03/30/09 - Track
I hit up the track today for our usual sessions with Coach Heskett. It's become our routine to start out with some warm-up laps, and then we do a moderate session and cool down. Today, however, we entered a new phase of our training. We've built up our base for the last 2 months, we're able to finish our race distance, so now we're working on getting to peak performance. We're entering a phase of training that will really stretch and push our physical limitations, and hopefully, prepare us to be the quickest triathletes we can be. The moderate sessions will now be replaced with some taxing and full-effort workouts. Just a warning, be on the look out for me being a bit more tired, I know this phase and the workouts start to get really intense.... soreness and whining may be unavoidable!
Our training today included 5 x 400m's (one lap) at a fast pace. This is no longer a jog, we are running at maybe 85%, and then we kick it into an all out sprint for the last 100m. I know, it sounds easy, just a quarter mile fast, a little sprint, and then rest for a couple minutes. The first few actually are easy, however, the last of them get your head going a little lopsided. The point is to train your body and mind to go through these stresses and maintain complete relaxation and control of our form. I think I did pretty well, and if I do say so myself, even passed a few ladies that are uber-triathletes! I'm such a slow runner, with my running mate always busting past me in the sprint, that it's pretty momentous to pass ANYONE, let alone one of the super fit gals we train with.
When we were leaving, our coach asked us if 5 repititions were enough, and I thought to myself and then answered, "No. I think 7 would be better." What was I saying??? Telling the coach that I wanted some more? I have a feeling there will be plenty more opportunities to burn the heck out of my muscles and run until I feel sick! For now, I'll take my 5 and know that I pushed it, I had room for more, and then I headed home to relax and still get out of bed without any pain this morning!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
3-Day Weekend
03/26/09 - Run & Core
Great 4+ mile run today after work. I'm just really feeling strong, however I need to remember to wear my watch! I was late for Core class, so I just skipped it and went home to enjoy some grilled wild salmon and asparagus! It's exactly what I was craving... thank you to my fiance for that treat. I got some core in on my own, but it doesn't quite match up to the class we get from coach!
03/27/09 - Run
By some miraculous alignment of scheduling, my guy and I were both off today! Thank you state holidays!!! We headed out the door early to Nisene Marks, a nearby state park that boasts some great trails, mountain biking, camping, climbing... you get the idea. With our dog in tow, we headed up the beautifully soft trail. It's the kind of trail that you dream of as a runner, buoyant, shock absorbing, but hard enough that you don't lose any of your speed or form! AHHH!!! Felt like heaven after all my concrete runs.
This trail is surrounded by redwoods with a creek alongside it. It's truly magnificent, and I had the company of my two boys, dog and fiance. What a wonderful morning. I felt really strong again, especially when I started thinking back to my memories of the first time I ran this trail. About 7 months and 60 lbs ago, I ran this same trail. It was my first real run, 8 miles! It was agonizing, I had blisters on my feet, I felt insecure, I walked just about every 10 minutes, but I finished. Yes, I got sick afterward, but then came this feeling of great accomplishment and success. That feeling has now continued with me and pushed me to where I was on this Friday morning. On the same trail, a half-person size smaller, and 5 minutes a mile quicker!
After the turn around, we let our dog take a quick run in the creek and headed back to the trail entrance. I had forgotten one of the nicest parts of this trail... it has a slight incline the entire way in. It's not so noticeable that you get overly fatigued, but it sure does show it's beauty on the way back! We flew back to the start with a nice negative split time! I focused on staying calm and strong, and my speed just seemed to follow, it was nearly effortless to change up my pace by just using more from my hamstrings and staying relaxed everywhere else. Ha, all this work on pacing and form seems to have finally paid off! I sprinted in to the finish where PJ was already waiting for me.... sneaking past me in the last half mile.
I expected to feel tired or worked after such a great run, but instead I just felt normal. My heart rate steadied quickly, my breathing returned, and I realized that I could definitely run this distance, and swim, and bike!!!! I guess my training is aligned with my thoughts, because next week begins our peak training performance. We've built up our athletic base over the last two months, and now we'll just focus on finishing as strong and as quickly as possible! Here we go, I'm about to become a triathlete!
03/28/09 - REST
I had a scheduled ride today, but was in need of some rest... or at least a chance to lay in bed past 7:00am. I thought we were only going to be riding hills, but turns out we did a ride I've wanted to do since I got my bike.... from Soquel out to Sunset Beach along all the strawberry farms and coastline! BOO!!! Too bad I didn't know sooner, I'd have parlayed my rest for another day!
03/29/09 - Swim
I finished up the week with a nice, long swim. I got to the pool early to find it jammed packed. So, I turned around and went to another pool 10 or so miles away on the UCSC campus. Ha, it was closed for spring break!!! I grabbed a bagel, got a $35 parking ticket, and then went back to the first pool. Finally my morning started right and I found that the pool was now clearing out (too bad I didn't just sleep in today!).
I shared a lane with 3 other women at first, which kind of put a hamper on my timed intervals. I had to continuously slow down and stop to wait for the person in front of me. One of the ladies was doing a set of all pulling for backstroke.... not the quickest thing ever when it didn't actually look like she had swam backstroke before! Oh well, I just worked on stroke technique or pulling. All of a sudden though, they were done, and it was on. It was gorgeously sunny out, and I swam for about an hour and a half. Swimming, and then just doing stroke technique drills.... what a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning. I think I did about 2300m, but to be honest, I was so relaxed I wasn't really paying attention!
Great 4+ mile run today after work. I'm just really feeling strong, however I need to remember to wear my watch! I was late for Core class, so I just skipped it and went home to enjoy some grilled wild salmon and asparagus! It's exactly what I was craving... thank you to my fiance for that treat. I got some core in on my own, but it doesn't quite match up to the class we get from coach!
03/27/09 - Run
By some miraculous alignment of scheduling, my guy and I were both off today! Thank you state holidays!!! We headed out the door early to Nisene Marks, a nearby state park that boasts some great trails, mountain biking, camping, climbing... you get the idea. With our dog in tow, we headed up the beautifully soft trail. It's the kind of trail that you dream of as a runner, buoyant, shock absorbing, but hard enough that you don't lose any of your speed or form! AHHH!!! Felt like heaven after all my concrete runs.
This trail is surrounded by redwoods with a creek alongside it. It's truly magnificent, and I had the company of my two boys, dog and fiance. What a wonderful morning. I felt really strong again, especially when I started thinking back to my memories of the first time I ran this trail. About 7 months and 60 lbs ago, I ran this same trail. It was my first real run, 8 miles! It was agonizing, I had blisters on my feet, I felt insecure, I walked just about every 10 minutes, but I finished. Yes, I got sick afterward, but then came this feeling of great accomplishment and success. That feeling has now continued with me and pushed me to where I was on this Friday morning. On the same trail, a half-person size smaller, and 5 minutes a mile quicker!
After the turn around, we let our dog take a quick run in the creek and headed back to the trail entrance. I had forgotten one of the nicest parts of this trail... it has a slight incline the entire way in. It's not so noticeable that you get overly fatigued, but it sure does show it's beauty on the way back! We flew back to the start with a nice negative split time! I focused on staying calm and strong, and my speed just seemed to follow, it was nearly effortless to change up my pace by just using more from my hamstrings and staying relaxed everywhere else. Ha, all this work on pacing and form seems to have finally paid off! I sprinted in to the finish where PJ was already waiting for me.... sneaking past me in the last half mile.
I expected to feel tired or worked after such a great run, but instead I just felt normal. My heart rate steadied quickly, my breathing returned, and I realized that I could definitely run this distance, and swim, and bike!!!! I guess my training is aligned with my thoughts, because next week begins our peak training performance. We've built up our athletic base over the last two months, and now we'll just focus on finishing as strong and as quickly as possible! Here we go, I'm about to become a triathlete!
03/28/09 - REST
I had a scheduled ride today, but was in need of some rest... or at least a chance to lay in bed past 7:00am. I thought we were only going to be riding hills, but turns out we did a ride I've wanted to do since I got my bike.... from Soquel out to Sunset Beach along all the strawberry farms and coastline! BOO!!! Too bad I didn't know sooner, I'd have parlayed my rest for another day!
03/29/09 - Swim
I finished up the week with a nice, long swim. I got to the pool early to find it jammed packed. So, I turned around and went to another pool 10 or so miles away on the UCSC campus. Ha, it was closed for spring break!!! I grabbed a bagel, got a $35 parking ticket, and then went back to the first pool. Finally my morning started right and I found that the pool was now clearing out (too bad I didn't just sleep in today!).
I shared a lane with 3 other women at first, which kind of put a hamper on my timed intervals. I had to continuously slow down and stop to wait for the person in front of me. One of the ladies was doing a set of all pulling for backstroke.... not the quickest thing ever when it didn't actually look like she had swam backstroke before! Oh well, I just worked on stroke technique or pulling. All of a sudden though, they were done, and it was on. It was gorgeously sunny out, and I swam for about an hour and a half. Swimming, and then just doing stroke technique drills.... what a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning. I think I did about 2300m, but to be honest, I was so relaxed I wasn't really paying attention!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
What day is it?
Thank goodness for this blog and my workout tracker, without it, I'd have no idea what day and in what place I was or I am supposed to be. I'm feeling tired as I round the corner to the end of another training week, and it can be confusing on what morning I'm at the pool, which afternoons do I forgo lunch for some core, what nights am I at the track, or at the yacht harbor, or pool, or spin, or bike ride... you get the idea! By the end of my week, my body feels rundown, and I think my brain starts to follow suit, keeping track of only the essential items such as feeding times and sleep.... I've definitely got those two under control!
Anyway, thanks to being OCD, I keep a very diligent training calendar with me at all times, posted to my fridge at home, and on my wall at work. This has been my saving grace to know, not only where I need to be and how much of what activity I'm doing, but what to bring with me each and every day. Do I need my bike today and some run clothes? Just my swim gear or how about my yoga mat? Thanks to organization, I make it to my morning workouts, shower at the nearest locker room then head to work fully clothed, and keep my evening workout stuff with me everyday!
03/25/09 - Swim and Cross Fit
#1 - Swim
Off to the pool and in by 6:00am... ON TIME TODAY! This provided me the opportunity to possibly throw in some extra 100's today. That's what my brain was saying, however, my body wouldn't cooperate. I had a hard time today due to fatigue. I got in to warm up with my normal 100 each of Swim, Kick, Pull, and Choice, and figured the aches and pain would slowly work their way out of my arms and legs as they normally do. Unfortunately, I finished my warm up, and they were still there. So, I did a few tempo 50's to try and get my body in motion, still no luck. I guess it was then that I had to face the fact that I was just a little off today.
Today I had some speed intervals to tackle. 7 x 100's maintaining the same pace each time with 15 seconds rest, then a 100 pull cool down, then repeat the set. I've been doing a great job lately on coming in right on the mark with these 100's at 1:35 - 1:40 each. Today I was all over the place, my first was at 1:15, then 1:30, then I stayed there for a bit and went back to 1:25, and then 1:40! What is going on! I couldn't gauge how fast/slow I was going today. I may have been overcompensating for the pain in my overworked muscles, but I lost my fluid and focused nature in the pool. Bad, bad, bad. Not to mention, look at my times! 1:15 is a far cry from 1:40, what was I thinking going that fast?
The second set of 7 x 100's were a little better, varying between 1:30 and 1:40, still, not what I was shooting for though. I actually was going a lot faster than I felt I was in the pool. Every stroke left me feeling like I hadn't propelled very far in the water, that I was gripping on air. Then, I'd finish and see my time... it made no sense! I finished with a 100m cool down, and was thankful to see the end of my nonsensical swim session. If all my training has showed me anything, there will be better days than this, and more than likely worse days than this!
#2 - Cross Fit
There was no Cross Fit today, apparently the UCSC campus is on spring break, so their physical trainers get to take a week off! How can I get in on that? Anyway, I was going to substitute a run. I got home, still in pain from my spin class, and began to longingly look at the couch. I just kept saying over and over how tired I was; almost to the point of tears.
Then the phone rang and it was Patrick. He and some friends were hanging out nearby. Well, I thought, I can just walk there instead of going for a run! That won't hurt my aching quad's nearly as much. So, I briskly walked to a local joint, had a few beers and some food, and some laughs. I felt normal again. It's nice to mix it up, and not be so strict all the time. I enjoyed a nice walk home with Patrick, and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow! (Of course, I kept telling myself that I have to make-up my workout today!!! Stupid trainging calendar!)
Anyway, thanks to being OCD, I keep a very diligent training calendar with me at all times, posted to my fridge at home, and on my wall at work. This has been my saving grace to know, not only where I need to be and how much of what activity I'm doing, but what to bring with me each and every day. Do I need my bike today and some run clothes? Just my swim gear or how about my yoga mat? Thanks to organization, I make it to my morning workouts, shower at the nearest locker room then head to work fully clothed, and keep my evening workout stuff with me everyday!
03/25/09 - Swim and Cross Fit
#1 - Swim
Off to the pool and in by 6:00am... ON TIME TODAY! This provided me the opportunity to possibly throw in some extra 100's today. That's what my brain was saying, however, my body wouldn't cooperate. I had a hard time today due to fatigue. I got in to warm up with my normal 100 each of Swim, Kick, Pull, and Choice, and figured the aches and pain would slowly work their way out of my arms and legs as they normally do. Unfortunately, I finished my warm up, and they were still there. So, I did a few tempo 50's to try and get my body in motion, still no luck. I guess it was then that I had to face the fact that I was just a little off today.
Today I had some speed intervals to tackle. 7 x 100's maintaining the same pace each time with 15 seconds rest, then a 100 pull cool down, then repeat the set. I've been doing a great job lately on coming in right on the mark with these 100's at 1:35 - 1:40 each. Today I was all over the place, my first was at 1:15, then 1:30, then I stayed there for a bit and went back to 1:25, and then 1:40! What is going on! I couldn't gauge how fast/slow I was going today. I may have been overcompensating for the pain in my overworked muscles, but I lost my fluid and focused nature in the pool. Bad, bad, bad. Not to mention, look at my times! 1:15 is a far cry from 1:40, what was I thinking going that fast?
The second set of 7 x 100's were a little better, varying between 1:30 and 1:40, still, not what I was shooting for though. I actually was going a lot faster than I felt I was in the pool. Every stroke left me feeling like I hadn't propelled very far in the water, that I was gripping on air. Then, I'd finish and see my time... it made no sense! I finished with a 100m cool down, and was thankful to see the end of my nonsensical swim session. If all my training has showed me anything, there will be better days than this, and more than likely worse days than this!
#2 - Cross Fit
There was no Cross Fit today, apparently the UCSC campus is on spring break, so their physical trainers get to take a week off! How can I get in on that? Anyway, I was going to substitute a run. I got home, still in pain from my spin class, and began to longingly look at the couch. I just kept saying over and over how tired I was; almost to the point of tears.
Then the phone rang and it was Patrick. He and some friends were hanging out nearby. Well, I thought, I can just walk there instead of going for a run! That won't hurt my aching quad's nearly as much. So, I briskly walked to a local joint, had a few beers and some food, and some laughs. I felt normal again. It's nice to mix it up, and not be so strict all the time. I enjoyed a nice walk home with Patrick, and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow! (Of course, I kept telling myself that I have to make-up my workout today!!! Stupid trainging calendar!)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Go Faster, Faster... SPRINT!
03/24/09 - Spin
Our yoga class was canceled this afternoon, so only one workout on Tuesday. I arrived at the swim center where our spin class is normally held, really proud that I was able to balance my training bag, bike trainer, bike, and purse all in one trip! I'm getting used to this stuff! I walked into the room reveling in my mini-success, to find it empty! This class is normally packed to the gills with my triathlete teammates, but today, there was just a handful. Seems there was some miscommunication between the team and the coach that I somehow overlooked! Lucky me, because this was the most intense class I've had to date, and now it became my own private personal training session.
After getting the bike situated on the trainer, I started warming up and was wondering who this new coach was standing in front of me.... maybe no one was here because his class was awful? He clarified for us, and told us his name was Richard, and he was a former pro cyclist and training teammate of Greg Lemond. He still races, and focuses mostly on century rides and 24 hour endurance events on his mountain bike. With that out of the way, he did a quick bike fit on all of us, providing us suggestions for peak performance, and then the class began, complete with some timed rock'n'roll tunes! SWEET!
We started out with some speed intervals at medium intensity (and Guns'N'Roses), but quickly I started noticing a trend. This guy wanted us to go fast! He kept yelling, "Faster! Faster! Pedal Faster! Now, SPRINT!!!!"at the top of his lungs. We kept increasing our intensity of the gears to simulate hills, but kept increasing our speed as well. I was maxed out.... in my lowest possible gear out of 24 options, cranking away with power, and speed, and being told to go faster! There were a few times that I was ready to break and considered toning the gear retention down just a little, and he'd walk over and look at me and tell me, "Keep it up, go faster, you're almost there!" Almost where? This is a stationary bike, thanks to my trainer... ha! OK, I didn't say that, but I knew what he meant. I was almost to the top of my imaginary hill that we were racing up, so I just kept on pushing to the top.
By the mid-point of the class, I was soaking wet. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I looked like I had just gotten out of the pool, complete with sweat dripping off my nose and forehead! I always bring a towel with me and it was already doused with perspiration, sopping wet all the way through! Remember my sweat-o-meter from last week? Well if I was using it to measure this workout, this would be off the charts! We finished with some really intense sets, timed out to some ACDC, Sweet Home Alabama, and opera? The opera was actually the hardest set of the day, and it was the perfect song choice. I gave every bit of juice I had during those 5 minutes.
So what did I learn? Well, that I always surprise myself with my continued progress, there's no way at all I would have been able to do half of this class just a year ago. And, as always, never judge a book by it's cover... an unassuming ex-pro athlete might just work the last bit of sweat right out of you!
Our yoga class was canceled this afternoon, so only one workout on Tuesday. I arrived at the swim center where our spin class is normally held, really proud that I was able to balance my training bag, bike trainer, bike, and purse all in one trip! I'm getting used to this stuff! I walked into the room reveling in my mini-success, to find it empty! This class is normally packed to the gills with my triathlete teammates, but today, there was just a handful. Seems there was some miscommunication between the team and the coach that I somehow overlooked! Lucky me, because this was the most intense class I've had to date, and now it became my own private personal training session.
After getting the bike situated on the trainer, I started warming up and was wondering who this new coach was standing in front of me.... maybe no one was here because his class was awful? He clarified for us, and told us his name was Richard, and he was a former pro cyclist and training teammate of Greg Lemond. He still races, and focuses mostly on century rides and 24 hour endurance events on his mountain bike. With that out of the way, he did a quick bike fit on all of us, providing us suggestions for peak performance, and then the class began, complete with some timed rock'n'roll tunes! SWEET!
We started out with some speed intervals at medium intensity (and Guns'N'Roses), but quickly I started noticing a trend. This guy wanted us to go fast! He kept yelling, "Faster! Faster! Pedal Faster! Now, SPRINT!!!!"at the top of his lungs. We kept increasing our intensity of the gears to simulate hills, but kept increasing our speed as well. I was maxed out.... in my lowest possible gear out of 24 options, cranking away with power, and speed, and being told to go faster! There were a few times that I was ready to break and considered toning the gear retention down just a little, and he'd walk over and look at me and tell me, "Keep it up, go faster, you're almost there!" Almost where? This is a stationary bike, thanks to my trainer... ha! OK, I didn't say that, but I knew what he meant. I was almost to the top of my imaginary hill that we were racing up, so I just kept on pushing to the top.
By the mid-point of the class, I was soaking wet. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I looked like I had just gotten out of the pool, complete with sweat dripping off my nose and forehead! I always bring a towel with me and it was already doused with perspiration, sopping wet all the way through! Remember my sweat-o-meter from last week? Well if I was using it to measure this workout, this would be off the charts! We finished with some really intense sets, timed out to some ACDC, Sweet Home Alabama, and opera? The opera was actually the hardest set of the day, and it was the perfect song choice. I gave every bit of juice I had during those 5 minutes.
So what did I learn? Well, that I always surprise myself with my continued progress, there's no way at all I would have been able to do half of this class just a year ago. And, as always, never judge a book by it's cover... an unassuming ex-pro athlete might just work the last bit of sweat right out of you!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Off to the Track
03/23/09 - Track
I had a little trepidation about going to the track last night on such a windy evening. If you've ever run on the Soquel HS track, then you know that there is one corner that gets blown out by wind. Not only are running the turns hard for some reason, but when you've got just 100m left of a sprint, you're rounding a corner and fighting gravity, and then you get pushed back by the wind, it can just suck the life out of you!
I already knew our workout tonight. I knew we were doing all-out sprints, and I knew that corner was there and that the wind was unforgiving, but I'm not one to skip a workout, so I pulled up at 5:30 ready to get moving. Started with a nice warm-up, just under a mile today. Looking back, I think I should have warmed up some more. It was accidental, but I like doing some tempo work after my warm up to get my muscles accustomed to a quick pace, but it's all a learning lesson.
The workout tonight was a continuation of our progress. Really quicken the pace, push ourselves way beyond the limits of comfort, but do it while staying completely relaxed and allowing all the effort to generate from our hamstrings. Our coach always tells us to stay numb from the knee down, keep your toes spread out in the shoe, let your hamstrings push you forward and your leg will follow, stay strong in the core, and loose in the arms. Yeah, that's all we have to remember while pushing through a hellacious number of sprints and staying totally calm and focused! Ha! What's next, juggling?
OK, back to the workout... tonight we did 200's (half a lap on the track) at about 85% effort, with a 100 rest, and repeat it 3 more times. Then we'd rest for a few minutes, and do the set again for a total of 4 sets. It sounded pretty easy to me at first, until I thought about rounding those corners and the wind, and not to mention all the people on the track lately that have no etiquitte. I'm not a grumbler when I'm running, but on a set of sprints when you are actually giving it everything you've got, it can be pretty annoying to have a group of women just standing and talking in the middle of the track! MOVE OVER!!! Of course, I always try to see the positive in things, so as I jammed passed them, I turned my thought to how I now have the ability to worry about this because I'm continuing to increase my speed. Before, people stopping in the middle gave me an opportunity to slow down and move around them, now I just sustain my focus and blaze on by! It must be working though, because I felt that my 200's were strong, relaxed, and efficient! What a payoff!
I noticed last night that I haven't been wearing a watch lately. Interesting with all this training that I'm doing that I'm not using one. I'm not sure why, but I've moved my focus away from time and just to my technique. I have a whole lot to learn from just paying attention to my technique, so maybe my watch was too much of a distraction? I'm happy to say that I noticed a nice improvement last night, as did our coach. I stayed strong and consistent through the sprints, and went home super sweaty and a little jello-legged... it's becoming one of my favorite feelings!
I had a little trepidation about going to the track last night on such a windy evening. If you've ever run on the Soquel HS track, then you know that there is one corner that gets blown out by wind. Not only are running the turns hard for some reason, but when you've got just 100m left of a sprint, you're rounding a corner and fighting gravity, and then you get pushed back by the wind, it can just suck the life out of you!
I already knew our workout tonight. I knew we were doing all-out sprints, and I knew that corner was there and that the wind was unforgiving, but I'm not one to skip a workout, so I pulled up at 5:30 ready to get moving. Started with a nice warm-up, just under a mile today. Looking back, I think I should have warmed up some more. It was accidental, but I like doing some tempo work after my warm up to get my muscles accustomed to a quick pace, but it's all a learning lesson.
The workout tonight was a continuation of our progress. Really quicken the pace, push ourselves way beyond the limits of comfort, but do it while staying completely relaxed and allowing all the effort to generate from our hamstrings. Our coach always tells us to stay numb from the knee down, keep your toes spread out in the shoe, let your hamstrings push you forward and your leg will follow, stay strong in the core, and loose in the arms. Yeah, that's all we have to remember while pushing through a hellacious number of sprints and staying totally calm and focused! Ha! What's next, juggling?
OK, back to the workout... tonight we did 200's (half a lap on the track) at about 85% effort, with a 100 rest, and repeat it 3 more times. Then we'd rest for a few minutes, and do the set again for a total of 4 sets. It sounded pretty easy to me at first, until I thought about rounding those corners and the wind, and not to mention all the people on the track lately that have no etiquitte. I'm not a grumbler when I'm running, but on a set of sprints when you are actually giving it everything you've got, it can be pretty annoying to have a group of women just standing and talking in the middle of the track! MOVE OVER!!! Of course, I always try to see the positive in things, so as I jammed passed them, I turned my thought to how I now have the ability to worry about this because I'm continuing to increase my speed. Before, people stopping in the middle gave me an opportunity to slow down and move around them, now I just sustain my focus and blaze on by! It must be working though, because I felt that my 200's were strong, relaxed, and efficient! What a payoff!
I noticed last night that I haven't been wearing a watch lately. Interesting with all this training that I'm doing that I'm not using one. I'm not sure why, but I've moved my focus away from time and just to my technique. I have a whole lot to learn from just paying attention to my technique, so maybe my watch was too much of a distraction? I'm happy to say that I noticed a nice improvement last night, as did our coach. I stayed strong and consistent through the sprints, and went home super sweaty and a little jello-legged... it's becoming one of my favorite feelings!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sleeping In
03/21/09 - 03/22/09 - Bike and Run
I think this weekend was supposed to focus on hills, but I opted to focus on sleep! You may laugh, but it's an essential part of training... well, that's what I'm telling myself anyway! After a very fun, margarita and Irish Car Bomb filled Friday (quite the combo) I opted to skip the group ride on Saturday morning and go solo. I normally train with a partner in crime, but I never heard back from her, so I just went out on my own.
At some point in the early afternoon, after begrudgingly getting out of my pajamas, I managed to get on my bike and get a nice and easy ride in. We had a mix of weather this weekend, rain, sun, and wind, the rain wasn't so much a pest as the wind... I think I'll need some glasses on my future bike rides. I ended up in the country hills with pretty much every type of leaf variety in my eye.
Sunday I again slept in, oh the life! Then went out for a 5 mile or so run, in the rain and wind. Still, it was a great way to start out my lazy morning. After that, I hit up the new WholeFoods and was tempted to eat my way through the market. I settled on some spinach, avocado, peppers, and eggs and went home and made a wicked scramble.
I think this weekend was supposed to focus on hills, but I opted to focus on sleep! You may laugh, but it's an essential part of training... well, that's what I'm telling myself anyway! After a very fun, margarita and Irish Car Bomb filled Friday (quite the combo) I opted to skip the group ride on Saturday morning and go solo. I normally train with a partner in crime, but I never heard back from her, so I just went out on my own.
At some point in the early afternoon, after begrudgingly getting out of my pajamas, I managed to get on my bike and get a nice and easy ride in. We had a mix of weather this weekend, rain, sun, and wind, the rain wasn't so much a pest as the wind... I think I'll need some glasses on my future bike rides. I ended up in the country hills with pretty much every type of leaf variety in my eye.
Sunday I again slept in, oh the life! Then went out for a 5 mile or so run, in the rain and wind. Still, it was a great way to start out my lazy morning. After that, I hit up the new WholeFoods and was tempted to eat my way through the market. I settled on some spinach, avocado, peppers, and eggs and went home and made a wicked scramble.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Woo Hoo!
03/19/08 - Run and Core
#1-Run
I have been racking my brain trying to see where I could possibly fit another run in my weekly training schedule. I've got a little time before core class, so I'll just squeeze in a run where I can take it! I'm used to the marathon training mindset, where I need a few hours on the weekend and AT LEAST an hour at a time for my daily runs, but in the triathlon, I'll only be running 6 miles! No worries! I'll take 30 minutes and run with it (sorry, couldn't help myself)!
Met up with Cristy and we started at a nice quick pace on our run. Something was a little different for me today, maybe I was channeling my brother like I always try to, but I felt really light on my feet. This could also be a result of 12+ workouts a week making some extra weight kind of fall to the floor, but anyway, I felt like my load had been lightened. We ran from the swim center where our core workout would be to the yacht harbor and back.... it's about 3 miles, and I felt no pain, not even any sweat really. I felt like I had just gotten started when we finished. 3 miles was normally my warm-up on long runs, so it's probably just ingrained in my head that the worst is yet to come!
#2 - Core
I shouldn't just call this a core class, it's really a strengthening class specifically for triathletes. We ran in from our run with enough extra time to grind out some stiffness on the foam rollers before class started. Oh, this is magical and painful all at the same time. Rolling breakdowns some of the tightness and knots you get in your muscles to help prevent injury, and pretty much feels like you're being pounded on by a 200lb WWF wrestler, but yet, it feels oh so nice! The kind of pain you look forward to!
After working out the kinks, we do a circuit training warm up with things I've never seen before. Really, the entire class is comprised of some strengthening exercises I recognize, but some that are just genuinely creative and seem to be making me quite a bit stronger. The class has consistently gotten harder every week as well, and I'm able to keep up. I like what I'm seeing!!! The first time I took the class I thought it was a little too easy, not really a good workout, but now I'm finding it to be one of the gem's of my week. Our coach is so focused and pays attention to everyone's form.... there's no slacking allowed, and that works for me! After the class was finished, I even went back for an extra round of pull-ups, and some push ups with resistance bands. I'm just yearning for some tanktop worthy arms this summer!
03/20/09 - Swim
Got to the pool a little late this morning, and again to find it cold. I'm wondering who I need to talk to about covering the pool at night, seriously people, it's not easy getting into a cold pool at 6:00am!!! Anyway, did my normal warm up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull (are you getting bored of me repeating this yet?). I skipped my 50's to save on time and started in on my workout. Today was supposed to be 4-5 x 250's (10 laps each) focusing on staying fluid and calm for distance. I did my 4 x 250's and decided to make the last one a timed 400m. This is the distance of most of the sprint triathlons, so I'd like to know how I'm sitting.
My arms were a bit burnt out already, having finished about 1400m of swimming. But, I just decided to not worry about time, and focus on being calm and consistent. I started my 400m and before I knew it, I was in my good place. I was focused, calm, relaxed, and felt like I was the only one in the pool. I noticed no one else but myself. As I was moving through my laps, I realized that I was so focused on being calm, I was kind of erring on the slow side. I decided to kick it up a bit, still feeling calm and relaxed. By the last 50m's I just gave it my all, and felt powerful and quick moving into the wall. I touched the wall, tore off my goggles, and peered at my time. It looks like it was somewhere around 7:15 or 7:25! Not bad at all!!!
Yes, that's where the "Woo Hoo!" title comes from. After I saw my time, I belted one out, and proceeded to sing my praises through my cool down. I'm pretty proud of myself. Not even halfway through my training, and really looking good on the swimming. And to think, that was my time AFTER having done the majority of my workout, I'm thinking I can get that down closer to 7:00 on fresh arms and legs.... we shall see, we shall see!
At least now I have a true marker of my progress. The first month of swimming I could barely finish a 200m without being stopped by fear. Now, I'm doing the 400m staying calm and collected and in a decent time. Two more months and I should be golden!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it feels so nice to not be the slowest at something! At least now I have more balance;I'm a slow runner, but not that bad of a cyclist, and can certainly hold my own on the swim! It's too bad the tri isn't performed in the opposite direction (run, bike, then swim), so I could actually finish it strong!
PS - No #2 workout today that I anticipate. I'm looking forward to some drinks and fun with the girls tonight. Sometimes a workout will magically manifest itself in the way of a fun dance class, but for now, I see nothing but margaritas and guacamole in my future!
#1-Run
I have been racking my brain trying to see where I could possibly fit another run in my weekly training schedule. I've got a little time before core class, so I'll just squeeze in a run where I can take it! I'm used to the marathon training mindset, where I need a few hours on the weekend and AT LEAST an hour at a time for my daily runs, but in the triathlon, I'll only be running 6 miles! No worries! I'll take 30 minutes and run with it (sorry, couldn't help myself)!
Met up with Cristy and we started at a nice quick pace on our run. Something was a little different for me today, maybe I was channeling my brother like I always try to, but I felt really light on my feet. This could also be a result of 12+ workouts a week making some extra weight kind of fall to the floor, but anyway, I felt like my load had been lightened. We ran from the swim center where our core workout would be to the yacht harbor and back.... it's about 3 miles, and I felt no pain, not even any sweat really. I felt like I had just gotten started when we finished. 3 miles was normally my warm-up on long runs, so it's probably just ingrained in my head that the worst is yet to come!
#2 - Core
I shouldn't just call this a core class, it's really a strengthening class specifically for triathletes. We ran in from our run with enough extra time to grind out some stiffness on the foam rollers before class started. Oh, this is magical and painful all at the same time. Rolling breakdowns some of the tightness and knots you get in your muscles to help prevent injury, and pretty much feels like you're being pounded on by a 200lb WWF wrestler, but yet, it feels oh so nice! The kind of pain you look forward to!
After working out the kinks, we do a circuit training warm up with things I've never seen before. Really, the entire class is comprised of some strengthening exercises I recognize, but some that are just genuinely creative and seem to be making me quite a bit stronger. The class has consistently gotten harder every week as well, and I'm able to keep up. I like what I'm seeing!!! The first time I took the class I thought it was a little too easy, not really a good workout, but now I'm finding it to be one of the gem's of my week. Our coach is so focused and pays attention to everyone's form.... there's no slacking allowed, and that works for me! After the class was finished, I even went back for an extra round of pull-ups, and some push ups with resistance bands. I'm just yearning for some tanktop worthy arms this summer!
03/20/09 - Swim
Got to the pool a little late this morning, and again to find it cold. I'm wondering who I need to talk to about covering the pool at night, seriously people, it's not easy getting into a cold pool at 6:00am!!! Anyway, did my normal warm up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull (are you getting bored of me repeating this yet?). I skipped my 50's to save on time and started in on my workout. Today was supposed to be 4-5 x 250's (10 laps each) focusing on staying fluid and calm for distance. I did my 4 x 250's and decided to make the last one a timed 400m. This is the distance of most of the sprint triathlons, so I'd like to know how I'm sitting.
My arms were a bit burnt out already, having finished about 1400m of swimming. But, I just decided to not worry about time, and focus on being calm and consistent. I started my 400m and before I knew it, I was in my good place. I was focused, calm, relaxed, and felt like I was the only one in the pool. I noticed no one else but myself. As I was moving through my laps, I realized that I was so focused on being calm, I was kind of erring on the slow side. I decided to kick it up a bit, still feeling calm and relaxed. By the last 50m's I just gave it my all, and felt powerful and quick moving into the wall. I touched the wall, tore off my goggles, and peered at my time. It looks like it was somewhere around 7:15 or 7:25! Not bad at all!!!
Yes, that's where the "Woo Hoo!" title comes from. After I saw my time, I belted one out, and proceeded to sing my praises through my cool down. I'm pretty proud of myself. Not even halfway through my training, and really looking good on the swimming. And to think, that was my time AFTER having done the majority of my workout, I'm thinking I can get that down closer to 7:00 on fresh arms and legs.... we shall see, we shall see!
At least now I have a true marker of my progress. The first month of swimming I could barely finish a 200m without being stopped by fear. Now, I'm doing the 400m staying calm and collected and in a decent time. Two more months and I should be golden!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it feels so nice to not be the slowest at something! At least now I have more balance;I'm a slow runner, but not that bad of a cyclist, and can certainly hold my own on the swim! It's too bad the tri isn't performed in the opposite direction (run, bike, then swim), so I could actually finish it strong!
PS - No #2 workout today that I anticipate. I'm looking forward to some drinks and fun with the girls tonight. Sometimes a workout will magically manifest itself in the way of a fun dance class, but for now, I see nothing but margaritas and guacamole in my future!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Good Morning Sunshine!
03/17/09 - Yoga and Spin
#1 - Yoga
Interesting, but I couldn't get into yoga today. I did all the things she told us to do, but the whole time I was about a second away from laughing. I take yoga with my two besties in town, and we've come to recognize a few of the regulars in class. In particular, we can't help but notice the guy that takes FULL advantage of the wind releasing poses, every time! I walked into class today and my gals had already set up my mat and props, and I noticed that the "Wind Releaser" was right behind us. I was in suspense the entire time, just waiting for the moment when he'd do the deed, on my friend's head!
Needless to say, not really the best mind frame for yoga, but fun nonetheless! Even though I wasn't really mentally present, when it came time for the corpse pose, I was way into it. I lay down, relaxed everything in my body, and then all of a sudden my mind wandered to puppies. Yes, I was dreaming within about 1 minute! I was shooing a load of puppies through a door when I heard this loud, guttural sound coming from... myself! I was snoring! It shook me awake, and I spent the rest of the time wondering if anyone heard me. Quite the amusing class today.
#2 - Spin
Spin class is a great time. I'm one to sweat easily, it's in my genes, but spin really gets my pores going. Anything that leaves me looking like I just got out of the shower is a good workout in my book. Ha, might actually be a funny way to measure my workouts, my sweat-o-meter. Gross, but interesting.
We did a warm-up, some technique drills, and speed intervals today. A couple sets going 1 minute at 80%, 1 minute at 87%, and 2 minutes at 100%. Two minutes doesn't sound that long, until your in the smallest gear you've got, grinding the muscles at full force and full speed. I keep visualizing myself passing the people in front of me to help me get through the set. Of course, my bike is mounted on top of a 20lb apparatus, so I was going no where fast. Still, helps to imagine that I'm swerving through the pack, and pushing my way to the finish line!
03/18/09 - Swim and Cross Fit
#1 - Swim
Brrrr... the water was so cold this morning! I think someone forgot to cover the pool last night because this was the first time I jumped in and did the "I forget how to swim" freakout! Started with my usual warm-up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull, followed by 3x50's at tempo. Still cold, so I guess "warm-up" didn't really apply here today!
I'm still so impressed that I knocked 5 seconds off my time last week. I did a speed workout again today, and was able to stick to my new time again. Started with 7 x 100's at 1:40 each. Then did a 100 pull rest, and another set of 7 x 100's. This set I kicked it up, did the 100's at 1:35 each. Mostly because I was running out of time. I needed to get in the shower before 6:50am to beat the crowd, and I had just a couple minutes left. Missed my cool down today because of the time, but hey, I dropped another 5 seconds! It's like I'm transforming into a swimmer on an almost daily basis. It feels great! 2150m's today or 86 laps. Feeling a little tight now because I had no cool down, so I'll need to figure out the timing of my workouts better.
Everytime I'm in the pool, I have visions of my childhood years with the Loomis Basin Dolphins. I never took swimming seriously, contact sports were more my thing, but it was still fun. I try to recall all my instruction when I'm pulling, or kicking, or going for a flip turn. I might just have to hit up one of my family friends for his expertise. He's been a swim coach for years, and it'd be nice to have him observe me, and help me out with some tips. Let's face it, I'm not doing triathlons to win them, but I'd love to actually say that I'm good in one of the categories. Most triathletes are weak swimmers, so I might just have to capitalize on that!
#2 - Cross Fit
Same old, same old.... well, actually, I haven't even gone yet, but I'll tell you what we're going to do. Hundreds of weighted squats, followed by hundreds of lunges, gut wrenching core, military push ups, running stairs, arm work, and then top it all off with ab work and more squats. That's it in a nut shell. Listen up for tomorrow when I complain about how tight I was during my next workout! HA!!
#1 - Yoga
Interesting, but I couldn't get into yoga today. I did all the things she told us to do, but the whole time I was about a second away from laughing. I take yoga with my two besties in town, and we've come to recognize a few of the regulars in class. In particular, we can't help but notice the guy that takes FULL advantage of the wind releasing poses, every time! I walked into class today and my gals had already set up my mat and props, and I noticed that the "Wind Releaser" was right behind us. I was in suspense the entire time, just waiting for the moment when he'd do the deed, on my friend's head!
Needless to say, not really the best mind frame for yoga, but fun nonetheless! Even though I wasn't really mentally present, when it came time for the corpse pose, I was way into it. I lay down, relaxed everything in my body, and then all of a sudden my mind wandered to puppies. Yes, I was dreaming within about 1 minute! I was shooing a load of puppies through a door when I heard this loud, guttural sound coming from... myself! I was snoring! It shook me awake, and I spent the rest of the time wondering if anyone heard me. Quite the amusing class today.
#2 - Spin
Spin class is a great time. I'm one to sweat easily, it's in my genes, but spin really gets my pores going. Anything that leaves me looking like I just got out of the shower is a good workout in my book. Ha, might actually be a funny way to measure my workouts, my sweat-o-meter. Gross, but interesting.
We did a warm-up, some technique drills, and speed intervals today. A couple sets going 1 minute at 80%, 1 minute at 87%, and 2 minutes at 100%. Two minutes doesn't sound that long, until your in the smallest gear you've got, grinding the muscles at full force and full speed. I keep visualizing myself passing the people in front of me to help me get through the set. Of course, my bike is mounted on top of a 20lb apparatus, so I was going no where fast. Still, helps to imagine that I'm swerving through the pack, and pushing my way to the finish line!
03/18/09 - Swim and Cross Fit
#1 - Swim
Brrrr... the water was so cold this morning! I think someone forgot to cover the pool last night because this was the first time I jumped in and did the "I forget how to swim" freakout! Started with my usual warm-up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull, followed by 3x50's at tempo. Still cold, so I guess "warm-up" didn't really apply here today!
I'm still so impressed that I knocked 5 seconds off my time last week. I did a speed workout again today, and was able to stick to my new time again. Started with 7 x 100's at 1:40 each. Then did a 100 pull rest, and another set of 7 x 100's. This set I kicked it up, did the 100's at 1:35 each. Mostly because I was running out of time. I needed to get in the shower before 6:50am to beat the crowd, and I had just a couple minutes left. Missed my cool down today because of the time, but hey, I dropped another 5 seconds! It's like I'm transforming into a swimmer on an almost daily basis. It feels great! 2150m's today or 86 laps. Feeling a little tight now because I had no cool down, so I'll need to figure out the timing of my workouts better.
Everytime I'm in the pool, I have visions of my childhood years with the Loomis Basin Dolphins. I never took swimming seriously, contact sports were more my thing, but it was still fun. I try to recall all my instruction when I'm pulling, or kicking, or going for a flip turn. I might just have to hit up one of my family friends for his expertise. He's been a swim coach for years, and it'd be nice to have him observe me, and help me out with some tips. Let's face it, I'm not doing triathlons to win them, but I'd love to actually say that I'm good in one of the categories. Most triathletes are weak swimmers, so I might just have to capitalize on that!
#2 - Cross Fit
Same old, same old.... well, actually, I haven't even gone yet, but I'll tell you what we're going to do. Hundreds of weighted squats, followed by hundreds of lunges, gut wrenching core, military push ups, running stairs, arm work, and then top it all off with ab work and more squats. That's it in a nut shell. Listen up for tomorrow when I complain about how tight I was during my next workout! HA!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
03/12/09 - 03/17/09
Yikes! Been on a little hiatus, but not to worry, my workouts did not suffer that much! I'm not going to log them in great detail, because to be honest, I don't remember them all that well anymore! Ha! I went to Denver to visit my friends, family, and old college roommates. Dressed as a leprechaun, I hit the streets of Denver and a few of the thousands of bars that they offer, for their St. Patti's Day celebration. It was a wonderful time, I danced, drank, and laughed so hard that my abs hurt! (talk about an effective workout!)
So, just a quick run down.... got in a run and core on 03/12/09, about an hour in the the gym on 03/13/09 with my friend Sarah. She's training for a fitness competition, so we shared some secrets with one another, ran, lifted weights, did core, and laughed about how sweaty I get. 03/14/09, no workout today, but several miles of walking, a whole lot of jigging, and even more laughing left my abs in bits. It felt great! A short run in on 03/15/09, and then tried to swim on 03/16/09 but the pool was closed. Instead I spent the day walking with my fiance and headed to the beach.
Back to the grind today with yoga and spin class!
All in all, a wonderful trip away. Even better is that I got some exercise in, so I don't feel totally amiss from my workout schedule.
Yikes! Been on a little hiatus, but not to worry, my workouts did not suffer that much! I'm not going to log them in great detail, because to be honest, I don't remember them all that well anymore! Ha! I went to Denver to visit my friends, family, and old college roommates. Dressed as a leprechaun, I hit the streets of Denver and a few of the thousands of bars that they offer, for their St. Patti's Day celebration. It was a wonderful time, I danced, drank, and laughed so hard that my abs hurt! (talk about an effective workout!)
So, just a quick run down.... got in a run and core on 03/12/09, about an hour in the the gym on 03/13/09 with my friend Sarah. She's training for a fitness competition, so we shared some secrets with one another, ran, lifted weights, did core, and laughed about how sweaty I get. 03/14/09, no workout today, but several miles of walking, a whole lot of jigging, and even more laughing left my abs in bits. It felt great! A short run in on 03/15/09, and then tried to swim on 03/16/09 but the pool was closed. Instead I spent the day walking with my fiance and headed to the beach.
Back to the grind today with yoga and spin class!
All in all, a wonderful trip away. Even better is that I got some exercise in, so I don't feel totally amiss from my workout schedule.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
So Sleepy!
03/11/09 - Swim & Booty Camp
#1 Swim
OK, I'll say it, I'm so tired! I'm pooped! I think my impending vacation is causing me to just want to drop it all and relax with my girls. Or, it could be that waking up at 5:15am after the Daylight Savings time change has really rocked my world. Who cares what it is, I need some more sleep!
Got to the pool this morning, with my eyelids half cracked, not quite remembering driving there. It was frigid, about 30 degrees, so I was actually looking forward to jumping into the pool. It felt warm in comparison to the cold air! I started my 400 warm up and just couldn't muster the motivation. Sorry if I'm a little bit of a Debbie Downer right now, but I didn't have it in me. Finished my Swim, Kick, Choice, and Pull, and decided to skip the body positioning drills and just do some tempo 25's to try and boost up my spirits and heart rate.... 6 of those, and I was ready for my drills.
I did 2 sets of 6 x 100's. Even though my mind is sleepy and slow, I kept time really well, and actually finished each 100m 5 seconds quicker than I did last week. Previously, I had been doing these on the 2 minutes, meaning, I swim the 100 in 1:45 and then rest 15 seconds. Today I dropped that to swimming the 100 in 1:40! Funny, how the body can just do it's own thing, even though the mind is in neutral. I of course was unintentionally racing the speedy guy next to me, so that could have something to do with it. This new guy was faster than me, but not by much.
I'm pretty sure that I did a 100 pull after each set, and then a 100 cool down. Seriously, this whole workout is such a blur to me now. Was I even really there? The smell of chlorine drifting from my body and tickling my nose is my only remaining clue that yes, I did actually swim this morning. A total of 2050 meters to be exact, or 82 laps. Too bad that I can't really remember my longest and quickest swim workout to date!
#1 Swim
OK, I'll say it, I'm so tired! I'm pooped! I think my impending vacation is causing me to just want to drop it all and relax with my girls. Or, it could be that waking up at 5:15am after the Daylight Savings time change has really rocked my world. Who cares what it is, I need some more sleep!
Got to the pool this morning, with my eyelids half cracked, not quite remembering driving there. It was frigid, about 30 degrees, so I was actually looking forward to jumping into the pool. It felt warm in comparison to the cold air! I started my 400 warm up and just couldn't muster the motivation. Sorry if I'm a little bit of a Debbie Downer right now, but I didn't have it in me. Finished my Swim, Kick, Choice, and Pull, and decided to skip the body positioning drills and just do some tempo 25's to try and boost up my spirits and heart rate.... 6 of those, and I was ready for my drills.
I did 2 sets of 6 x 100's. Even though my mind is sleepy and slow, I kept time really well, and actually finished each 100m 5 seconds quicker than I did last week. Previously, I had been doing these on the 2 minutes, meaning, I swim the 100 in 1:45 and then rest 15 seconds. Today I dropped that to swimming the 100 in 1:40! Funny, how the body can just do it's own thing, even though the mind is in neutral. I of course was unintentionally racing the speedy guy next to me, so that could have something to do with it. This new guy was faster than me, but not by much.
I'm pretty sure that I did a 100 pull after each set, and then a 100 cool down. Seriously, this whole workout is such a blur to me now. Was I even really there? The smell of chlorine drifting from my body and tickling my nose is my only remaining clue that yes, I did actually swim this morning. A total of 2050 meters to be exact, or 82 laps. Too bad that I can't really remember my longest and quickest swim workout to date!
Relax for Speed
03/10/09 - Spin
I skipped my Tuesday yoga class today to run some errands. I'm getting ready to leave town, and it's pretty hard to wedge in all the things I need to accomplish, and still have time for double workouts. I reviewed my schedule, and figured yoga was probably the most expendable.
Finally, though, after several weeks of trying to obtain trainers, which has involved begging from my tri club and borrowing trainers that don't fit my bike, I got lucky, and got a trainer for Spin Class! I was in business to see what this class is all about.
I arrived early to fumble around with getting my bike onto the trainer. Being so new to the process, I felt clumsy and awkward, but everyone was willing to help each other with this essential step. After getting my bike situated, I hopped on, clipped in, and started a nice smooth and easy pace.
It took probably about 1 minute for me to remember how bad my seat is hurting me. It's not placed in the right position on my bike and I don't have the tools to move it. It's too far forward, so the large part of the seat is sitting in the middle of my pelvis, and my actual bottom is kind of hanging off the end. OUCH! This causes some immediate pain to some important areas, and I'm finding, that it's cutting circulation off to my legs and feet. Need to get this fixed asap!
That aside, this was a fun class. It's such a nice way to practice biking technique without the risk of running off the side of a road. Our instructor really helped us focus on relaxing for speed; opening our bodies while riding, letting go of the shoulders and arms, to allow for strong, powerful, and easy movement. She also suggested finding words or phrases to call upon during the most difficult moments, that would help remind you to regain that fluid body positioning. I've got my Beastie Boys little diddy all set for these moments.
We did a bunch of 3 minute sets, building our speed with each minute. 1 minute at 80% effort, 1 minute at 87% effort, and 1 minute giving it everything you've got! I'm pretty sure I mentioned it yesterday, but I just love these little short bursts of energy. They make me feel strong and successful! I hopped of the bike at the end, and felt like I could have done a whole lot more. I think that's the feeling I should be going for, seeing as how in a race, I'll be getting off the bike and will start running!
I skipped my Tuesday yoga class today to run some errands. I'm getting ready to leave town, and it's pretty hard to wedge in all the things I need to accomplish, and still have time for double workouts. I reviewed my schedule, and figured yoga was probably the most expendable.
Finally, though, after several weeks of trying to obtain trainers, which has involved begging from my tri club and borrowing trainers that don't fit my bike, I got lucky, and got a trainer for Spin Class! I was in business to see what this class is all about.
I arrived early to fumble around with getting my bike onto the trainer. Being so new to the process, I felt clumsy and awkward, but everyone was willing to help each other with this essential step. After getting my bike situated, I hopped on, clipped in, and started a nice smooth and easy pace.
It took probably about 1 minute for me to remember how bad my seat is hurting me. It's not placed in the right position on my bike and I don't have the tools to move it. It's too far forward, so the large part of the seat is sitting in the middle of my pelvis, and my actual bottom is kind of hanging off the end. OUCH! This causes some immediate pain to some important areas, and I'm finding, that it's cutting circulation off to my legs and feet. Need to get this fixed asap!
That aside, this was a fun class. It's such a nice way to practice biking technique without the risk of running off the side of a road. Our instructor really helped us focus on relaxing for speed; opening our bodies while riding, letting go of the shoulders and arms, to allow for strong, powerful, and easy movement. She also suggested finding words or phrases to call upon during the most difficult moments, that would help remind you to regain that fluid body positioning. I've got my Beastie Boys little diddy all set for these moments.
We did a bunch of 3 minute sets, building our speed with each minute. 1 minute at 80% effort, 1 minute at 87% effort, and 1 minute giving it everything you've got! I'm pretty sure I mentioned it yesterday, but I just love these little short bursts of energy. They make me feel strong and successful! I hopped of the bike at the end, and felt like I could have done a whole lot more. I think that's the feeling I should be going for, seeing as how in a race, I'll be getting off the bike and will start running!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Family Tree
03/09/09 - Track
Off to the track last night for our workout. I felt really tired and whiny getting started (oh yes, I think I complained about at least 3 different ailments). Warm-up was hard, the workout was hard, but about halfway through, I started finding some inspiration.
After our warm up of 3 laps, stretching, and a mile of tempo (100 X 200 X 300 X 200), we started in with 800 sprints. That's two laps around the track, or half a mile. I'm still having trouble getting air these days, lasting effects of pneumonia I guess. About 400 into the drills, I start wheezing, and wishing I was done. I'm perfectly alright with pushing my body beyond its limits, I love the feeling of giving it everything, but when I couldn't get enough air, I started to panic and lose all focus.
Luckily, our next set was some 400's, and it was then that I started talking about my family. My sister Norah was a speed demon sprinter in high school, and if my memory serves me correctly, this was one of her races, the 400m dash. As I recalled her flying by me in the stands when I was just about 10 years old, I realized that I haven't had a run yet where I didn't mention someone in my family. My father, the guy that's so quick he can hit the light switch and get into bed before the lights go out! He used to head to the track when he was younger, sprinting the straight-aways and walking the turns to boost up his speed. He ran with my siblings and I during our trainings as children, and always tried to race us to the finish at the end. My brother, as fast and light as a hummingbird. I constantly look to him when I'm running to call upon his lightness and speed, dreaming that those qualities will magically manifest themselves within me, but knowing that he has a special gift that will remain his alone. And of course, my big sis, the track super star.... It wasn't until I did that 400, that I realized I had really strong roots in running, it didn't occur to me that I also might have what it takes to be a success in this sport.
Our next set was some 200 sprints. All of a sudden, with my family on my side, I was a runner in my own right. I jammed those 200's, and was actually up for more when I finished. It hit me, that although running is really hard for me, although I don't have a typical runner's body and I carry around enough weight to last me through an arctic winter, I am built to be strong. I can handle this short burst of quick speed without any pain. My hope, is that over time, I can extend those shorter distances to longer ones, and feel comfortable pushing it over a few miles. If all my training can't get me there, then maybe my genetics can!
Off to the track last night for our workout. I felt really tired and whiny getting started (oh yes, I think I complained about at least 3 different ailments). Warm-up was hard, the workout was hard, but about halfway through, I started finding some inspiration.
After our warm up of 3 laps, stretching, and a mile of tempo (100 X 200 X 300 X 200), we started in with 800 sprints. That's two laps around the track, or half a mile. I'm still having trouble getting air these days, lasting effects of pneumonia I guess. About 400 into the drills, I start wheezing, and wishing I was done. I'm perfectly alright with pushing my body beyond its limits, I love the feeling of giving it everything, but when I couldn't get enough air, I started to panic and lose all focus.
Luckily, our next set was some 400's, and it was then that I started talking about my family. My sister Norah was a speed demon sprinter in high school, and if my memory serves me correctly, this was one of her races, the 400m dash. As I recalled her flying by me in the stands when I was just about 10 years old, I realized that I haven't had a run yet where I didn't mention someone in my family. My father, the guy that's so quick he can hit the light switch and get into bed before the lights go out! He used to head to the track when he was younger, sprinting the straight-aways and walking the turns to boost up his speed. He ran with my siblings and I during our trainings as children, and always tried to race us to the finish at the end. My brother, as fast and light as a hummingbird. I constantly look to him when I'm running to call upon his lightness and speed, dreaming that those qualities will magically manifest themselves within me, but knowing that he has a special gift that will remain his alone. And of course, my big sis, the track super star.... It wasn't until I did that 400, that I realized I had really strong roots in running, it didn't occur to me that I also might have what it takes to be a success in this sport.
Our next set was some 200 sprints. All of a sudden, with my family on my side, I was a runner in my own right. I jammed those 200's, and was actually up for more when I finished. It hit me, that although running is really hard for me, although I don't have a typical runner's body and I carry around enough weight to last me through an arctic winter, I am built to be strong. I can handle this short burst of quick speed without any pain. My hope, is that over time, I can extend those shorter distances to longer ones, and feel comfortable pushing it over a few miles. If all my training can't get me there, then maybe my genetics can!
Monday, March 9, 2009
She's a Brick, House!
03/07/08 - Bike and Run (BRICK)
So, this is not a #1, and then #2 workout. Today's workout was one continuous effort of cycling and then running. It's named a 'brick', and I've heard a few reasons as to why. My take on it, is that after cycling and then jumping off the bike to start running, your legs feel like you've got a ton of bricks weighing them down! Instead of propelling forward like you would normally, you just kind of push each leg forward.
Our bike ride was pretty sweet. Nothing too outrageous, about 18-20 miles of hilly course along the ocean side. My new road bike is really treating me well, I love how fast you can get going. I think I'll need to get myself a bike computer that tracks my speed! I started the ride feeling tired though. Going for a ride the night before may not have been the smartest of ideas. My legs felt burnt the entire ride, especially on a few of the more serious hills. That's what gears are for though! I just tried to tell myself to stay calm and fluid in those moments... actually singing a little Beastie Boys song at times to help me relax, "Let it Flow, let yourself Go, slow and low that is the tempo!" Once I started relaxing, the hills disappeared under me!
Couldn't have been a nicer day for an early morning workout either. We've had several weeks of rain here, and this was one of the first sunny and warm mornings. The fields were lush and green, brussel sprouts were being harvested, the ocean was glassy, and we were greeted by our favorite roosters as we road by their house. Yes, sounds just perfect, right? It was, until the moment we decided to hop off our bikes and start running!!!
Going from bike to run is the second transition in a triathlon, and probably the most difficult. We got to our cars, threw the bikes in, traded out shoes, pulled off bike shorts (I had run pants underneath), and away we went. Ha, it sounds fast, but it was more like, away we slowly and painfully trodded down the street! In addition to using a different set of muscles when you run, my bad bike seat is cutting off circulation to my legs, and I was running on what felt like the numb and clutzy feet of a giant. Couldn't feel the road at all!
That feeling dissapeared after about 5 minutes or so, but wow, what an experience! All this working out is starting to come together now. I'm going to swim, bike, and run all in one race! I had an eye opening workout today, and am even more excited and motivated to kick this training into full gear!
So, this is not a #1, and then #2 workout. Today's workout was one continuous effort of cycling and then running. It's named a 'brick', and I've heard a few reasons as to why. My take on it, is that after cycling and then jumping off the bike to start running, your legs feel like you've got a ton of bricks weighing them down! Instead of propelling forward like you would normally, you just kind of push each leg forward.
Our bike ride was pretty sweet. Nothing too outrageous, about 18-20 miles of hilly course along the ocean side. My new road bike is really treating me well, I love how fast you can get going. I think I'll need to get myself a bike computer that tracks my speed! I started the ride feeling tired though. Going for a ride the night before may not have been the smartest of ideas. My legs felt burnt the entire ride, especially on a few of the more serious hills. That's what gears are for though! I just tried to tell myself to stay calm and fluid in those moments... actually singing a little Beastie Boys song at times to help me relax, "Let it Flow, let yourself Go, slow and low that is the tempo!" Once I started relaxing, the hills disappeared under me!
Couldn't have been a nicer day for an early morning workout either. We've had several weeks of rain here, and this was one of the first sunny and warm mornings. The fields were lush and green, brussel sprouts were being harvested, the ocean was glassy, and we were greeted by our favorite roosters as we road by their house. Yes, sounds just perfect, right? It was, until the moment we decided to hop off our bikes and start running!!!
Going from bike to run is the second transition in a triathlon, and probably the most difficult. We got to our cars, threw the bikes in, traded out shoes, pulled off bike shorts (I had run pants underneath), and away we went. Ha, it sounds fast, but it was more like, away we slowly and painfully trodded down the street! In addition to using a different set of muscles when you run, my bad bike seat is cutting off circulation to my legs, and I was running on what felt like the numb and clutzy feet of a giant. Couldn't feel the road at all!
That feeling dissapeared after about 5 minutes or so, but wow, what an experience! All this working out is starting to come together now. I'm going to swim, bike, and run all in one race! I had an eye opening workout today, and am even more excited and motivated to kick this training into full gear!
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Ninja
3/06/09 - Bike
I know, same day another post? Well, I got an unexpected, but welcome chance for another workout. My fiance and I are sharing cars this week, and I've been graciously lugged around town by my workout partner and friend Cristy. Her car went out last night, so, next best thing was my bike.
I took it into work today, and on the way home, decided to take a nice 40 minute detour through town, by the ocean, and along some gorgeous fields. Felt great! It's the first time I've really gotten to play around with the speed on my bike. I thought I was just zooming along since I was keeping up with the town traffic until this man dressed in all black from head to toe (including his bike) flew past me... I'm pretty sure it was a ninja though, so that doesn't really count!
I know, same day another post? Well, I got an unexpected, but welcome chance for another workout. My fiance and I are sharing cars this week, and I've been graciously lugged around town by my workout partner and friend Cristy. Her car went out last night, so, next best thing was my bike.
I took it into work today, and on the way home, decided to take a nice 40 minute detour through town, by the ocean, and along some gorgeous fields. Felt great! It's the first time I've really gotten to play around with the speed on my bike. I thought I was just zooming along since I was keeping up with the town traffic until this man dressed in all black from head to toe (including his bike) flew past me... I'm pretty sure it was a ninja though, so that doesn't really count!
Stealth Racer
03/05/09 - Run and Core
03/06/09 - Swim
Once again a great swim, however, I felt really tired this morning. With every stroke I felt the muscles in my arms burn, and it seemed to stay with me the entire morning. Looking forward to finishing up the week soon!
I realized this morning that I have been doing some stealth racing in the pool, which has really helped me turn up my tempo. Yes, that's right, stealth racing. I have an unstoppable urge to race the unsuspecting swimmers in the lanes next to me, without their knowledge of course. This may be a result of the years spent in a car with my father, who races every car at every stoplight without them knowing! At any rate, that competitive impulse helps me burn through my sets a little faster, even when my arms are screaming for me to stop.
This morning, the couple next to me were from our Nu2Tri group. The guy in the lane is a pretty fast runner, there's no way I can come close to catching him on the track without killing myself. We didn't speak, but I'm sure he noticed that I'm one of those people he passes on the track. We both started swimming, and I was passing him. Before you know it, it was ON! "Alright," I thought, "BRING IT!" He was racing, I was racing, but more importantly, I was WINNING!!!! Finally, I'm actually good at one of these sports! Such a fun morning for me, it'd be interesting to hear what that guy has to say about it though! Probably wondering why I was high-fiving myself in the air and screaming "Woo hoo's" after each set! Ha ha!
Today's workout was a warm up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull. 6x25's body positioning drills. 5 x 250's with 15-30 seconds rest, and a 100 pull cool down. 76 laps... not bad! I may have missed the point of the workout today though. Instead of staying calm and fluid during my 250's I was pushing and racing! I did however, really focus on being as long as I could be in the water, and I think it gave me with winning edge!
03/06/09 - Swim
Once again a great swim, however, I felt really tired this morning. With every stroke I felt the muscles in my arms burn, and it seemed to stay with me the entire morning. Looking forward to finishing up the week soon!
I realized this morning that I have been doing some stealth racing in the pool, which has really helped me turn up my tempo. Yes, that's right, stealth racing. I have an unstoppable urge to race the unsuspecting swimmers in the lanes next to me, without their knowledge of course. This may be a result of the years spent in a car with my father, who races every car at every stoplight without them knowing! At any rate, that competitive impulse helps me burn through my sets a little faster, even when my arms are screaming for me to stop.
This morning, the couple next to me were from our Nu2Tri group. The guy in the lane is a pretty fast runner, there's no way I can come close to catching him on the track without killing myself. We didn't speak, but I'm sure he noticed that I'm one of those people he passes on the track. We both started swimming, and I was passing him. Before you know it, it was ON! "Alright," I thought, "BRING IT!" He was racing, I was racing, but more importantly, I was WINNING!!!! Finally, I'm actually good at one of these sports! Such a fun morning for me, it'd be interesting to hear what that guy has to say about it though! Probably wondering why I was high-fiving myself in the air and screaming "Woo hoo's" after each set! Ha ha!
Today's workout was a warm up of 100 each Swim, Kick, Choice, Pull. 6x25's body positioning drills. 5 x 250's with 15-30 seconds rest, and a 100 pull cool down. 76 laps... not bad! I may have missed the point of the workout today though. Instead of staying calm and fluid during my 250's I was pushing and racing! I did however, really focus on being as long as I could be in the water, and I think it gave me with winning edge!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sun Shiny Day!
03/04/09 - Swim and "Booty Camp"
#1 - Swim
I would say that throughout my life, I've greeted most days, and most situations with a smile. It can probably be confusing for people that are close to me that I am smiling, even when I am not a happy camper, but I guess it's just part of who I am. This morning, after being woken up at 3:00am by my fiance's phone ringing off the hook with work calls, I was quite distant from my normally sunny disposition. I could almost, maybe just barely, have considered myself a little grumpy.
I arrived at the pool and was truly ready to drown my sorrows. I can't think of a nicer place to have worked out my woes. I dove into the water and was encapsulated by the warm, buoyant, calm, and quiet atmosphere. I exhaled, and worked through my inner-talk, until I too was silent. It took just about 2 laps of warm-up to loosen my muscles and my attitude. How did I cope with the daily grind before all of this????
Good workout today. Warm up consisted of 100m (4 laps) each of Swim, Kick, Choice, and Pull, followed up with 6 x 25 of our body positioning drills. On to the bulk of the workout, 6 x 100's with 15 seconds rest, an easy 100 pull, and then 6x100 with 15 seconds rest, 100 pull and cool down.... that's a total of 82 laps! I was hitting it today! I managed to get in every 100 at the exact same time.
I'm feeling a lot of progress with my swimming, and have to say, that I love the hour or so I get in complete solitude. It was great to finish strong, and head out of the pool with the sun having risen and a smile back on my face.
#2 - Booty Camp
Yes, booty camp! I know it might be time better spent to be out running or practicing transitions, but in this base-building period, I just can't get enough core. A few hundred squats and lunges, some push-up, planks, weight lifting, resistance training, ball work, crunches, and more can't be all that bad!! I sweat a ton, and just love that jelly feeling in my arms and legs!
#1 - Swim
I would say that throughout my life, I've greeted most days, and most situations with a smile. It can probably be confusing for people that are close to me that I am smiling, even when I am not a happy camper, but I guess it's just part of who I am. This morning, after being woken up at 3:00am by my fiance's phone ringing off the hook with work calls, I was quite distant from my normally sunny disposition. I could almost, maybe just barely, have considered myself a little grumpy.
I arrived at the pool and was truly ready to drown my sorrows. I can't think of a nicer place to have worked out my woes. I dove into the water and was encapsulated by the warm, buoyant, calm, and quiet atmosphere. I exhaled, and worked through my inner-talk, until I too was silent. It took just about 2 laps of warm-up to loosen my muscles and my attitude. How did I cope with the daily grind before all of this????
Good workout today. Warm up consisted of 100m (4 laps) each of Swim, Kick, Choice, and Pull, followed up with 6 x 25 of our body positioning drills. On to the bulk of the workout, 6 x 100's with 15 seconds rest, an easy 100 pull, and then 6x100 with 15 seconds rest, 100 pull and cool down.... that's a total of 82 laps! I was hitting it today! I managed to get in every 100 at the exact same time.
I'm feeling a lot of progress with my swimming, and have to say, that I love the hour or so I get in complete solitude. It was great to finish strong, and head out of the pool with the sun having risen and a smile back on my face.
#2 - Booty Camp
Yes, booty camp! I know it might be time better spent to be out running or practicing transitions, but in this base-building period, I just can't get enough core. A few hundred squats and lunges, some push-up, planks, weight lifting, resistance training, ball work, crunches, and more can't be all that bad!! I sweat a ton, and just love that jelly feeling in my arms and legs!
Going with the Lack of Flow
03/03/09 - Yoga & Spin
#1 - Yoga
Really excellent yoga class on this rainy afternoon. Our instructor seemed to sense the stiffness in my hips, and we spent most of the class contorting our bodies into the most wonderful, pretzel-like shapes that made my hips heave a sigh of relief. Namaste!
#2 - Spin (supposedly)
Had a little hang up with Spin class tonight. The Nu2Tri Spin Class was canceled. We had no room available, and had moved it to outside, but true to form, it started raining. Oh well! Next, I decided to try and hit up a Spin Class at 24 Hour Fitness. Arriving over 30 minutes early, we got there to find out that the class was ALREADY full!!! Seems some of my Tri friends had the same thing in mind that I did... tricky little triathletes aren't they!
By the time I walked outside it was pouring, lashing sideways, actually. So we made the ultimate decision to just do core work at home and squeeze in an extra bike ride somewhere during the week. What a bummer!!! I'm sure these things will happen, and normally I'd just run or bike outside, but I'm still a bit nervous about the pneumonia. I could really feel the gunk in my lungs during track, and I just don't want to risk getting bed or hospital ridden! I'm not usually one to play it safe, but I think in this case, an indoor activity was the best idea.
#1 - Yoga
Really excellent yoga class on this rainy afternoon. Our instructor seemed to sense the stiffness in my hips, and we spent most of the class contorting our bodies into the most wonderful, pretzel-like shapes that made my hips heave a sigh of relief. Namaste!
#2 - Spin (supposedly)
Had a little hang up with Spin class tonight. The Nu2Tri Spin Class was canceled. We had no room available, and had moved it to outside, but true to form, it started raining. Oh well! Next, I decided to try and hit up a Spin Class at 24 Hour Fitness. Arriving over 30 minutes early, we got there to find out that the class was ALREADY full!!! Seems some of my Tri friends had the same thing in mind that I did... tricky little triathletes aren't they!
By the time I walked outside it was pouring, lashing sideways, actually. So we made the ultimate decision to just do core work at home and squeeze in an extra bike ride somewhere during the week. What a bummer!!! I'm sure these things will happen, and normally I'd just run or bike outside, but I'm still a bit nervous about the pneumonia. I could really feel the gunk in my lungs during track, and I just don't want to risk getting bed or hospital ridden! I'm not usually one to play it safe, but I think in this case, an indoor activity was the best idea.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Track Night
03/02/09 - Track
Just one workout today... almost feels like I'm slacking! Ha! It was a stormy day on Monday, complete with some mild earthquakes! I got quite lucky though, and the rain seemed to stop just in time for a brief 1.5 hour window, just in time for my track practice. Do you think the gods are reading my workout schedule?
I headed to track and warmed up with the normal few laps, followed by a series of quicker sets to get the heart going. I love this set, it's called a 1-2-3-2. I could do this all day long. 100 quick, 100 slow, 200 quick, 100 slow, 300 quick, 100 slow, and 200 quick, 100 slow. LOVE IT!
Next was the bulk of the workout. Again, doing some speed work at track. I don't have a whole lot of experience with speed work, training for a marathon and all we focused on distance. I just love the speed work! It's supposed to help you bring your pace up, so I'm looking forward to seeing what effects it will have on me.
The set was a 6-2-2-2-6-2-2-2, and we repeated it two times (look up above to get the logic of those numbers). We were chatting through it a bit at first, but really picked the pace up until we got silent. It was nice to see that I had the stamina and mind set to keep my pace consistent the entire time. Oh, and even finish stronger the last set! Pacing can be a tough thing to master, but that's definitely something I've had to face and work on during my running... start out too fast, and you just peter out by the end. Start out too slow, and you'll be wasting time! Last night was a nice reminder that I've been learning a thing or two about my training zones.
Followed this up with a cool down, and even better, some shopping! I needed to make a serious pit stop at the beginning of practice, but as luck would have it, we had no toilet paper in the facilities. So, why not stop at the nearest department store? This was a great stop for me and I actually had to put things back that fit! I seem to really be trimming down lately, and have moved completely out of the XL clothing arena... I even got my first Medium in years! I couldn't have asked for a better confirmation that all this training is starting to transform me into a triathlete!
Just one workout today... almost feels like I'm slacking! Ha! It was a stormy day on Monday, complete with some mild earthquakes! I got quite lucky though, and the rain seemed to stop just in time for a brief 1.5 hour window, just in time for my track practice. Do you think the gods are reading my workout schedule?
I headed to track and warmed up with the normal few laps, followed by a series of quicker sets to get the heart going. I love this set, it's called a 1-2-3-2. I could do this all day long. 100 quick, 100 slow, 200 quick, 100 slow, 300 quick, 100 slow, and 200 quick, 100 slow. LOVE IT!
Next was the bulk of the workout. Again, doing some speed work at track. I don't have a whole lot of experience with speed work, training for a marathon and all we focused on distance. I just love the speed work! It's supposed to help you bring your pace up, so I'm looking forward to seeing what effects it will have on me.
The set was a 6-2-2-2-6-2-2-2, and we repeated it two times (look up above to get the logic of those numbers). We were chatting through it a bit at first, but really picked the pace up until we got silent. It was nice to see that I had the stamina and mind set to keep my pace consistent the entire time. Oh, and even finish stronger the last set! Pacing can be a tough thing to master, but that's definitely something I've had to face and work on during my running... start out too fast, and you just peter out by the end. Start out too slow, and you'll be wasting time! Last night was a nice reminder that I've been learning a thing or two about my training zones.
Followed this up with a cool down, and even better, some shopping! I needed to make a serious pit stop at the beginning of practice, but as luck would have it, we had no toilet paper in the facilities. So, why not stop at the nearest department store? This was a great stop for me and I actually had to put things back that fit! I seem to really be trimming down lately, and have moved completely out of the XL clothing arena... I even got my first Medium in years! I couldn't have asked for a better confirmation that all this training is starting to transform me into a triathlete!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Weekend Recap
2/28/09 - REST DAY!!!
Oh so well deserved, and oh so needed, I didn't make it to my group ride and run on Saturday because I has some pretty important business to attend to... a hair cut and color! I headed up to Sacramento where my family and hairdresser reside at the wee hour of 6:30am. No, I didn't workout, but I never really rested either. I shopped until I almost literally dropped and then made some dinner with family. What a treat!
3/1/09 - Run
Just a quick 4 miler today. Nothing fancy. Should have been rest day, but since I was way too busy getting "blonded" on Saturday, I just threw a quick run in instead.
Oh so well deserved, and oh so needed, I didn't make it to my group ride and run on Saturday because I has some pretty important business to attend to... a hair cut and color! I headed up to Sacramento where my family and hairdresser reside at the wee hour of 6:30am. No, I didn't workout, but I never really rested either. I shopped until I almost literally dropped and then made some dinner with family. What a treat!
3/1/09 - Run
Just a quick 4 miler today. Nothing fancy. Should have been rest day, but since I was way too busy getting "blonded" on Saturday, I just threw a quick run in instead.
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