The first 2 weeks I did nothing triathlon related. After feeling great and itching to jump back into the swing of things (or so I thought) I headed to the track for my first workout Post IM. My goal for 2015 is to improve my run time so I thought I would get a head start on my 'outseason'. It was cold and windy but I was too excited to let that stop me. I had a prescribed track set- 400 repeats and I couldn't hit a single one in my desired time. I felt my legs lose energy after only a half a lap, so I dropped down to 200 repeats then discouragingly left the track, legs wrecked and head hurting from the cold.
My body was definitely telling me I needed more recovery so I listened and have taken more time off- just walking and doing short jogs in my holiday UPS helper job. I've decided I will join the rest of the 'resolutions' community on the 1st of January to begin athletics again. I probably won't go for a run specifically, but since I won a free month at a local fitness bootcamp-type company I'll head there for a little pre-season strength conditioning with plenty of time to start running...maybe after the snow clears...
There are shorter races in store for 2015, and possibly even shorter for Matt since he has decided not to swim at all this year and do duathlons instead (possibly). I really wish he could love swimming as much as I do. Maybe he will give it another try soon...
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
My Apologies
Roxy the dog's owner is Kaitlin Donner- Elite ITU Triathlete and her profile is here: http://www.usatriathlon.org/athletes/bios/kaitlin-donner.aspx
I met her through my sister at IMFL 2014. (Can't believe it hasn't even been 2 weeks since the race!!)
I was reading my USAT 40th Anniversary edition and came across her name! The race results list her as 8 minutes behind the winner, and Kaitlin was in 44th! What a whole different animal ITU racing is! I obviously know very little about it, but what I do know is they sometimes set up a pool in the middle of a Walmart parking lot and bike within the small radius they are allowed in the city. There were photos of this in the USAT magazine too. Crazy! Some of the rules are a little different too, and the ones I know are that they are allowed to draft on the bike and can only have a road bike set up (as opposed to tri bike geometry), but I believe they are allowed aero bars on their road bike setup. I'm sure there are way more rules than that.
Good luck on your races in 2015! We'll be following you and cheering for you from Colorado :)
I met her through my sister at IMFL 2014. (Can't believe it hasn't even been 2 weeks since the race!!)
I was reading my USAT 40th Anniversary edition and came across her name! The race results list her as 8 minutes behind the winner, and Kaitlin was in 44th! What a whole different animal ITU racing is! I obviously know very little about it, but what I do know is they sometimes set up a pool in the middle of a Walmart parking lot and bike within the small radius they are allowed in the city. There were photos of this in the USAT magazine too. Crazy! Some of the rules are a little different too, and the ones I know are that they are allowed to draft on the bike and can only have a road bike set up (as opposed to tri bike geometry), but I believe they are allowed aero bars on their road bike setup. I'm sure there are way more rules than that.
Good luck on your races in 2015! We'll be following you and cheering for you from Colorado :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Ironman Florida 2014 Race Report [11/01/2014]
I was tossing and turning all night as is my usual routine the night before any race. I could hear the wind howling outside and knew this would impact the race if it kept going. I got out of bed at my alarm and began getting my tri suit on to go downstairs to check the temperature outside. Cold and windy. I ate breakfast and got my special needs and morning clothes ready to go. We walked to the start since our rental house was about a mile from the host hotel and transition area.
With our tires pumped up and our water and nutrition on our bike we all met up inside near the cafe to prep for the start! I took out my wetsuit and began to turn it right-side-out and noticed the stink coming from it. When I got close to turning the leg inside out the smell got worse. I looked down and saw what appeared to be seaweed. "EW! ITS A COCKROACH!!,"" I shrieked. I weaved my way through the women's bathroom line explaining I only needed the sink. I washed the neoprene with soap but it didn't get rid of the smell. I got back out to the cafe and put my cockroach-fossilized wetsuit on, trying not to gag on the stench.
We were greeted by Roxy, Kaitlin-a friend of my sister AND ITU Elite Triathlete, boxer mix before the start of the race with her sweatshirt on for warmth. We began the slow trek to the swim start and as we were about to step in the sand they announced the swim was cancelled due to rip currents and that there would be a time trial bike start beginning at 8. That gave us an hour to make our 'transition' from our swim attire to bike.
It was cold standing in line waiting for our bike row to start the race. My feet went numb and my muscles were cold, making the start of the race challenging in the cold headwind. The start wasn't as dramatic as the mass swim start, which took away from the whole experience. About 20 miles into the bike I was considering quitting since I could only hold a 10mph speed into the 25mph wind with 30mph gusts. I decided I would stop at the next aid station to warm up a little and get some motivation going. That was also around the time my sister passed me on the bike. I knew it was going to be a long day.
I stopped at the next aid station and with the extra motivation from the volunteers I put my head down and kept going. Around mile 50 I came across a guy on a custom made bike that held his friend who had cerebral palsy. I had nothing to complain about and this was the major turning point in my race. I am capable of doing this race and WILL finish because some can't without the help of able bodied friends.
I was so thankful to be getting off the bike and into my running shoes. I kept my bike clothes on since they provided enough warmth, which I would need when the sun went down. The run was fun- there were themed aid stations that kept it interesting. Towards the end of the run I tried the chicken broth and it was as amazing as the stories I have heard.
About 2 miles from the finish I came up next to this older man that started chatting with me. "What time did you start this morning, Love?", with a deep accent. It turns out he was the last person to start the race, which meant he had passed me either on the bike or the run since we were both on the same mile. I later discovered, as I had guessed, he was Lew Hollander, the 84-year old Ironman wonder. Inside after the finish I learned he is going to do another half Ironman the next weekend, and Ironman Cozumel this year as well. God willing I will still be as sharp and able to do these events when I am his age. Another age group celebrity I saw on the course was Sister Madonna- the nun who was recently inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame. What an amazing race that brings so many diverse people together.
Once the soreness has subsided in my legs I will probably consider doing another...
With our tires pumped up and our water and nutrition on our bike we all met up inside near the cafe to prep for the start! I took out my wetsuit and began to turn it right-side-out and noticed the stink coming from it. When I got close to turning the leg inside out the smell got worse. I looked down and saw what appeared to be seaweed. "EW! ITS A COCKROACH!!,"" I shrieked. I weaved my way through the women's bathroom line explaining I only needed the sink. I washed the neoprene with soap but it didn't get rid of the smell. I got back out to the cafe and put my cockroach-fossilized wetsuit on, trying not to gag on the stench.
We were greeted by Roxy, Kaitlin-a friend of my sister AND ITU Elite Triathlete, boxer mix before the start of the race with her sweatshirt on for warmth. We began the slow trek to the swim start and as we were about to step in the sand they announced the swim was cancelled due to rip currents and that there would be a time trial bike start beginning at 8. That gave us an hour to make our 'transition' from our swim attire to bike.
It was cold standing in line waiting for our bike row to start the race. My feet went numb and my muscles were cold, making the start of the race challenging in the cold headwind. The start wasn't as dramatic as the mass swim start, which took away from the whole experience. About 20 miles into the bike I was considering quitting since I could only hold a 10mph speed into the 25mph wind with 30mph gusts. I decided I would stop at the next aid station to warm up a little and get some motivation going. That was also around the time my sister passed me on the bike. I knew it was going to be a long day.
I stopped at the next aid station and with the extra motivation from the volunteers I put my head down and kept going. Around mile 50 I came across a guy on a custom made bike that held his friend who had cerebral palsy. I had nothing to complain about and this was the major turning point in my race. I am capable of doing this race and WILL finish because some can't without the help of able bodied friends.
I was so thankful to be getting off the bike and into my running shoes. I kept my bike clothes on since they provided enough warmth, which I would need when the sun went down. The run was fun- there were themed aid stations that kept it interesting. Towards the end of the run I tried the chicken broth and it was as amazing as the stories I have heard.
About 2 miles from the finish I came up next to this older man that started chatting with me. "What time did you start this morning, Love?", with a deep accent. It turns out he was the last person to start the race, which meant he had passed me either on the bike or the run since we were both on the same mile. I later discovered, as I had guessed, he was Lew Hollander, the 84-year old Ironman wonder. Inside after the finish I learned he is going to do another half Ironman the next weekend, and Ironman Cozumel this year as well. God willing I will still be as sharp and able to do these events when I am his age. Another age group celebrity I saw on the course was Sister Madonna- the nun who was recently inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame. What an amazing race that brings so many diverse people together.
Once the soreness has subsided in my legs I will probably consider doing another...
Ironman Preparation
The final week leading up to Ironman Florida most of my workouts were fairly easy and I was able to complete most of them with no problems. My neck was pretty stiff- from turning it so much on one of my bike rides, I think. I have also been told I wear my stress in my shoulders and neck. I had a nice massage to try and relieve some of the tension and it seemed to help.
I began packing for the trip on 2pm the day before our morning flight. Matt worked on his electronics until we met up with his mom to drop Henry off. We got back to the house around 10:30pm and continued packing until 2am. Let me rephrase that- Matt hadn't packed anything and was rushing around asking me what he needed to pack until 2am. He gingerly admitted he should have started packing when I did so it wouldn't be this stressful! With only a few hours of sleep we boarded our flight and headed to Panama City Beach, Florida!
We arrived in PCB and had Mellow Mushroom pizza- our favorite pizza joint- with my sister, her fiance, Matt, my mom, and my sister's future in-laws. We had a blast sharing stories and talking about the upcoming race. After Matt and I checked in the next day the anticipation got REAL! Everybody became stressed and some started getting terse with their answers, but we all knew it was just from obsessing over the weather and how it kept changing.
I began packing for the trip on 2pm the day before our morning flight. Matt worked on his electronics until we met up with his mom to drop Henry off. We got back to the house around 10:30pm and continued packing until 2am. Let me rephrase that- Matt hadn't packed anything and was rushing around asking me what he needed to pack until 2am. He gingerly admitted he should have started packing when I did so it wouldn't be this stressful! With only a few hours of sleep we boarded our flight and headed to Panama City Beach, Florida!
We arrived in PCB and had Mellow Mushroom pizza- our favorite pizza joint- with my sister, her fiance, Matt, my mom, and my sister's future in-laws. We had a blast sharing stories and talking about the upcoming race. After Matt and I checked in the next day the anticipation got REAL! Everybody became stressed and some started getting terse with their answers, but we all knew it was just from obsessing over the weather and how it kept changing.
Friday, October 3, 2014
17 mile run
I completed my 17 mile run last night! I started around 5pm since we helped a friend unpack their moving truck and ended up getting back later than expected. The run started out really well- I had to hold myself back from running too fast- sometimes a good sign. I had my phone in a belt on my waist with my Pandora stations- on shuffle at first, then I had to pick a station since it kept playing Christmas music and classical- not appropriate for this run! The clouds of bugs were the only unfortunate incidences along the run. I dry-heaved after inhaling one and had to hold my breath and dodge the clouds after that incident. I HATE running into bugs. It's the worst when you are breathing hard.
I completed 2 loops of my planned route then it got too dark to be able to see on the dirt trails near the lake so I had to stick to well-lit sidewalks so I wouldn't get abducted. I'm not even joking about that... I would periodically glance behind me to make sure I wasn't being followed and ran (like I always do) with only one earbud in. The dark slowed me down a little since curbs were tough to gauge their depth and my effort to lift my leg to actually clear the curb increased as well as the run went on. I had my phone on me so I was occasionally giving updates to Matt about how far along I was and how my run was going.
The run was beautiful in the sunset light. The sun lit up a field of gold and threw dramatic shadows over the trail from the yellow and red aspen. The temperature dropped shortly after the sun went down. My upper body was warm enough even though my top was damp from sweat but I was still only wearing my tri shorts. The only part of my body that was cold were my kneecaps, which became a little painful around mile 13- most likely because of the cold. Around the same time my legs began to cramp. My quads and calves were painful with every step on the unforgiving concrete. Instead of looping back to the car to grab some water to wash down my salt pills, I kept going with 'only a few miles left' and 'only a little longer' repeating in my head.
Since I didn't really know the layout of the neighborhood I hadn't planned on running around I had to tell my calorie-deprived brain to look at the road signs and remember what streets I was turning on. Luckily I have a gift for navigating and can usually find my way back from anywhere without too much effort.
I got back to my car with less than a mile left so I ran a little further to make up the distance. The second I finished all I could think about was taking some salt and figuring out what to do for dinner. I called Matt and, on my way to Jamba Juice, saw a Cold Stone and decided that was a better idea! Thai Basil is next door so I was able to get dinner and dessert in one stop- even though the hunger hadn't set in yet, I knew it would soon.
It took a long time to fall asleep last night. I donned my compression socks and winter running compression tights after my shower. The tights were a good idea but I found it hard to sleep in them because of the tight elastic band on the stomach. I ended up taking them off before I FINALLY fell asleep. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, or it could have been the dull ache in my legs that prevented me from falling asleep. Either way, I completed it and broke my mental barrier. During that last mile I remember asking myself, "Could I do 9.2 more miles on top of this?- Definitely. Especially if I have spectators ringing cow bells and yelling encouragement.
I completed 2 loops of my planned route then it got too dark to be able to see on the dirt trails near the lake so I had to stick to well-lit sidewalks so I wouldn't get abducted. I'm not even joking about that... I would periodically glance behind me to make sure I wasn't being followed and ran (like I always do) with only one earbud in. The dark slowed me down a little since curbs were tough to gauge their depth and my effort to lift my leg to actually clear the curb increased as well as the run went on. I had my phone on me so I was occasionally giving updates to Matt about how far along I was and how my run was going.
The run was beautiful in the sunset light. The sun lit up a field of gold and threw dramatic shadows over the trail from the yellow and red aspen. The temperature dropped shortly after the sun went down. My upper body was warm enough even though my top was damp from sweat but I was still only wearing my tri shorts. The only part of my body that was cold were my kneecaps, which became a little painful around mile 13- most likely because of the cold. Around the same time my legs began to cramp. My quads and calves were painful with every step on the unforgiving concrete. Instead of looping back to the car to grab some water to wash down my salt pills, I kept going with 'only a few miles left' and 'only a little longer' repeating in my head.
Since I didn't really know the layout of the neighborhood I hadn't planned on running around I had to tell my calorie-deprived brain to look at the road signs and remember what streets I was turning on. Luckily I have a gift for navigating and can usually find my way back from anywhere without too much effort.
I got back to my car with less than a mile left so I ran a little further to make up the distance. The second I finished all I could think about was taking some salt and figuring out what to do for dinner. I called Matt and, on my way to Jamba Juice, saw a Cold Stone and decided that was a better idea! Thai Basil is next door so I was able to get dinner and dessert in one stop- even though the hunger hadn't set in yet, I knew it would soon.
It took a long time to fall asleep last night. I donned my compression socks and winter running compression tights after my shower. The tights were a good idea but I found it hard to sleep in them because of the tight elastic band on the stomach. I ended up taking them off before I FINALLY fell asleep. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, or it could have been the dull ache in my legs that prevented me from falling asleep. Either way, I completed it and broke my mental barrier. During that last mile I remember asking myself, "Could I do 9.2 more miles on top of this?- Definitely. Especially if I have spectators ringing cow bells and yelling encouragement.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Emergen-C, Roggen Roundabout and 17-mi Run Preparation
I have been religiously taking Emergen-C (3x a day as directed on the box) and the lymph nodes soreness and sore throat has gone away! Not sure if it was the extra vitamins or not but I'm grateful it didn't go into a full blown illness.
Matt and I are signing up for the Roggen Roundabout for Saturday- a 200K bike ride starting from Superior, CO and going out to Hudson, Keenesburg, Roggen, Platteville, and back to Superior. It's a little of an overshot of our 100-mile bike ride for this weekend, but we don't want to go it alone without support. The ride is one of RMCC's brevets. It should be challenging but fun. The other 100-milers seems to snake up into the mountains and I feel 100 miles is already enough of a challenge and preparation for Ironman Florida.
Tomorrow is my long 17-mi run! I planned it this way so I can recover enough before our century bike ride. Matt will likely be riding his bike next to me for support (and as a pack mule for my gels and water). I've already mapped my route- it's a 6-mile loop I will do 3x. The benefits of the route I chose are: 1) minimal elevation change 2) Never too far from the car- weather, etc. 3) Most of the run is on gravel trails 4) Very close to home! I can cut the last loop short by a mile by cutting out the left half of the figure-8. Even if Matt doesn't accompany me, I can drop water bottles or keep extra stuff in the car for refueling. This time I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! I also downloaded Pandora on my phone for new music to listen to- really looking forward to that!
I've done long runs like this before, and I don't know why this year is any different. I guess I'll just have to run with it and keep motivated.
This bottom image is the shortcut on the last lap to make it 17 miles instead of 18.
Matt and I are signing up for the Roggen Roundabout for Saturday- a 200K bike ride starting from Superior, CO and going out to Hudson, Keenesburg, Roggen, Platteville, and back to Superior. It's a little of an overshot of our 100-mile bike ride for this weekend, but we don't want to go it alone without support. The ride is one of RMCC's brevets. It should be challenging but fun. The other 100-milers seems to snake up into the mountains and I feel 100 miles is already enough of a challenge and preparation for Ironman Florida.
Tomorrow is my long 17-mi run! I planned it this way so I can recover enough before our century bike ride. Matt will likely be riding his bike next to me for support (and as a pack mule for my gels and water). I've already mapped my route- it's a 6-mile loop I will do 3x. The benefits of the route I chose are: 1) minimal elevation change 2) Never too far from the car- weather, etc. 3) Most of the run is on gravel trails 4) Very close to home! I can cut the last loop short by a mile by cutting out the left half of the figure-8. Even if Matt doesn't accompany me, I can drop water bottles or keep extra stuff in the car for refueling. This time I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! I also downloaded Pandora on my phone for new music to listen to- really looking forward to that!
I've done long runs like this before, and I don't know why this year is any different. I guess I'll just have to run with it and keep motivated.
Training Peak
I wrote this post a few days ago and never posted it...
We are down to the last month of training and the peak of our training program before the big taper. I woke up a few mornings ago with a sore left lymph node- a sign of the beginnings of getting sick. I have been drinking Emergen-C, water, and tea like crazy. A new Emergen-C came out with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health- why not?
Matt and I completed a trainer ride this evening after the thunderstorms threatened our workout. I remember now why I just ditch the workout on rainy days...the trainer is a mental marathon. Minutes seem like hours. Part of me wants to do more of these for the convenience, but the other part is screaming "NO WAY!". Why is it that I can endure what my husband calls 'mind-numbing' laps in the pool for over an hour but yet I can't sit on my bike on the trainer for an hour? I have the same problem with running, even outside. I can't get my mind into running further than 6 miles. I know my body can do it but my mind slows me down. Anyone have a quick-fix for this or should I just read some motivational articles before I go out?
We are down to the last month of training and the peak of our training program before the big taper. I woke up a few mornings ago with a sore left lymph node- a sign of the beginnings of getting sick. I have been drinking Emergen-C, water, and tea like crazy. A new Emergen-C came out with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health- why not?
Matt and I completed a trainer ride this evening after the thunderstorms threatened our workout. I remember now why I just ditch the workout on rainy days...the trainer is a mental marathon. Minutes seem like hours. Part of me wants to do more of these for the convenience, but the other part is screaming "NO WAY!". Why is it that I can endure what my husband calls 'mind-numbing' laps in the pool for over an hour but yet I can't sit on my bike on the trainer for an hour? I have the same problem with running, even outside. I can't get my mind into running further than 6 miles. I know my body can do it but my mind slows me down. Anyone have a quick-fix for this or should I just read some motivational articles before I go out?
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Harvest Moon Race Report
Swim:
I had a hard time finding the buoys laid out on the course because of the sun and the water current created from the wind. The course was interesting- a small-based triangle, and we were to swim around the end of a straight line of buoys that marked both the out and back of the swim. The swim back to the beach was rough. Waves were making it tough to get a good breath in without a mouthful of water. I pressed on and finished the swim in 35 minutes.
Bike:
I knew to hold back on the bike for the first half and save some energy for the hills at the end of the ride, and the nice tailwind helped me accomplish this. Shortly after the turn onto Quincy I got a flat after rolling over some glass on the course. I stopped to fix it and a course mechanic pulled over and basically did it for me and I was on my way! Once I hopped back on my bike I saw my husband, Matt, and we were both feeling good but looked forward to getting off the bike. A minute after he pulled away my chain dropped. I stopped and quickly got it back on my crank and was off again. At the bottom of one of the hills it looked like a porcelain toilet had exploded and there were shards everywhere. I managed to get past without any more flats, but about 4 miles from the finish it happened again- another flat! This time I didn't have another spare so I figured I would walk towards the finish until someone could help me. Most of the people who passed me didn't have deep dish wheels so couldn't really help with a spare tube since I needed one that was either longer or could accept an extension. “It could be worse…”
I walked to the turn off to the reservoir and the crossing marshal told me he had radioed for a ride for me. "But won't that end my race? Will they have a spare tube?". "I don't know the rules. I just saw you walking and called. You can refuse the ride if you want to keep going though." "Thank you." “It could be worse…”
A few hundred more feet and a guy stopped and handed me a tube that could accept a valve extension. Now if I could just get the original valve off…As I was messing with the valve the course mechanic came to my rescue again! This time there was a guy in the passenger seat and his bike on the rack on top of the car. His race was over. Mine was finally 2/3 done, and it could have been worse.
Run
“I should have stopped at the Port-O-Potty in transition”, I thought to myself. “At least I know there are some on the race course.” I ran most of the way to the first aid station, grabbed some water and had a few salt tablets and finally found the port-o-potty around mile 2. I went in, did my business, and as I was pulling my shorts back up I heard something in the toilet well. I spun around to find a bat that appeared to be lying on the beach of the blue sanitation liquid. I dropped some toilet paper on him to see if he was still alive and he moved! Watching the bat closely, I finished pulling up my shorts, got some hand sanitizer and got the hell out of there! I’m glad I saw it after I used the restroom because I would have had to wait another 2 miles before finding another potty.
The run was mostly a walk since my calves and what felt like my diaphragm were cramping and my stomach was upset and gurgling. I tried to take in more salt but the cramps persisted. After 3 hours of walking I made it back to the finish and dove into the blow-up slip and slide.
My husband was waiting for me at the finish and I gave him a hug and a kiss and thanked him for waiting so long for me to finish. I explained to him what had happened after I saw him on the bike. For most of the run I was thinking about him waiting for me, but I realized it really could have been worse- I could have nobody waiting for me at the finish after going for this long. If that was the case I probably would have quit after that second tire puncture and taken that ride back to transition.
Thank you, Matt, for keeping me going.
I had a hard time finding the buoys laid out on the course because of the sun and the water current created from the wind. The course was interesting- a small-based triangle, and we were to swim around the end of a straight line of buoys that marked both the out and back of the swim. The swim back to the beach was rough. Waves were making it tough to get a good breath in without a mouthful of water. I pressed on and finished the swim in 35 minutes.
Bike:
I knew to hold back on the bike for the first half and save some energy for the hills at the end of the ride, and the nice tailwind helped me accomplish this. Shortly after the turn onto Quincy I got a flat after rolling over some glass on the course. I stopped to fix it and a course mechanic pulled over and basically did it for me and I was on my way! Once I hopped back on my bike I saw my husband, Matt, and we were both feeling good but looked forward to getting off the bike. A minute after he pulled away my chain dropped. I stopped and quickly got it back on my crank and was off again. At the bottom of one of the hills it looked like a porcelain toilet had exploded and there were shards everywhere. I managed to get past without any more flats, but about 4 miles from the finish it happened again- another flat! This time I didn't have another spare so I figured I would walk towards the finish until someone could help me. Most of the people who passed me didn't have deep dish wheels so couldn't really help with a spare tube since I needed one that was either longer or could accept an extension. “It could be worse…”
I walked to the turn off to the reservoir and the crossing marshal told me he had radioed for a ride for me. "But won't that end my race? Will they have a spare tube?". "I don't know the rules. I just saw you walking and called. You can refuse the ride if you want to keep going though." "Thank you." “It could be worse…”
A few hundred more feet and a guy stopped and handed me a tube that could accept a valve extension. Now if I could just get the original valve off…As I was messing with the valve the course mechanic came to my rescue again! This time there was a guy in the passenger seat and his bike on the rack on top of the car. His race was over. Mine was finally 2/3 done, and it could have been worse.
Run
“I should have stopped at the Port-O-Potty in transition”, I thought to myself. “At least I know there are some on the race course.” I ran most of the way to the first aid station, grabbed some water and had a few salt tablets and finally found the port-o-potty around mile 2. I went in, did my business, and as I was pulling my shorts back up I heard something in the toilet well. I spun around to find a bat that appeared to be lying on the beach of the blue sanitation liquid. I dropped some toilet paper on him to see if he was still alive and he moved! Watching the bat closely, I finished pulling up my shorts, got some hand sanitizer and got the hell out of there! I’m glad I saw it after I used the restroom because I would have had to wait another 2 miles before finding another potty.
The run was mostly a walk since my calves and what felt like my diaphragm were cramping and my stomach was upset and gurgling. I tried to take in more salt but the cramps persisted. After 3 hours of walking I made it back to the finish and dove into the blow-up slip and slide.
My husband was waiting for me at the finish and I gave him a hug and a kiss and thanked him for waiting so long for me to finish. I explained to him what had happened after I saw him on the bike. For most of the run I was thinking about him waiting for me, but I realized it really could have been worse- I could have nobody waiting for me at the finish after going for this long. If that was the case I probably would have quit after that second tire puncture and taken that ride back to transition.
Thank you, Matt, for keeping me going.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Night Before the Harvest
It's the night before my next race- the Harvest Moon 70.3- and I am sitting here with an ice cold Ginger Woodchuck Hard Cider thinking about tomorrow's adventure. The swim should seem really easy since I did a 2.4 mile swim last weekend (twice the distance of tomorrow's race), but the bike...I am determined to not let this one hill get the best of me. On my training ride of the course I went out way too fast at the start, feeling great, and hit a wall with 3 miles left (after I had FINALLY made it up this one hill in particular). I pulled off to the side of the road.
"How do your legs feel?" I asked my husband between gasps for air.
"They feel amazing! I could do another loop right now!", He said, as I was remembering he was sitting behind me the whole way with a draft. I rolled my eyes. "Can you take my keys and go on ahead if I can't make it (of course I wouldn't dare say the word 'quit')?" "Sure! I'll be quick!" We were both out of water and it had been a really hot, exposed day. We both set off at our own pace for the last 3 miles and I managed to make it back before he started the car to come get me. It took everything I had to finish that bike loop (45 miles). Anyway, I plan to hold back at the start of the bike to save energy for the hills and especially the run.
I had a moment of panic when I took my bike out this evening to make sure everything was working properly. I discovered my front tire was flat and I only had one more spare tube! I called Bicycle Village to see if my special-order tubes were in, and they told me: 1) That they weren't, and 2) They had actually closed 10 minutes ago, but they open at 11am tomorrow! He walked me through how to patch my tube and re-assured me he patches his tubes at least 4 times until he replaces them.--By the way, if this works out, I'll be patching my tubes regularly! It will save a bundle with Goat Head season coming!-- I found the leak and patched it tonight so I have all night to pray it's not flat in the morning. Wow. Bad planning on my part.
So tonight I'm going to eat some pasta (gluten-free, of course), put my feet up, enjoy a hard cider, and watch a movie.
Good luck to those doing races this weekend!
"How do your legs feel?" I asked my husband between gasps for air.
"They feel amazing! I could do another loop right now!", He said, as I was remembering he was sitting behind me the whole way with a draft. I rolled my eyes. "Can you take my keys and go on ahead if I can't make it (of course I wouldn't dare say the word 'quit')?" "Sure! I'll be quick!" We were both out of water and it had been a really hot, exposed day. We both set off at our own pace for the last 3 miles and I managed to make it back before he started the car to come get me. It took everything I had to finish that bike loop (45 miles). Anyway, I plan to hold back at the start of the bike to save energy for the hills and especially the run.
I had a moment of panic when I took my bike out this evening to make sure everything was working properly. I discovered my front tire was flat and I only had one more spare tube! I called Bicycle Village to see if my special-order tubes were in, and they told me: 1) That they weren't, and 2) They had actually closed 10 minutes ago, but they open at 11am tomorrow! He walked me through how to patch my tube and re-assured me he patches his tubes at least 4 times until he replaces them.--By the way, if this works out, I'll be patching my tubes regularly! It will save a bundle with Goat Head season coming!-- I found the leak and patched it tonight so I have all night to pray it's not flat in the morning. Wow. Bad planning on my part.
So tonight I'm going to eat some pasta (gluten-free, of course), put my feet up, enjoy a hard cider, and watch a movie.
Good luck to those doing races this weekend!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Cake and Training
I had a late breakfast today so I figured a small lunch- a few tomatoes from the garden, a protein shake, and a small piece of our Anniversary cake would be a good lunch (of course I did, it involved cake!). I moved my run to tomorrow to give my legs a little more time to rest from our Harvest Moon Half Ironman bike we did on Monday (45 miles of the course). The story with that is I put arch support in my bike shoes and the first bike I did with them was a long ride. I should have known to start off easy with them like you would anything new you change to your training equipment but I was thinking since I have insoles in my running shoes that basically do the same thing I would be ok, right? Nope. So I have some pretty sore calves and they hurt when I walk. (Crossing my fingers I'll be good for the race!)
Back to my meal choices. Apparently what I ate wasn't enough since I was starting to feel hungry so I had a little snack before swim- a Bonk Breaker bar and some GU Chomps (YUM!), which I had on my way to Denver. The first part of the workout was ok- a few 200's warm up and some drills done at an alarmingly fast pace for a drill set. The next set is what got me- 3x 100's, 3x 75's, 3x 50's, 3x 25's (FR/BK/BR) all continuous- no rests or stopping, followed by 5x 100's on 1:35. For those of you who know what the sets mean and can decipher the workout I just mentioned, you know how tough that was in the fastest lane where the first person dictates the speed of the workout. For those of you reading that don't have an idea, I can break it down a little further into laps- 30 fast laps (lap being down to the other end) followed by 5x 4 laps swam really fast- almost with no rest.
So going back to what I ate today, this was obviously not enough to fuel my workout. I guess I was thinking I would be able to get away with fewer calories (and maybe lose a little weight before my race), but it ended up being a detriment to my workout and I had to hop out, with my head hung, before my workout (in my mind) was complete.
It might have been a blessing in disguise since I'm doing a hilly Half Ironman on Sunday in East Aurora (Harvest Moon) and I will probably need more rest than I have planned to give myself.
 |
| There's about 1/8 left :-D |
So going back to what I ate today, this was obviously not enough to fuel my workout. I guess I was thinking I would be able to get away with fewer calories (and maybe lose a little weight before my race), but it ended up being a detriment to my workout and I had to hop out, with my head hung, before my workout (in my mind) was complete.
It might have been a blessing in disguise since I'm doing a hilly Half Ironman on Sunday in East Aurora (Harvest Moon) and I will probably need more rest than I have planned to give myself.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Running to Eat
I have hit a bump in the road lately with my running. I was doing really well keeping up with my runs, getting them in and doing them at a reasonable pace. I'm not quite sure what happened but it seems I can hit the sprints on the track and get the shorter recovery runs done easily but I've been struggling to complete the long runs without stopping. Maybe I need new music? Maybe I need to just tough it out and work on my mental toughness? Whatever it is, I hope it passes soon- I have a marathon to run! (after a swim and bike, that is).
I have let my nutrition slip as well- not like eating unhealthy, but just eating things my body can't handle such as double stuff oreos (which, by the way, have both gluten and dairy products). It would probably be ok if I just ate two- as that is probably the serving size anyway- but who can eat just two of them!? I end up finishing a whole trench of them when I'm in the kitchen 'cleaning up'.
On the other hand, Matt and I made some home-made red pasta sauce from our fresh roma tomatoes in the garden. We were also able to use the basil, a tomatillo, and our green peppers all from the garden. The sauce turned out awesome!
I have let my nutrition slip as well- not like eating unhealthy, but just eating things my body can't handle such as double stuff oreos (which, by the way, have both gluten and dairy products). It would probably be ok if I just ate two- as that is probably the serving size anyway- but who can eat just two of them!? I end up finishing a whole trench of them when I'm in the kitchen 'cleaning up'.
On the other hand, Matt and I made some home-made red pasta sauce from our fresh roma tomatoes in the garden. We were also able to use the basil, a tomatillo, and our green peppers all from the garden. The sauce turned out awesome!
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| http://bridgerun.com/uploads/2013/12/running.jpg |
Monday, June 23, 2014
6/22/2014 Curt Gowdy Xterra Race Report
Pre-Race:
My race bag is packed so all I have to do is fill up my water bottles and camel back in the morning and load up the van with our stuff. Last week my husband and I drove to the race location (Curt Gowdy State Park, WY) and biked most of the bike course. Might I mention this was my 3rd mountain bike ride ever. The trail starts out pretty easy with packed dirt single track and becomes technical about a mile in. I'm not sure if it's the flashbacks of my spill going 40mph on my tri bike or that first fall on my mountain bike that left a hematoma on my shin that makes me scared of falling off my bike on the trails. I am pretty accident prone...with anything from power tools to plant stands.
I will be in the last swim wave so I can take my time on the bike course- especially the trail called "Mo Roka" with rocks booby trapping the easy way across the trail and (one-foot) sheer drops off rock obstacles.
Race Morning:
I decided to give the bike a shot since I was informed there was a cut-off at mile 9 and I would still be able to do the run UN-officially. We found a small spot on the bike racks and set up our transition. After all my stuff was laid out and I was about to put on my wetsuit a girl on the same rack asked if I could move my stuff to the adjacent rack since that would even out the number of people on each rack. I was a little put off by this since I had already set up my things. I talked back to her a little then grudgingly moved my things.
The Swim:
The water temperature was 60 degrees and literally gave us a brain freeze when we finally mustered up enough courage to dunk our heads under. We stayed wading in the water until our wave went off. I positioned myself in line with the buoys and noticed a guy next to me with a snorkel. WHAT!? This guy was holding a snorkel and appeared to be preparing it for the swim. I immediately looked over to my husband to see if he was seeing this. Since the gun was about to go off and I was a short distance from Matt, I couldn't figure out a way to get the word 'snorkel' across without the guy seeing it. About this time I was thinking of clever remarks such as, "Is that race-legal?" or "Do you have fins on too?" Needless to say I kept my mouth shut.
The gun went off and since I was in a wave of beginners (me being one of them since this was my first off-road), I was swimming alone for most of the course. After the first loop I noticed my feet were frozen but still awake enough to feel the sharp rocks on the short stretch of beach before the second lap. I finished the second loop with no problem and was the first out of the water in my wave.
The Bike:
I was pretty nervous as I set off for the bike but after a few people passed me and I saw others stopping at the same rocks I had to step over it seemed this was the way an off-road triathlon works, at least for the inexperienced like me. I racked myself a few times, or whatever you call it for women, fell a few times...the worst being on top of a cactus, and hit my ankle on the pedals numerous times. I had to stop at one point to tighten my saddle, and luckily I brought the tools along.
I got to the midpoint of the bike, and since I didn't have my watch on I had no idea what time it was but no one was stopping me from continuing, so I kept on biking. The second half of the bike was where I fell on a cactus and I began wishing someone would tell me I didn't reach the cut-off. It was hot and exposed and I was ready to be back in transition to begin the run I was now starting to dread. The single track snaked around a hill and I thought I saw the next aid station, but the trail turned back around away from them. I finally reached the end of the rocky area and found a medic on a bike. He asked me if I was the last person out there...I hoped I wasn't but told him I hadn't seen anyone for a while. I kept going the last 3 miles to transition and was greeted by cheers. I never did see that last aid station.
Back in transition I re-racked my bike and asked if I could still go out on the run. "Are you sure I have enough time?" I put on my shoes, grabbed an extra gel and set off. The run signs were already misplaced- probably taken from the middle of the road to get ready to load back in their truck. I felt pretty strong in the first quarter mile until I came up on the first aid station of the run...already torn down. I stood there for a few minutes with Matt, who had just finished 10 minutes before, debating what I should do. I didn't have any water with me, the aid stations were most likely going to be taken down, and I had a dehydration headache in the making. I decided to throw in the towel. I had already made it further on the bike than I thought I could and wanted to get the cactus pins out of my leg.
I have a new appreciation for Xterra races. Road triathlons are completed and won based on endurance and fitness whereas off-road triathlons are more based on technique of bike handling and trail running. I saw some guys out there that didn't look very fit but were blasting over the rocks. I also saw fit guys walking their bike over the rocks. I will definitely give off road TRIs another chance next year. For our next one I will do the research before signing up for the race. Curt Gowdy was supposedly the toughest and most technical off-road- which I didn't find out until we rode the course and talked to some people.
My race bag is packed so all I have to do is fill up my water bottles and camel back in the morning and load up the van with our stuff. Last week my husband and I drove to the race location (Curt Gowdy State Park, WY) and biked most of the bike course. Might I mention this was my 3rd mountain bike ride ever. The trail starts out pretty easy with packed dirt single track and becomes technical about a mile in. I'm not sure if it's the flashbacks of my spill going 40mph on my tri bike or that first fall on my mountain bike that left a hematoma on my shin that makes me scared of falling off my bike on the trails. I am pretty accident prone...with anything from power tools to plant stands.
I will be in the last swim wave so I can take my time on the bike course- especially the trail called "Mo Roka" with rocks booby trapping the easy way across the trail and (one-foot) sheer drops off rock obstacles.
Race Morning:
I decided to give the bike a shot since I was informed there was a cut-off at mile 9 and I would still be able to do the run UN-officially. We found a small spot on the bike racks and set up our transition. After all my stuff was laid out and I was about to put on my wetsuit a girl on the same rack asked if I could move my stuff to the adjacent rack since that would even out the number of people on each rack. I was a little put off by this since I had already set up my things. I talked back to her a little then grudgingly moved my things.
The Swim:
The water temperature was 60 degrees and literally gave us a brain freeze when we finally mustered up enough courage to dunk our heads under. We stayed wading in the water until our wave went off. I positioned myself in line with the buoys and noticed a guy next to me with a snorkel. WHAT!? This guy was holding a snorkel and appeared to be preparing it for the swim. I immediately looked over to my husband to see if he was seeing this. Since the gun was about to go off and I was a short distance from Matt, I couldn't figure out a way to get the word 'snorkel' across without the guy seeing it. About this time I was thinking of clever remarks such as, "Is that race-legal?" or "Do you have fins on too?" Needless to say I kept my mouth shut.
The gun went off and since I was in a wave of beginners (me being one of them since this was my first off-road), I was swimming alone for most of the course. After the first loop I noticed my feet were frozen but still awake enough to feel the sharp rocks on the short stretch of beach before the second lap. I finished the second loop with no problem and was the first out of the water in my wave.
The Bike:
I was pretty nervous as I set off for the bike but after a few people passed me and I saw others stopping at the same rocks I had to step over it seemed this was the way an off-road triathlon works, at least for the inexperienced like me. I racked myself a few times, or whatever you call it for women, fell a few times...the worst being on top of a cactus, and hit my ankle on the pedals numerous times. I had to stop at one point to tighten my saddle, and luckily I brought the tools along.
I got to the midpoint of the bike, and since I didn't have my watch on I had no idea what time it was but no one was stopping me from continuing, so I kept on biking. The second half of the bike was where I fell on a cactus and I began wishing someone would tell me I didn't reach the cut-off. It was hot and exposed and I was ready to be back in transition to begin the run I was now starting to dread. The single track snaked around a hill and I thought I saw the next aid station, but the trail turned back around away from them. I finally reached the end of the rocky area and found a medic on a bike. He asked me if I was the last person out there...I hoped I wasn't but told him I hadn't seen anyone for a while. I kept going the last 3 miles to transition and was greeted by cheers. I never did see that last aid station.
Back in transition I re-racked my bike and asked if I could still go out on the run. "Are you sure I have enough time?" I put on my shoes, grabbed an extra gel and set off. The run signs were already misplaced- probably taken from the middle of the road to get ready to load back in their truck. I felt pretty strong in the first quarter mile until I came up on the first aid station of the run...already torn down. I stood there for a few minutes with Matt, who had just finished 10 minutes before, debating what I should do. I didn't have any water with me, the aid stations were most likely going to be taken down, and I had a dehydration headache in the making. I decided to throw in the towel. I had already made it further on the bike than I thought I could and wanted to get the cactus pins out of my leg.
I have a new appreciation for Xterra races. Road triathlons are completed and won based on endurance and fitness whereas off-road triathlons are more based on technique of bike handling and trail running. I saw some guys out there that didn't look very fit but were blasting over the rocks. I also saw fit guys walking their bike over the rocks. I will definitely give off road TRIs another chance next year. For our next one I will do the research before signing up for the race. Curt Gowdy was supposedly the toughest and most technical off-road- which I didn't find out until we rode the course and talked to some people.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
New Gadget!
My current GPS watch ends workouts if I pause it for too long (to use the restroom) and there is no way to add to the workout once it decides you are done. I have a motoactive and they have discontinued it. Going onto the forum you can see many people are upset about it since there were lots of kinks to work out, and it is a really cool watch.
Before the motoactive I had a Suunto watch that had a memory belt (HRM) that could store data completely separate from the watch. This was pretty new technology at the time it came out since it's largest (I think) competitor is Garmin and they didn't have a way of recording data in the water yet. The only problem with the Suunto watch I had was it used a footpod to calculate distance on the run. The footpod was pretty inaccurate and looking back I don't know how far I was actually running when I was training with it!
The new watch I (FINALLY) received in the mail is my new Suunto Ambit2s. It has some pretty cool capabilities and can connect with the sensors from my old Suunto watch. I've been having fun playing with the settings and customizing the workout screens. The software used to analyze workouts is much better than the one I used to use a few years ago- they now use Moveslink (Movescount.com) where there is an app store and training calendar with all the training log goodies.
I haven't used it yet but I'm looking forward to obsessing over the numbers soon and watching myself improve!
Before the motoactive I had a Suunto watch that had a memory belt (HRM) that could store data completely separate from the watch. This was pretty new technology at the time it came out since it's largest (I think) competitor is Garmin and they didn't have a way of recording data in the water yet. The only problem with the Suunto watch I had was it used a footpod to calculate distance on the run. The footpod was pretty inaccurate and looking back I don't know how far I was actually running when I was training with it!
The new watch I (FINALLY) received in the mail is my new Suunto Ambit2s. It has some pretty cool capabilities and can connect with the sensors from my old Suunto watch. I've been having fun playing with the settings and customizing the workout screens. The software used to analyze workouts is much better than the one I used to use a few years ago- they now use Moveslink (Movescount.com) where there is an app store and training calendar with all the training log goodies.
I haven't used it yet but I'm looking forward to obsessing over the numbers soon and watching myself improve!
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Mountain Bike Trail Report: Betasso Pass (4.25.14)
We had originally planned to explore Heil Valley Ranch and
we were unaware, until we arrived, that the trail had been impacted by the
Lyons flood. We found another trail that
looked similar in South Boulder- Betasso Pass.
We arrived, mapped our trip, and headed out with our camelbaks and
snacks.
The ride started out slow since this was our first mountain
bike ride on our newly (self) built bikes.
For me, it had been at least a decade (man do I feel old now) since I
had even sat on a mountain bike let alone feel the bumpy ground beneath my
tires. My first fall was more of me
tipping over as I stopped to let a runner by on the very narrow trail. The second spill was the exact opposite. I tipped over the handlebars, getting my legs
caught between the components of the bike which left a nice indent on my shin. I’m sure there were a few extra crashes
between that one and the last, where I managed to fall in the only stream there
was on the whole trail. This was the
point where I wanted to call it quits and turn around- only one mile into our
ride. I worked up my motivation and
determined I would finish the 3 mile loop.
This was the point where Matt exclaimed, “OMG- look at your shin!” and
began laughing at its novelty size. The
location where the divot used to be in my shin was now golf ball sized and didn’t
hurt until I looked at it. Great.
Matt went ahead to see if the trail condition was any
better- less rocky outcroppings maybe?
After he came back we decided to keep going to the end of our loop since
it couldn’t get any worse- and I believe the trail was meant to be a one-way
loop for cyclists. The last section of
our journey was, lucky for me, less eventful than the first mile and we made it
back to the car without any blood loss.
The last two miles of the ride were actually fun after I got
the hang of riding up hill on loose rocks.
There weren’t as many rocky drops as there were in the first mile of the
ride and I didn’t fall any more after landing in the water.
You’d think that with this experience I would sell my
mountain bike and vow never to ride one ever again, but in the end the ride was
fun and the scenery was cool- very different from road biking. You could smell the moisture in the air and
fresh oxygen from the trees that surrounded us.
I will eventually go back and try that trail again, but in
the meantime I will stick to the ‘bunny slopes’ of mountain biking. They do actually use the same coding system
as skiing and when we looked up the difficulty of the Betasso Pass trail we
rode it was blue (intermediate) and not a green (beginner), as we should have
started out on.
Friday, April 11, 2014
I cheated
I have a confession to make...I cheated. I have recently developed an allergy to dairy and gluten. Even things that say 'lactose free' will do me in if it was made with milk proteins because it's not the lactase enzyme I lack, it's the proteins in the milk that I am allergic to. How does my allergy make itself known? I don't go into anaphylactic shock (thank goodness), but if I have enough of it I break out in hives in addition to having severe stomach problems. My gluten allergy only gives me stomach problems, but enough to steer me away. I have a theory as to how my allergies developed, and stories about finding out exactly what was causing my problems, but I'll talk more about that later. These stomach problems are so much worse for me than your average joe since I run- which everyone knows exacerbates any stomach problems you may have, so you can imagine what a fun time I had trying to figure out what was going on!
Back to how I cheated...My husband doesn't have to worry about this- I remain faithful. I cheated myself. After our Adventure run last night I had a beer (contains gluten) and had a weak conscience when I ate bread at dinner. I'm sure you're saying "No big deal", right? That's what I was thinking when I made that decision. Let's just say I won't be making that mistake again. I felt like someone had filled me up with a bike pump and couldn't lay down comfortably or else heartburn would settle in. I'll spare you the gruesome details. Anyway, I hope some of you can relate to the issues, or if you can't I'm happy for you! I don't wish this on anyone. The one good thing that has come from my allergies is that I eat a lot more 'clean' now without the cravings other people have. Many people I have talked to about it say, "I could never do that! I would miss cheese too much, or ____ too much!." I always reply back, "If you felt the way I feel after eating any of that, the food becomes less appetizing and you would learn pretty quickly to stay away. Your cravings will go away with time."
At least I know I am able to get away with eating a little bit of chocolate from time to time...and if you know me, you know I LOVE my sweets!
Back to how I cheated...My husband doesn't have to worry about this- I remain faithful. I cheated myself. After our Adventure run last night I had a beer (contains gluten) and had a weak conscience when I ate bread at dinner. I'm sure you're saying "No big deal", right? That's what I was thinking when I made that decision. Let's just say I won't be making that mistake again. I felt like someone had filled me up with a bike pump and couldn't lay down comfortably or else heartburn would settle in. I'll spare you the gruesome details. Anyway, I hope some of you can relate to the issues, or if you can't I'm happy for you! I don't wish this on anyone. The one good thing that has come from my allergies is that I eat a lot more 'clean' now without the cravings other people have. Many people I have talked to about it say, "I could never do that! I would miss cheese too much, or ____ too much!." I always reply back, "If you felt the way I feel after eating any of that, the food becomes less appetizing and you would learn pretty quickly to stay away. Your cravings will go away with time."
At least I know I am able to get away with eating a little bit of chocolate from time to time...and if you know me, you know I LOVE my sweets!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Muscle Memory
Yesterday my husband and I finished our longest run yet this year- 5 miles. Not a huge accomplishment on our road to the Ironman, but for me it is a big deal. Getting back into the swing of things and making improvements is always tough in the first month of training. It seems the time it takes me to get to a 'comfortable run' (and that nice runners high) is decreasing after each completed season. I believe in taking time off during the winter to unwind and enjoy other hobbies (like getting to drink beer on Friday night because you don't have a long run in the morning!). For me, this is a much needed mental break from all the stresses (mental and body alike) that come with demanding training, like that necessary for an Ironman (or even half Ironman). It's nice to know you don't lose your muscle memory over a few months of down time.
Something weird I discovered the other day is that my normal running shoes- Asics Nimbus- are no longer as comfortable as they have been in past years. The heel drop makes me feel like I'm running in high heel shoes. The shoes are new, so it's not that they are worn out. I mentioned I was doing crossfit over the winter, and my theory is that wearing minimalist shoes while lifting weights (and on our short runs around the building) somehow changed the mechanics of my running to where I prefer a lower drop heel.
*Nimbus shoes have a heel drop (from heel to toe) of 11.5mm vs my New Balance 1080 with 8mm drop (minimalist is 0 drop)*.
Off to the gym for a nice and slow swim!
Something weird I discovered the other day is that my normal running shoes- Asics Nimbus- are no longer as comfortable as they have been in past years. The heel drop makes me feel like I'm running in high heel shoes. The shoes are new, so it's not that they are worn out. I mentioned I was doing crossfit over the winter, and my theory is that wearing minimalist shoes while lifting weights (and on our short runs around the building) somehow changed the mechanics of my running to where I prefer a lower drop heel.
*Nimbus shoes have a heel drop (from heel to toe) of 11.5mm vs my New Balance 1080 with 8mm drop (minimalist is 0 drop)*.
Off to the gym for a nice and slow swim!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Pre-Season
A friend suggested I blog about my experiences training for my second Ironman Florida. I guess I'll start off with who I am. I am a military brat that has traveled the world and ended up in beautiful Colorado. I went to Colorado State University in Fort Collins for my bachelors degree in Biology. After that I landed a job at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora studying a cell therapy to prolong heart and lung graft survival. After working there for 5 years we hit a rough patch and our funding ran dry. I am currently working at SwimLabs where I analyze swim stroke and help people attain their own goals. My husband and I are newlyweds enjoying our first year of marriage!
While it is still considered the 'off season' for triathletes, and I didn't have any winter goals other than to relax and prepare for the intense training ahead, I have been keeping in shape through crossfit. Yes, some of you may roll your eyes at this new 'fad' way of working out, but I find it keeps me in shape and has evened out my muscular imbalances from the miles of swimming, biking, and running from last year. Crossfit has allowed me to stay in shape over the winter without getting sick of any of the 3 sports I will be doing come training time.
Just last month my CF gym decided we were going to do a 5k on New Years Day. I hadn't put on my running shoes since September so I knew I was in for a long, slow run. Long story short there was a difference between the feeling you get when you run after a long time off, and this run. Although my cardio strength was lacking and my lungs ached, my leg strength wasn't the normal limiting factor-they felt great!
My plan is to continue going to my CF gym throughout my training, which I have never done strength training during the season since I've read that's the thing to do during your down-time off season. I guess we'll see how it works!
While it is still considered the 'off season' for triathletes, and I didn't have any winter goals other than to relax and prepare for the intense training ahead, I have been keeping in shape through crossfit. Yes, some of you may roll your eyes at this new 'fad' way of working out, but I find it keeps me in shape and has evened out my muscular imbalances from the miles of swimming, biking, and running from last year. Crossfit has allowed me to stay in shape over the winter without getting sick of any of the 3 sports I will be doing come training time.
Just last month my CF gym decided we were going to do a 5k on New Years Day. I hadn't put on my running shoes since September so I knew I was in for a long, slow run. Long story short there was a difference between the feeling you get when you run after a long time off, and this run. Although my cardio strength was lacking and my lungs ached, my leg strength wasn't the normal limiting factor-they felt great!
My plan is to continue going to my CF gym throughout my training, which I have never done strength training during the season since I've read that's the thing to do during your down-time off season. I guess we'll see how it works!
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