee is ok. I think the culprit is my right calf. I think my hamstring is ok too. It's the very top of my calf that caused everything else to go wiggity-whack. Massage seems to work well in addition to some crazy stretching. I must have been overcompensating somewhere else which caused my knee to rebel. But now that I know what it is, it'll be easier to keep everything in check.
Mental--I read a bazillion tri and running blogs, I admit it. People come from all sorts of backgrounds, and people's goals are as varied as can be. I am just as motivated by a totally newbie triathlete who tri's to lose 100lbs as I am of the triathlete who is trying to qualify for Kona for the 5th time. Of course, I was thinking where I fit in that spectrum. I'm not a great runner, but I'm not a very slow runner either. I'm not a professional triathlete, but I have ended up in the top 10% of women finishers in every race I've done so far. I couldn't decide if I wanted to "step it up a notch" in a big way or not. I felt like I would have to sacrifice so much if I decided to take running and triathlon to a new level. But on my run today I realized that it's not this switch that I just have to turn on. It's those little decisions I make in my daily life, it's slowly increasing the mileage and the speed, it's everyday taking that one step further, faster that will allow me to reach that level. I love running!
PS--I am $84 away from reaching twice my goal for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team and Training Marine Corps Marathon fundraising!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Swim
10 Aug
Swim: 5000 yd
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Swim--A sadistic crazy IM day at masters swim practice today! The 4 (!) sets were so hard, I can't even remember what they all were. Luckily I arrived at the pool early and squeezed in a 500 yd warm-up before practice officially started. Our coach videotaped 3 of us today, and since I was the first at practice, I was one of the lucky ones! My fly has improved DRAMATICALLY!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!!! I am STOKED! Last August I could barely do freestyle at all, let alone any of the other strokes. I swam my first meet ever last March. In March I struggled to swim 200 yd in 4:10. Today I swam 4x200 yd pull all faster than 3:30. I can't believe how far I've come from just one year ago. I NEVER thought I would be able to finish a triathlon, and here I am LOVING it!
Strength--After crazy swim practice, I just wanted to see how many pull-ups I could do in a row. Today I only managed to squeeze out 4 in a row. I'll have to try again with fresh arms. 4 is pretty good for now though; I'll take that.
Injury--Still taking some time off, but swimming killed my cardio system, so it's all good! I hope to start cycling sometime soon again. But this scares me since LUCKY was the main culprit to begin with. One day at a time!
Goals--I was going completely bonkers yesterday with this no-running-thing. So I made a list of things I am looking forward to. Some of these can translate into goals. I would LOVE to swim the 200 fly, 200 and 400 IM (short course!), and 1500 free before I graduate from this masters program. Someday I would also like to finish a 100 mile race, both running and mtn bike! One of those orienteering races would be completely sick too! After thinking about it over these past few days, I think Ironman is one of those things that I will specifically train for someday, but it's not even on the radar scope right now. I hear the forest calling my name... But if my next assignment is North Dakota or Alabama or some remote AF base in Texas, maybe Ironman would be a good project! Sports make me feel so alive. It's awesome!
Swim: 5000 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--A sadistic crazy IM day at masters swim practice today! The 4 (!) sets were so hard, I can't even remember what they all were. Luckily I arrived at the pool early and squeezed in a 500 yd warm-up before practice officially started. Our coach videotaped 3 of us today, and since I was the first at practice, I was one of the lucky ones! My fly has improved DRAMATICALLY!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!!! I am STOKED! Last August I could barely do freestyle at all, let alone any of the other strokes. I swam my first meet ever last March. In March I struggled to swim 200 yd in 4:10. Today I swam 4x200 yd pull all faster than 3:30. I can't believe how far I've come from just one year ago. I NEVER thought I would be able to finish a triathlon, and here I am LOVING it!
Strength--After crazy swim practice, I just wanted to see how many pull-ups I could do in a row. Today I only managed to squeeze out 4 in a row. I'll have to try again with fresh arms. 4 is pretty good for now though; I'll take that.
Injury--Still taking some time off, but swimming killed my cardio system, so it's all good! I hope to start cycling sometime soon again. But this scares me since LUCKY was the main culprit to begin with. One day at a time!
Goals--I was going completely bonkers yesterday with this no-running-thing. So I made a list of things I am looking forward to. Some of these can translate into goals. I would LOVE to swim the 200 fly, 200 and 400 IM (short course!), and 1500 free before I graduate from this masters program. Someday I would also like to finish a 100 mile race, both running and mtn bike! One of those orienteering races would be completely sick too! After thinking about it over these past few days, I think Ironman is one of those things that I will specifically train for someday, but it's not even on the radar scope right now. I hear the forest calling my name... But if my next assignment is North Dakota or Alabama or some remote AF base in Texas, maybe Ironman would be a good project! Sports make me feel so alive. It's awesome!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Rest
9 Aug
Rest
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Injury--I iced this bizzo a few times today for about 20 minutes at a time. I iced my ITB and my hamstring on my right leg. Today is the icing day, tomorrow is 1/2 ice, 1/2 stretch (afternoon). Definitely no running until Saturday at the SOONEST! I had to learn a thing or two about patience today, that's for sure.
Mental--Wow, it was hard to take today off. It was SOOOO nice outside, and all I wanted to do was ride LUCKY! It was harder to know that my Team in Training buddy run was today too. BUT I will come back stronger. Plus I have masters swimming tomorrow (probably IM stuff), and I will allow myself to hit the weight room. Today was more of a precautionary day. I also forced myself to sit down for a while and work on this thesis! I did manage to write a few pages, and I actually feel a lot better because I devoted today to thesis work. Also, to keep my mind and attitude focused, I made a list of events I am looking forward to including some sick mountain biking, my parents visiting, a friend coming to DC, some lake swims, and some other stuff. I'm excited for graduate school to be over so I can have some (more) letters after my name!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--I iced this bizzo a few times today for about 20 minutes at a time. I iced my ITB and my hamstring on my right leg. Today is the icing day, tomorrow is 1/2 ice, 1/2 stretch (afternoon). Definitely no running until Saturday at the SOONEST! I had to learn a thing or two about patience today, that's for sure.
Mental--Wow, it was hard to take today off. It was SOOOO nice outside, and all I wanted to do was ride LUCKY! It was harder to know that my Team in Training buddy run was today too. BUT I will come back stronger. Plus I have masters swimming tomorrow (probably IM stuff), and I will allow myself to hit the weight room. Today was more of a precautionary day. I also forced myself to sit down for a while and work on this thesis! I did manage to write a few pages, and I actually feel a lot better because I devoted today to thesis work. Also, to keep my mind and attitude focused, I made a list of events I am looking forward to including some sick mountain biking, my parents visiting, a friend coming to DC, some lake swims, and some other stuff. I'm excited for graduate school to be over so I can have some (more) letters after my name!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Run
8 Aug
Run: 15 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I was supposed to run 23 miles today. I made it to 11, then I felt a twinge in my right knee (go figure). I finished running to the turn-around point, started on my way back, then the pain escalated. Luckily I was close enough to a Metro stop, so I called it a day, packed it in, and rode the Metro back to Bethesda. I feel very disappointed. My cardio system wasn't taxed at all. I ran the Capital Crescent Trail down through Georgetown, to the Arlington Bridge, then I caught the Foggy Bottom/GWU stop on home.
Splits:
14:47 (home to 3.5)
26:24 (3 extra miles)
4:12 (3.5-4.0)
4:14 (4.0-4.5)
4:02 (4.5-5.0)
4:07 (5.0-5.5)
4:08 (5.5-6.0)
4:01 (6.0-6.5)
4:13 (6.5-7.0)
4:09 (7.0-7.5)
4:04 (7.5-8.0)
4:11 (8.0-8.5)
4:13 (8.5-9.0)
4:13 (9.0-9.5)
4:10 (9.5-10.0)
2:34 (10.0-end of trail)
15:24 (end of trail to Arlington Bridge)
14:11 (Arlington Bridge to end of trail)
Total--2:07:23, 8:30 pace
Injury--This run wasn't the smartest idea. I am going to skip swim practice tonight, get some rest, drink water, and ice-ice-ice. It started out as a weird feeling at the very top of my calf/bottom of my hamstring. I still can't really pinpoint where the pain started. Then it blew up into full-blown ITB problems. Running on a paved trail on the right side didn't help my cause, I'm sure. Maybe I can find another path with less cant. I am nervous for this marathon now. When am I going to learn a thing or two about smart training??
Stress--Unfortunately my stress is also through the roof. My thesis is at a stalemate, my parents and sister moved away from me, I cannot describe the excruciating pain in my heart after losing my dog, all of my close friends live far away, I feel a lot of pressure for this marathon maybe because of the Team in Training component, and this knee thing makes me nervous. I need to take some time off, and tackle one problem at a time. That's the only way I can solve some of these problems. As far as the problems I can't solve, well, I'll just have to accept the fact that there are some things I can't control and move on. There! I feel better already!
Run: 15 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I was supposed to run 23 miles today. I made it to 11, then I felt a twinge in my right knee (go figure). I finished running to the turn-around point, started on my way back, then the pain escalated. Luckily I was close enough to a Metro stop, so I called it a day, packed it in, and rode the Metro back to Bethesda. I feel very disappointed. My cardio system wasn't taxed at all. I ran the Capital Crescent Trail down through Georgetown, to the Arlington Bridge, then I caught the Foggy Bottom/GWU stop on home.
Splits:
14:47 (home to 3.5)
26:24 (3 extra miles)
4:12 (3.5-4.0)
4:14 (4.0-4.5)
4:02 (4.5-5.0)
4:07 (5.0-5.5)
4:08 (5.5-6.0)
4:01 (6.0-6.5)
4:13 (6.5-7.0)
4:09 (7.0-7.5)
4:04 (7.5-8.0)
4:11 (8.0-8.5)
4:13 (8.5-9.0)
4:13 (9.0-9.5)
4:10 (9.5-10.0)
2:34 (10.0-end of trail)
15:24 (end of trail to Arlington Bridge)
14:11 (Arlington Bridge to end of trail)
Total--2:07:23, 8:30 pace
Injury--This run wasn't the smartest idea. I am going to skip swim practice tonight, get some rest, drink water, and ice-ice-ice. It started out as a weird feeling at the very top of my calf/bottom of my hamstring. I still can't really pinpoint where the pain started. Then it blew up into full-blown ITB problems. Running on a paved trail on the right side didn't help my cause, I'm sure. Maybe I can find another path with less cant. I am nervous for this marathon now. When am I going to learn a thing or two about smart training??
Stress--Unfortunately my stress is also through the roof. My thesis is at a stalemate, my parents and sister moved away from me, I cannot describe the excruciating pain in my heart after losing my dog, all of my close friends live far away, I feel a lot of pressure for this marathon maybe because of the Team in Training component, and this knee thing makes me nervous. I need to take some time off, and tackle one problem at a time. That's the only way I can solve some of these problems. As far as the problems I can't solve, well, I'll just have to accept the fact that there are some things I can't control and move on. There! I feel better already!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Run
7 Aug
Run: 6 mi easy
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Whoa, I am definitely not feeling 100% yet. I was having cramps like it was my job. Drinking water and taking one more day easy will be ok, maybe I can get back on track tomorrow. I'm not sure what's up. The right knee is feeling a little funny, but it seems to be fine for running. There was a torrential downpour right in the middle of my run, but it's ok. It was on my way back, and I felt a little bit hard core! Yeah!
Goals--I was thinking about how fun triathlon is during my run today. I love the olympic distance much more than sprint distance for sure. I even like the longer bike distance (*gasp*). I would love to race a 1/2 Ironman since I love running the 1/2 marathon, and I would also really love to try an off-road triathlon! I have this sick mountain bike, and I would love to race this thing! Definitely I am not even thinking of doing an Ironman, especially since I am so new to this sport, and I think I would like to give myself an opportunity to try to excel at this olympic distance. My learning curve is still pretty steep! And I did have a lot of fun at that distance.
Training/Progress--even though I still have one more triathlon left, it is now time for me to switch 100% to marathon training. I can't afford any more stupid bike injuries, and I'd rather ride my bike to augment my marathon training rather than train on the bike to get better at the bike. I'll do that this winter. I find I my chance for injury are MUCH less when I'm not riding the silly thing; LUCKY is like a flipping bucking bronco. I just don't want to mess with that thing right now. Plus I really enjoy running a LOT! Swimming, also, is just going to supplement my running. I'll concentrate on some late winter/spring swim meets after the marathon. I have some key races coming up pretty soon too: Greenbelt 15K which is a FANTASTIC race. I'd like to run a respectable time at the Army Ten Miler as well. These are races I am actually going to race instead of just run at a tempo pace with the intent of running 10 miles more after returning home (which I did at both of my half marathons earlier this summer). The strength and core training is here to stay! 2 times a week minimum was a great goal, and I have been sticking to it for a while now. I feel much stronger. I'm still on my quest for 10 pull-ups in a row.
Nutrition--I have been eating like a hog again, but I think it's because of crazy girl hormones. It's under control, and I'm ok with eating a bazillion calories in one day in a blue moon. But I can recognize that, and I'm back to normal. Tonight is a night of water and fluids. I haven't gained any weight (I may have even lost 1-2 lbs). Now that the tri training is pretty much over and I incorporate more tempo/interval/long runs in my schedule, it should be ok.
Run: 6 mi easy
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Whoa, I am definitely not feeling 100% yet. I was having cramps like it was my job. Drinking water and taking one more day easy will be ok, maybe I can get back on track tomorrow. I'm not sure what's up. The right knee is feeling a little funny, but it seems to be fine for running. There was a torrential downpour right in the middle of my run, but it's ok. It was on my way back, and I felt a little bit hard core! Yeah!
Goals--I was thinking about how fun triathlon is during my run today. I love the olympic distance much more than sprint distance for sure. I even like the longer bike distance (*gasp*). I would love to race a 1/2 Ironman since I love running the 1/2 marathon, and I would also really love to try an off-road triathlon! I have this sick mountain bike, and I would love to race this thing! Definitely I am not even thinking of doing an Ironman, especially since I am so new to this sport, and I think I would like to give myself an opportunity to try to excel at this olympic distance. My learning curve is still pretty steep! And I did have a lot of fun at that distance.
Training/Progress--even though I still have one more triathlon left, it is now time for me to switch 100% to marathon training. I can't afford any more stupid bike injuries, and I'd rather ride my bike to augment my marathon training rather than train on the bike to get better at the bike. I'll do that this winter. I find I my chance for injury are MUCH less when I'm not riding the silly thing; LUCKY is like a flipping bucking bronco. I just don't want to mess with that thing right now. Plus I really enjoy running a LOT! Swimming, also, is just going to supplement my running. I'll concentrate on some late winter/spring swim meets after the marathon. I have some key races coming up pretty soon too: Greenbelt 15K which is a FANTASTIC race. I'd like to run a respectable time at the Army Ten Miler as well. These are races I am actually going to race instead of just run at a tempo pace with the intent of running 10 miles more after returning home (which I did at both of my half marathons earlier this summer). The strength and core training is here to stay! 2 times a week minimum was a great goal, and I have been sticking to it for a while now. I feel much stronger. I'm still on my quest for 10 pull-ups in a row.
Nutrition--I have been eating like a hog again, but I think it's because of crazy girl hormones. It's under control, and I'm ok with eating a bazillion calories in one day in a blue moon. But I can recognize that, and I'm back to normal. Tonight is a night of water and fluids. I haven't gained any weight (I may have even lost 1-2 lbs). Now that the tri training is pretty much over and I incorporate more tempo/interval/long runs in my schedule, it should be ok.
Culpeper Sprint Tri
6 Aug
Culpeper Sprint Tri
Swim (750m)--17:19
T1--2:09
Bike (17.3 mi)--1:01:05
T2--1:33
Run (5K)--23:14
Total--1:45:17
4 of 19 in AG, 39 of 194 overall women
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--holy moly, this was the grossest, nastiest lake I have ever SEEN, let alone swam in! Oh my gosh, there was about 8 inches of mud at the bottom, there was this layer of bonefide pond scum, there was "evidence" of geese everywhere, and the temperature was 88 degrees! You couldn't even see your hand 3 inches under the surface. Luckily I did a "warm-up" in the lake, even though it was so hot. It really helps to swim around for a while before the start. After the race started, I immediately had really bad abdominal pain. This persisted through the entire swim. Oh well, it wasn't a great swim by any means, but oh well. It was short. I just wanted to get out of that lake! (After I got home, I took a shower. There was so much crap in the lake that my swimsuit was filled with mud, and I didn't even know it.)
T1--I still wasn't feeling well, so I sat down and chilled out for a few seconds and had a bit to drink. My bike was close to the swim exit but really, really far away from the bike mount place. I would say I had to run 200m or so until I could mount my bike. I can't remember where the transition timing mats were. I think sitting down for a short moment was a good idea.
Bike--my right knee felt pretty good, but I didn't want to push my luck. I would say I only rode about 85%. Once AGAIN I chose a course that didn't have one foot of flatness. Those hills sure use a lot of muscle groups though. I would say given the circumstances, I had a pretty good bike. Drinking more would have been a good idea. I think sticking to vanilla and berry gels are a good idea (orange didn't go over so well).
T2--took another short breather, as the abdominal area was still giving me a bit of grief. I should have had another small drink of water, but I think I just wanted to finish by this point.
Run--The run started out on a long stretch of grass and then up a hill. I didn't really expect that! I didn't catch any mile splits, but I felt like I was hauling on the way back down. I think my 23:14 is somewhat respectable, not my best, but I put some effort into it. It was pretty hot and humid by the time we finished.
Overall--This was a fun race. I heard some (really, really fit!) people talking about the bike course afterward, and they all said it was really tough. That made me feel a lot better. I have YET to ride any course resembling something flat. During this race I rode everywhere from 6.5mph to 38mph, so it's weird to average such a wide range of numbers. On a really cool note, the woman who finished one place ahead of me is an officer at Bolling AFB, and she ran the marathon with the World Class Athlete Program. I would LOVE to do that program, but I'm not (yet) a 3:0x marathoner just yet. I've e-mailed her a few times asking about the program. I was stoked that I was literally just behind her, and this was an off day for me! Triathlon must be the great equalizer or something. I also took a picture of my transition area for the Kahuna's Transition Olympics. It's a boring transition area, but hey, all my stuff is blue! I should get some sort of style points!
Here's a picture after the race. (Yes, the marker person screwed up on my left leg! A bad omen from the beginning! I told her just to line it out and then write the correct number under it. Ha ha! This is my bike LUCKY, appropriately named.)
Culpeper Sprint Tri
Swim (750m)--17:19
T1--2:09
Bike (17.3 mi)--1:01:05
T2--1:33
Run (5K)--23:14
Total--1:45:17
4 of 19 in AG, 39 of 194 overall women
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--holy moly, this was the grossest, nastiest lake I have ever SEEN, let alone swam in! Oh my gosh, there was about 8 inches of mud at the bottom, there was this layer of bonefide pond scum, there was "evidence" of geese everywhere, and the temperature was 88 degrees! You couldn't even see your hand 3 inches under the surface. Luckily I did a "warm-up" in the lake, even though it was so hot. It really helps to swim around for a while before the start. After the race started, I immediately had really bad abdominal pain. This persisted through the entire swim. Oh well, it wasn't a great swim by any means, but oh well. It was short. I just wanted to get out of that lake! (After I got home, I took a shower. There was so much crap in the lake that my swimsuit was filled with mud, and I didn't even know it.)
T1--I still wasn't feeling well, so I sat down and chilled out for a few seconds and had a bit to drink. My bike was close to the swim exit but really, really far away from the bike mount place. I would say I had to run 200m or so until I could mount my bike. I can't remember where the transition timing mats were. I think sitting down for a short moment was a good idea.
Bike--my right knee felt pretty good, but I didn't want to push my luck. I would say I only rode about 85%. Once AGAIN I chose a course that didn't have one foot of flatness. Those hills sure use a lot of muscle groups though. I would say given the circumstances, I had a pretty good bike. Drinking more would have been a good idea. I think sticking to vanilla and berry gels are a good idea (orange didn't go over so well).
T2--took another short breather, as the abdominal area was still giving me a bit of grief. I should have had another small drink of water, but I think I just wanted to finish by this point.
Run--The run started out on a long stretch of grass and then up a hill. I didn't really expect that! I didn't catch any mile splits, but I felt like I was hauling on the way back down. I think my 23:14 is somewhat respectable, not my best, but I put some effort into it. It was pretty hot and humid by the time we finished.
Overall--This was a fun race. I heard some (really, really fit!) people talking about the bike course afterward, and they all said it was really tough. That made me feel a lot better. I have YET to ride any course resembling something flat. During this race I rode everywhere from 6.5mph to 38mph, so it's weird to average such a wide range of numbers. On a really cool note, the woman who finished one place ahead of me is an officer at Bolling AFB, and she ran the marathon with the World Class Athlete Program. I would LOVE to do that program, but I'm not (yet) a 3:0x marathoner just yet. I've e-mailed her a few times asking about the program. I was stoked that I was literally just behind her, and this was an off day for me! Triathlon must be the great equalizer or something. I also took a picture of my transition area for the Kahuna's Transition Olympics. It's a boring transition area, but hey, all my stuff is blue! I should get some sort of style points!
Here's a picture after the race. (Yes, the marker person screwed up on my left leg! A bad omen from the beginning! I told her just to line it out and then write the correct number under it. Ha ha! This is my bike LUCKY, appropriately named.)
Rest
5 Aug
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--the right knee felt a lot better on Saturday. I did NOT run or ride on it. I have a ride-on-Saturday curse. Every time I have ridden on Saturday, I have either broken something big time on my bike or I have had a nasty spill. Saturday is my day of rest, and I think my bike LUCKY feels the same way. Good news is my legs really wanted to run!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--the right knee felt a lot better on Saturday. I did NOT run or ride on it. I have a ride-on-Saturday curse. Every time I have ridden on Saturday, I have either broken something big time on my bike or I have had a nasty spill. Saturday is my day of rest, and I think my bike LUCKY feels the same way. Good news is my legs really wanted to run!
Friday, August 04, 2006
Run, X-train, Strength
4 Aug
Run: 4.5 mi (8:27 pace)
X-train: elliptical for 20 minutes
Strength: pull-ups/negatives, triceps, lats, shoulders
Core: 10 min (more push-ups and back exercises)
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--I would say it's 90% better. One more day off, maybe a swim, some more stretching, and some ice will take care of this knee problem for good. Thank goodness it's only a sprint this weekend! Running doesn't bother it too much, but we'll see how the bike goes. At least it'll be fun, and I know when to back off. The oly tri's are over; these last few tri's are just the icing on the cake.
Nutrition--Exercise during lunch time has never worked for me, but sometimes I'm just limited on time. Breakfast: heart-healthy bisquick pancakes (w/ extra egg, wheat germ, and walnuts), syrup and margarine. Mid-morning snack: 25 green grapes, 16oz orange juice, and 4oz cottage cheese. Then I went to the gym and STARVED! Lunch: HUGE, GLORIOUS salad with beans, cheese, all kinds of veggies, seeds. The pancakes did make me feel full longer though, perhaps the extra egg and walnuts. Yum! Shabbat dinner at a friend's house tonight.
Training--I think I may have found a bike buddy!!! She's brand new to the area, she's also a military person, she loves triathlon, and she just joined our masters swim team. I have been looking for someone to ride with (16-18mph) for months! I really hope this works out. She's very nice, and we're going to do IronGirl together. It'll be nice to finally know someone at a triathlon! My Team in Training peeps are also doing IronGirl, but I think at a more leisurely pace. My new training pal and I are going to tear it up in a few weeks!
Financial--It's not secret that triathlon and race entry fees will break the bank. I've been taught that savings/investments/setting yourself up financially comes FIRST, and then from what's left, a budget can be created. My personal rule of thumb is that before I buy a piece of equipment (this was especially true for the bike I bought last April), the amount I will spend on a piece of equipment must be 10% or less compared to the money I saved. I told myself I had to save $15,000 before I will let myself buy a bike for $1500, and I did it. I really think I enjoy my bike a lot more because of it, and I got exactly what I wanted. I want to buy a bike trainer for this winter, and I plan to spend around $250, which means I have to save at least $2500. So the total amount I have to save is $2750 by the time I will let myself buy the trainer. I have to wait a bit longer to buy what I want, but at the same time, I could easily see myself going nuts in the tri stores in the DC area!
Run: 4.5 mi (8:27 pace)
X-train: elliptical for 20 minutes
Strength: pull-ups/negatives, triceps, lats, shoulders
Core: 10 min (more push-ups and back exercises)
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--I would say it's 90% better. One more day off, maybe a swim, some more stretching, and some ice will take care of this knee problem for good. Thank goodness it's only a sprint this weekend! Running doesn't bother it too much, but we'll see how the bike goes. At least it'll be fun, and I know when to back off. The oly tri's are over; these last few tri's are just the icing on the cake.
Nutrition--Exercise during lunch time has never worked for me, but sometimes I'm just limited on time. Breakfast: heart-healthy bisquick pancakes (w/ extra egg, wheat germ, and walnuts), syrup and margarine. Mid-morning snack: 25 green grapes, 16oz orange juice, and 4oz cottage cheese. Then I went to the gym and STARVED! Lunch: HUGE, GLORIOUS salad with beans, cheese, all kinds of veggies, seeds. The pancakes did make me feel full longer though, perhaps the extra egg and walnuts. Yum! Shabbat dinner at a friend's house tonight.
Training--I think I may have found a bike buddy!!! She's brand new to the area, she's also a military person, she loves triathlon, and she just joined our masters swim team. I have been looking for someone to ride with (16-18mph) for months! I really hope this works out. She's very nice, and we're going to do IronGirl together. It'll be nice to finally know someone at a triathlon! My Team in Training peeps are also doing IronGirl, but I think at a more leisurely pace. My new training pal and I are going to tear it up in a few weeks!
Financial--It's not secret that triathlon and race entry fees will break the bank. I've been taught that savings/investments/setting yourself up financially comes FIRST, and then from what's left, a budget can be created. My personal rule of thumb is that before I buy a piece of equipment (this was especially true for the bike I bought last April), the amount I will spend on a piece of equipment must be 10% or less compared to the money I saved. I told myself I had to save $15,000 before I will let myself buy a bike for $1500, and I did it. I really think I enjoy my bike a lot more because of it, and I got exactly what I wanted. I want to buy a bike trainer for this winter, and I plan to spend around $250, which means I have to save at least $2500. So the total amount I have to save is $2750 by the time I will let myself buy the trainer. I have to wait a bit longer to buy what I want, but at the same time, I could easily see myself going nuts in the tri stores in the DC area!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Swim, Run*, Plyo
3 Aug
Swim: 4000 yd
Run: 1 mi
Strength: left leg plyometrics, stretching both legs, pull-ups, left leg lunges
Core: 10 min
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--right knee feels a LOT better, but still not 100%. I am going to run on it tomorrow, but biking is still out of the question for sure. The knee seemed ok on the 1 mi treadmill test*, but it was only at 9:00 pace. Ice, stretching, and rest tonight just to make sure. Concentrating on my left leg seems to be a good idea.
Swim--LOTS of IM practice. I need to work on my fly kick a lot more: dolphin kick/breast pull-out works really well. The freestyle pull is REALLY coming along. If I concentrate on sighting correctly and think about pulling nice and smooth, the swim in the next two triathlons should go very well.
Nutrition--I don't know what's going on, but I am eating like a horse. It's downright scary. Plan for tomorrow: write down everything I plan to eat and when I am going to eat it. If I do that, it's much easier to stick to the plan then try to retrospectively write down everything I already ate.
Swim: 4000 yd
Run: 1 mi
Strength: left leg plyometrics, stretching both legs, pull-ups, left leg lunges
Core: 10 min
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--right knee feels a LOT better, but still not 100%. I am going to run on it tomorrow, but biking is still out of the question for sure. The knee seemed ok on the 1 mi treadmill test*, but it was only at 9:00 pace. Ice, stretching, and rest tonight just to make sure. Concentrating on my left leg seems to be a good idea.
Swim--LOTS of IM practice. I need to work on my fly kick a lot more: dolphin kick/breast pull-out works really well. The freestyle pull is REALLY coming along. If I concentrate on sighting correctly and think about pulling nice and smooth, the swim in the next two triathlons should go very well.
Nutrition--I don't know what's going on, but I am eating like a horse. It's downright scary. Plan for tomorrow: write down everything I plan to eat and when I am going to eat it. If I do that, it's much easier to stick to the plan then try to retrospectively write down everything I already ate.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Swim, Bike, Strength
2 Aug
Swim: 2000 yd
Bike: 30 min (left leg 1 min, both 15 seconds)
Strength: left leg, pull-ups, tri's, lats
Core: 10 min
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--Right knee still uncomfortable, so I'll hold the running off until Friday, at the soonest. Cycling MIGHT be ok tomorrow, provided the heat isn't too bad.
Technique/Progress--I'm up to 5 pull-ups in a row (palms out). Swimming with the paddles and the pool buoy works wonders. It also keeps me very honest during my flip turns! A good exercise to work on flip turns: freestyle 25 yds, flip right into backstroke for the 25 yds back to the shallow end. Two-sided breathing is really coming along.
Swim: 2000 yd
Bike: 30 min (left leg 1 min, both 15 seconds)
Strength: left leg, pull-ups, tri's, lats
Core: 10 min
------------------------------------------------------
Injury--Right knee still uncomfortable, so I'll hold the running off until Friday, at the soonest. Cycling MIGHT be ok tomorrow, provided the heat isn't too bad.
Technique/Progress--I'm up to 5 pull-ups in a row (palms out). Swimming with the paddles and the pool buoy works wonders. It also keeps me very honest during my flip turns! A good exercise to work on flip turns: freestyle 25 yds, flip right into backstroke for the 25 yds back to the shallow end. Two-sided breathing is really coming along.
Purpose
This blog is a "no excuses, only results" record for marathon and triathlon training, a completely honest and objective measurement of progress.
1 week until sprint tri
3 weeks until last tri of the season
3 months until Marine Corps Marathon
3.75 months until JFK 50 Miler
Goals:
Have FUN in last two tri's, learn something!
3:25 at Marine Corps (A Goal), requalify for Boston (B Goal)
FINISH JFK 50 Miler (before they close down the course!!!)
1 week until sprint tri
3 weeks until last tri of the season
3 months until Marine Corps Marathon
3.75 months until JFK 50 Miler
Goals:
Have FUN in last two tri's, learn something!
3:25 at Marine Corps (A Goal), requalify for Boston (B Goal)
FINISH JFK 50 Miler (before they close down the course!!!)
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