"Champions in any field have made a habit of doing what others find boring or uncomfortable." Anonymous
For whatever reasons (weather, kid's activities, etc.) a lot of my workouts lately have been inside on the treadmill or trainer. And honestly, I find both of those somewhat boring. And today, on my 2 hour trainer ride, it was even a little uncomfortable. But, I'm getting the workouts in somehow. I may have to rearrange them, but they are getting done. And I'm happy with that. I would like to get more long rides on the bike outside since I have a century ride next month, but I'll do what I can to get ready.
And while the kid's activities definitely alter my training schedule, I love watching my kids play their sports. We've had a lot of volleyball lately. Since I played volleyball in middle school and high school, I really enjoy watching volleyball. The girls have had a tough season (several injuries leading to changes in the lineup), but are definitely getting better and coming together as a team. They took third in the tournament this morning and played really well. They also had fun doing it, which I think is key. Today's 3rd place was a positive as they get ready for a big tournament coming up. Madison also had her first track meet last week and did really well running the 2400m. I think she might even beat me in a head-to-head race.
Soccer for my son will hopefully start this coming weekend. It's the start of spring break, so we need to make sure we'll have enough players (as will the other team). If not, that will be rescheduled. The boys got first place in a tournament a couple of weekends ago, so they should be ready and should have a good season. My son is also gearing up for his People to People trip to Australia this summer. And YES, I'm VERY jealous.
In order to fit it all in and let them have fun in the meantime, I'll do boring and uncomfortable if I have to.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Long Bike Ride
"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." John F. Kennedy
The quote above couldn't have been more true today. I met the Team in Training cycle team this morning at 8:00. I knew there would be a group of alumni heading out at a faster pace that the team, so I planned to head out with them. Since I'll be doing more triathlons this year, I was on my tri bike. And I had my new Infinit nutrition ready to go. Temps were in the high 40s to start, with the sun nicely shinning, and they continued to climb as the day went on.
For those of you familiar with this area, we met at Cool River and headed north on Parmer. Parmer is a great ride because there are a decent number of hills and there is a wide shoulder the whole way. The only problem is that there is usually a strong headwind either as you head out or head back. Today the wind wasn't that strong.
There were 6 of us in the front group. A husband and wife on the team were out on their tandem, so we tried to stay with them as long as we could, but they can really build some speed on the tandem and we lost them after a little bit. But I wasn't overly concerned with speed today. I just wanted to get the miles in. I don't have many free weekends this spring to get out and get a long bike ride in. Today's goal was at least 50 miles. The end result: 51.85. And, an average of just over 16 mph. I've only gotten in 2 or 3 other rides outside so far this year, so I was very happy with that average. As I get in more rides outside and more longer rides, that average should go up.
As for the Infinit. It seemed to work really well. I have been known in the past to do a long ride and hardly drink anything, so today I set my garmin to beep at me every 15 minutes to remind myself to drink. The Infinit formula suggests you drink 20 oz every hour. That's basically a water bottle full each hour. I didn't quite meet that goal, but I did finish 2 full bottles and some water during the 3 hours on the bike.
The only other issue I need to figure out is how to not have to stop at mile 20 to pee. It's almost like clockwork with me. Something about mile 20. I can run a full marathon and never stop, but get me on the bike and I gotta stop at mile 20.
After I got home, we gathered the family and dogs along with one of Madison's friends and headed to the lake here in town (small lake and no motorized boats). The intent for me was to try out my new wetsuit. I spent some time getting it on and getting syched up to get in the water when it was in the 60s outside. Another one of my TNT buddies had come to try out his new wetsuit as well. He started into the water first and said it was cold. I don't like cold. And when my feet hit the water, I knew the swim probably wouldn't happen. If I had booties to keep my feet warm, maybe. But my feet went numb right away and they hurt. The water was that cold. I guess the snow this last week really made the water cold. I did manage to get in past my waste, but the thought of my face in that cold water - well, it just wasn't going to happen. Guess we'll have to wait another month or so. The dogs enjoyed their walk, however, and Madison and her friend enjoyed riding bikes around the lake (it's a 3 mile loop). I'm really ready for the spring now.
The quote above couldn't have been more true today. I met the Team in Training cycle team this morning at 8:00. I knew there would be a group of alumni heading out at a faster pace that the team, so I planned to head out with them. Since I'll be doing more triathlons this year, I was on my tri bike. And I had my new Infinit nutrition ready to go. Temps were in the high 40s to start, with the sun nicely shinning, and they continued to climb as the day went on.
For those of you familiar with this area, we met at Cool River and headed north on Parmer. Parmer is a great ride because there are a decent number of hills and there is a wide shoulder the whole way. The only problem is that there is usually a strong headwind either as you head out or head back. Today the wind wasn't that strong.
There were 6 of us in the front group. A husband and wife on the team were out on their tandem, so we tried to stay with them as long as we could, but they can really build some speed on the tandem and we lost them after a little bit. But I wasn't overly concerned with speed today. I just wanted to get the miles in. I don't have many free weekends this spring to get out and get a long bike ride in. Today's goal was at least 50 miles. The end result: 51.85. And, an average of just over 16 mph. I've only gotten in 2 or 3 other rides outside so far this year, so I was very happy with that average. As I get in more rides outside and more longer rides, that average should go up.
As for the Infinit. It seemed to work really well. I have been known in the past to do a long ride and hardly drink anything, so today I set my garmin to beep at me every 15 minutes to remind myself to drink. The Infinit formula suggests you drink 20 oz every hour. That's basically a water bottle full each hour. I didn't quite meet that goal, but I did finish 2 full bottles and some water during the 3 hours on the bike.
The only other issue I need to figure out is how to not have to stop at mile 20 to pee. It's almost like clockwork with me. Something about mile 20. I can run a full marathon and never stop, but get me on the bike and I gotta stop at mile 20.
After I got home, we gathered the family and dogs along with one of Madison's friends and headed to the lake here in town (small lake and no motorized boats). The intent for me was to try out my new wetsuit. I spent some time getting it on and getting syched up to get in the water when it was in the 60s outside. Another one of my TNT buddies had come to try out his new wetsuit as well. He started into the water first and said it was cold. I don't like cold. And when my feet hit the water, I knew the swim probably wouldn't happen. If I had booties to keep my feet warm, maybe. But my feet went numb right away and they hurt. The water was that cold. I guess the snow this last week really made the water cold. I did manage to get in past my waste, but the thought of my face in that cold water - well, it just wasn't going to happen. Guess we'll have to wait another month or so. The dogs enjoyed their walk, however, and Madison and her friend enjoyed riding bikes around the lake (it's a 3 mile loop). I'm really ready for the spring now.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Busy Times
"Self-discipline is the capacity to do what you need to do, rather than what you want to do. It's difficult, but the result is worth it."
Ever since MLK weekend, our weekends have been packed with kid activities. We've either had a volleyball tournament, a soccer tournament or a day with multiple soccer games. I've also had a couple of races thrown in there. It's been tough to get my training in.
This past weekend we had yet another tournament. This one was a soccer tournament and it was out-of-town. As usual, I had checked the hotel where we were staying to make sure they had a fitness center and I packed my workout clothes.
We usually don't find out the schedules until a couple of days before the tournament, and our luck is that we usually have early games. Not this time. Saturday's games were at 11 and 5 and Sunday's games were 11 and 2. Oh how nice it would be to actually sleep in for a change.
But guess what? I didn't let myself. I made myself get up early, head to the fitness center, and get my workout in. All before time to meet the team in the lobby for breakfast. Even after the Saturday night team dinner of Mexican food and margaritas (hey, we were in San Antonio!), I made myself get up again on Sunday morning for another workout. I'm glad I did. I know it will pay off down the road.
Unfortunately, the treadmill has been my friend lately. After being out of town and enjoying some beautiful weather, we came home and had SNOW on Tuesday. Yes, you read that right. I feel sorry for those of you who have it all winter, but for us, for the one day we had it, it was beautiful. We only got a couple of inches, but it came down in big, fluffy flakes and we had enough to make a snowman.
So, despite the weather and dislike of the treadmill, I've gotten my runs in. Despite the weather and somewhat dislike of the trainer, I've gotten my bike rides in. And despite the cold, I've gotten my swims in. I even got my longest swim to date in (3,000 yards).
The best part of it all.....the weather is suppose to be beautiful Saturday and we actually have a free day. Oh yeah. I'm going out for a long bike ride. AND, I get to try out my nutrition. I know the day of Ironman will be a very long day and I've done a lot of reading about nutrition options that others use. I have decided to give Infinit a try while I'm on the bike and my order came today. The first test will be tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
Ever since MLK weekend, our weekends have been packed with kid activities. We've either had a volleyball tournament, a soccer tournament or a day with multiple soccer games. I've also had a couple of races thrown in there. It's been tough to get my training in.
This past weekend we had yet another tournament. This one was a soccer tournament and it was out-of-town. As usual, I had checked the hotel where we were staying to make sure they had a fitness center and I packed my workout clothes.
We usually don't find out the schedules until a couple of days before the tournament, and our luck is that we usually have early games. Not this time. Saturday's games were at 11 and 5 and Sunday's games were 11 and 2. Oh how nice it would be to actually sleep in for a change.
But guess what? I didn't let myself. I made myself get up early, head to the fitness center, and get my workout in. All before time to meet the team in the lobby for breakfast. Even after the Saturday night team dinner of Mexican food and margaritas (hey, we were in San Antonio!), I made myself get up again on Sunday morning for another workout. I'm glad I did. I know it will pay off down the road.
Unfortunately, the treadmill has been my friend lately. After being out of town and enjoying some beautiful weather, we came home and had SNOW on Tuesday. Yes, you read that right. I feel sorry for those of you who have it all winter, but for us, for the one day we had it, it was beautiful. We only got a couple of inches, but it came down in big, fluffy flakes and we had enough to make a snowman.
So, despite the weather and dislike of the treadmill, I've gotten my runs in. Despite the weather and somewhat dislike of the trainer, I've gotten my bike rides in. And despite the cold, I've gotten my swims in. I even got my longest swim to date in (3,000 yards).
The best part of it all.....the weather is suppose to be beautiful Saturday and we actually have a free day. Oh yeah. I'm going out for a long bike ride. AND, I get to try out my nutrition. I know the day of Ironman will be a very long day and I've done a lot of reading about nutrition options that others use. I have decided to give Infinit a try while I'm on the bike and my order came today. The first test will be tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Austin Half Marathon
"I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth for all that is real, I run for your mother, your sister, your wife, I run for you and me my friend. I run for life." from "I Run For Life" by Melissa Ethridge
This weekend our family was split. My daughter had a volleyball tournament in Ft Worth and my son had soccer games here. Since I also had a race on Sunday, I got to stay here with my son.
As we showed up for his first soccer game Saturday morning at 7:30, the air was filled with fog, the ground was covered with frost and the temps were in the low thirties. Oh how I was wishing I was in Ft Worth inside the gym for volleyball. It was COLD on the soccer fields. So cold in fact that when the fog made my hair wet, the wetness froze and I had ice crystals in my hair. I even had to go buy my son some gloves between games because his hands were freezing. And at this point I thought "it better not be this cold in the morning".
Fast forward to Sunday morning. I wake up early, get dressed - in shorts, a tank and a long sleeve top - eat my breakfast and head downtown for the race. Temps were a little better this morning, but still in the low 40s. And the whole time I'm thinking to myself, "why do I do this?" But then I think of Melissa Ethridge's song 'I Run For Life' and I know why I do this. I started running in 2005 with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to honor my brother-in-law who is a Lymphoma survivor. And I haven't stopped. I run because I can. I run for those who can't. I run for life.
So I headed to the race start. As the gun went off and I started running it was cold. I knew I'd warm up. Since I met my goal of breaking 2 hours at the 3M Half Marathon last month, I didn't really care what my time was today. This course is a bit more challenging as there are lots of hills on the course. My first mile was 9:29. Perfect. I can usually hold a 9:30 pace for long runs, so I was ok with that.
The first part of the course leads you away from downtown with a slight incline. Then you turn, go over a few streets, and head back to town with a slight decline. I held a pretty even pace through it all. As I got back to the downtown area around mile 6 the crowd support was great. It was the boost needed at the time. The next couple of miles were fairly flat. There is one short steep hill thrown in, but mostly flat for a while. I was still holding fairly steady but knew the hills were coming.
As I turned to the hilly stretch of the last 3-4 miles I told myself to just stay steady. Shorten my stride and keep moving. Surprisingly, the hills didn't feel that bad. In the past, I've done specific hill training once a week with hill repeats. I haven't done that this year so I figured the hills would get to me a little bit. But I knew the big hill was yet to come. As I approached mile 12 I prepared myself mentally for the big climb. There was no way I was stopping on that hill and I didn't. I made it to the top, regained my breathing and kept going. I knew the end was near. And when we turned next to the Capitol to head to the finish I started picking up the speed. I could see the finish. I kicked it in to cross the finish line. Chip time - 2:01:41.
Overall, I was happy with my time. I was secretly hoping to break 2 hours again, but I knew the hills would slow me down. However, I ran a very steady race. My pace for each mile was all within a :30 space.
Mile 1: 9:29
Mile 2: 9:28
Mile 3: 9:11
Mile 4: 9:19
Mile 5: 9:00
Mile 6: 9:05
Mile 7: 9:10
Mile 8: 9:18
Mile 9: 9:30
Mile 10: 9:26
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:23
Mile 13: 9:21
last .1: 0:45
I paced fairly evenly, but I can run this pace for my long training runs. Now I need to figure out how much I can push myself and when to start that push.
After crossing the finish line I got my medal, got my finisher shirt, grabbed some food, and put on some warm clothes. It turned out to be a beautiful day for a race. However, I never shed my long sleeve top, so I was pretty sweaty. Sweaty and cold temps make me really cold. I managed to get the sweaty stuff off and get some dry clothes on and then headed home for a shower and food.
I'm glad I raced today afterall.
This weekend our family was split. My daughter had a volleyball tournament in Ft Worth and my son had soccer games here. Since I also had a race on Sunday, I got to stay here with my son.
As we showed up for his first soccer game Saturday morning at 7:30, the air was filled with fog, the ground was covered with frost and the temps were in the low thirties. Oh how I was wishing I was in Ft Worth inside the gym for volleyball. It was COLD on the soccer fields. So cold in fact that when the fog made my hair wet, the wetness froze and I had ice crystals in my hair. I even had to go buy my son some gloves between games because his hands were freezing. And at this point I thought "it better not be this cold in the morning".
Fast forward to Sunday morning. I wake up early, get dressed - in shorts, a tank and a long sleeve top - eat my breakfast and head downtown for the race. Temps were a little better this morning, but still in the low 40s. And the whole time I'm thinking to myself, "why do I do this?" But then I think of Melissa Ethridge's song 'I Run For Life' and I know why I do this. I started running in 2005 with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to honor my brother-in-law who is a Lymphoma survivor. And I haven't stopped. I run because I can. I run for those who can't. I run for life.
So I headed to the race start. As the gun went off and I started running it was cold. I knew I'd warm up. Since I met my goal of breaking 2 hours at the 3M Half Marathon last month, I didn't really care what my time was today. This course is a bit more challenging as there are lots of hills on the course. My first mile was 9:29. Perfect. I can usually hold a 9:30 pace for long runs, so I was ok with that.
The first part of the course leads you away from downtown with a slight incline. Then you turn, go over a few streets, and head back to town with a slight decline. I held a pretty even pace through it all. As I got back to the downtown area around mile 6 the crowd support was great. It was the boost needed at the time. The next couple of miles were fairly flat. There is one short steep hill thrown in, but mostly flat for a while. I was still holding fairly steady but knew the hills were coming.
As I turned to the hilly stretch of the last 3-4 miles I told myself to just stay steady. Shorten my stride and keep moving. Surprisingly, the hills didn't feel that bad. In the past, I've done specific hill training once a week with hill repeats. I haven't done that this year so I figured the hills would get to me a little bit. But I knew the big hill was yet to come. As I approached mile 12 I prepared myself mentally for the big climb. There was no way I was stopping on that hill and I didn't. I made it to the top, regained my breathing and kept going. I knew the end was near. And when we turned next to the Capitol to head to the finish I started picking up the speed. I could see the finish. I kicked it in to cross the finish line. Chip time - 2:01:41.
Overall, I was happy with my time. I was secretly hoping to break 2 hours again, but I knew the hills would slow me down. However, I ran a very steady race. My pace for each mile was all within a :30 space.
Mile 1: 9:29
Mile 2: 9:28
Mile 3: 9:11
Mile 4: 9:19
Mile 5: 9:00
Mile 6: 9:05
Mile 7: 9:10
Mile 8: 9:18
Mile 9: 9:30
Mile 10: 9:26
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:23
Mile 13: 9:21
last .1: 0:45
I paced fairly evenly, but I can run this pace for my long training runs. Now I need to figure out how much I can push myself and when to start that push.
After crossing the finish line I got my medal, got my finisher shirt, grabbed some food, and put on some warm clothes. It turned out to be a beautiful day for a race. However, I never shed my long sleeve top, so I was pretty sweaty. Sweaty and cold temps make me really cold. I managed to get the sweaty stuff off and get some dry clothes on and then headed home for a shower and food.
I'm glad I raced today afterall.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Love Dogs, But........
"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordan
When you are training for anything, you will have obstacles. Some people will have mental obstacles. They will think to themselves that they can't go on or that they aren't good enough to accomplish the goal. Others have physical obstacles - shin splints, stress fractures, tendonitis, IT band issues, etc. Me, I have dog obstacles.
Saturday morning was a decent day for an outside bike ride and even though I didn't have as much time as I wanted, I took advantage of the day and headed out for a ride. I live in a small town. It seems like I'm in the middle of the town. But if I take the road next to my neighborhood about 3 miles out, I'm in the country. Country roads can be good or bad, depending on where they are. Most of the time, the country roads I ride on are pretty good. They are fairly smooth (except after long hot summers with no rain when the roads crack and there are 3 inch ruts in the road, but I digress), traffic is fairly light, and the drivers that do pass you usually give you lots of room.
Saturday morning I headed out. There was hardly any traffic and I had a nice tailwind. It felt good to be on the bike. My plan was to do an out and back, keeping an eye on the time to make sure I got back home in time to shower, eat lunch and get my daughter to her out-of-town volleyball tournament on time. I made it to my turnaround point in plenty of time and was feeling good about getting back early. I knew it would take longer to get back with the headwind, but what I didn't count on was a roadblock about 4 miles from the house.
As I turned on the road to head back to the house I noticed something in the middle of the road ahead. It's not unusual to see road kill on the country roads (in fact I had passed a dead skunk on the way out), but this thing looked like it was moving. As I got a little closer, I realized it was a dog. Just laying there in the middle of the road. Almost like he was waiting for me. Ugghhh. I hate dogs when I'm on the bike and they are out of the fence. They always seem to chase the bikes and it can be scary.
I stopped for a minute and thought about my options. I could keep riding and hope that either he wouldn't chase me or that I could outride him. I didn't like this option because I figured that as soon as he saw me coming he would start running at me. He would have an advantage and could very possibly run in front of me and cause me to wreck.
I also thought about getting close and then getting off my bike and walking past him, hoping that he wouldn't be as aggressive if I wasn't on my bike. But, I had no idea if this was a nice dog or a mean dog. If he was a nice dog, it might work. If it was a mean dog I would not only have to keep him away from me, but worry about handling my bike as well. Not to mention that I was in my bike shoes.
My only other option (and the one I took) was to turn around and find a different route home. Luckily, I know the country roads well and knew just which way to go. The only problem is that it meant more riding into the headwind and it meant coming back home through town and dealing with more traffic.
But I didn't let the dog stop me. I figured out a way around the "obstacle" and still got a safe ride in and got home in time. Now if I could just figure out how to get people to keep their dogs behind fences!
When you are training for anything, you will have obstacles. Some people will have mental obstacles. They will think to themselves that they can't go on or that they aren't good enough to accomplish the goal. Others have physical obstacles - shin splints, stress fractures, tendonitis, IT band issues, etc. Me, I have dog obstacles.
Saturday morning was a decent day for an outside bike ride and even though I didn't have as much time as I wanted, I took advantage of the day and headed out for a ride. I live in a small town. It seems like I'm in the middle of the town. But if I take the road next to my neighborhood about 3 miles out, I'm in the country. Country roads can be good or bad, depending on where they are. Most of the time, the country roads I ride on are pretty good. They are fairly smooth (except after long hot summers with no rain when the roads crack and there are 3 inch ruts in the road, but I digress), traffic is fairly light, and the drivers that do pass you usually give you lots of room.
Saturday morning I headed out. There was hardly any traffic and I had a nice tailwind. It felt good to be on the bike. My plan was to do an out and back, keeping an eye on the time to make sure I got back home in time to shower, eat lunch and get my daughter to her out-of-town volleyball tournament on time. I made it to my turnaround point in plenty of time and was feeling good about getting back early. I knew it would take longer to get back with the headwind, but what I didn't count on was a roadblock about 4 miles from the house.
As I turned on the road to head back to the house I noticed something in the middle of the road ahead. It's not unusual to see road kill on the country roads (in fact I had passed a dead skunk on the way out), but this thing looked like it was moving. As I got a little closer, I realized it was a dog. Just laying there in the middle of the road. Almost like he was waiting for me. Ugghhh. I hate dogs when I'm on the bike and they are out of the fence. They always seem to chase the bikes and it can be scary.
I stopped for a minute and thought about my options. I could keep riding and hope that either he wouldn't chase me or that I could outride him. I didn't like this option because I figured that as soon as he saw me coming he would start running at me. He would have an advantage and could very possibly run in front of me and cause me to wreck.
I also thought about getting close and then getting off my bike and walking past him, hoping that he wouldn't be as aggressive if I wasn't on my bike. But, I had no idea if this was a nice dog or a mean dog. If he was a nice dog, it might work. If it was a mean dog I would not only have to keep him away from me, but worry about handling my bike as well. Not to mention that I was in my bike shoes.
My only other option (and the one I took) was to turn around and find a different route home. Luckily, I know the country roads well and knew just which way to go. The only problem is that it meant more riding into the headwind and it meant coming back home through town and dealing with more traffic.
But I didn't let the dog stop me. I figured out a way around the "obstacle" and still got a safe ride in and got home in time. Now if I could just figure out how to get people to keep their dogs behind fences!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
BRRRRRRRRRR!
"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." Anne Bradstreet
We usually don't have much of a winter, but this year, we have. And I'm tired of it. The spring will definitely be very pleasant this year. The very little bit of spring we have. Because I know it won't be long until I'm complaining about the heat. But for now, I'm complaining about the cold. I don't know how you northerners do it.
Around Christmas and New Year, I did several outdoor runs in temps of high 20s or low 30s. I don't like it, but I can handle it. I just bundle up and go and pretty soon my body heat takes over and I'm not so cold anymore. It's a different story on the bike.
I will once again be fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as part of the Team in Training Cycle Team. I'm doing a local ride this year since my main focus is Ironman Florida. The season kicked off Thursday night and the first practice was Saturday. For the new folks, it was an information session, but for the alumni, it was time to get back on the bikes outside.
I've been riding a lot on the trainer lately so I was excited to get outside and ride. Do I take the road bike or the tri bike? How far did I think I could go with the group? Was I ready for the hills? None of that really mattered much when I saw the temperature forecast for Saturday morning - high 20s or low 30s with winds of 14mph. Yikes!
Because of the winds and because of the roads we would be riding on, I felt it was best for me to take the road bike. The tri bike is lighter and in high winds I sometimes get thrown around a bit. We would be riding on the shoulder of a major road and I didn't want to risk it. Besides, on my tri bike I can't tuck in behind the big guys and draft like I can on the road bike.
Saturday morning I woke up and started layering the clothes. Underarmour - check. Fleece vest - check. Windbreaker - check. Gloves - check. Something to cover the ears - check. I drove to our meeting place to find out that only 5 other people brought their bikes and were prepared to ride. And I was the only female. Oh well. If I didn't ride now, I knew I wouldn't get a ride in and I had made the effort so I figured I'd see what I could do. One of the guys ended up staying behind to help with the clinic, so there were only 5 of us to ride. Three of the guys are actually training for a ride called the Triple Bypass in July and were planning on doing a longer ride. I didn't think I was ready for that yet. Luckily the one other guy said he would turn around early with me.
When we started out my legs had that "this isn't the trainer" feel. And when we hit some of the first hills they were asking me "what are we doing?" It took a little while to get in my rythym. When we hit the major road (the one that is very hilly), I tried to get behing the big guy so I could draft and he would block the wind. I did everything I could to stay on his wheel. I did for a while but lost him on a downhill and couldn't catch back up on the next hill. At that point I felt like giving up and turning back. But I kept thinking to myself, "You have an Ironman to train for and there is no giving up on race day. No matter what. You can do this." I also kept repeating a phrase that those of you from beginnertriathlete are probably very familiar with - HTFU.
We regrouped at the top of a hill. One of the guys and I decided on a place to turnaround and the three others decided on their route as well. Our turnaround spot wasn't much further and I was very happy when we got there. Turning around meant I was on my way back to warmth and it also meant the wind was now mostly at our back. It's amazing the difference the wind makes not only in the effort you have to put forth, but in the way the temperature feels. With the wind at our back I was still cold, but not shivering like I had been. I knew I could make it back.
All in all I ended up with just over 20 miles. I would have liked to gotten in more, but it will come. The days are starting to stay light just a little bit longer and hopefully I'll get some warmer days in the near future where I can get out in the afternoon and get in an outdoor ride. It's nice to have the trainer and the treadmill, but I much prefer to do my workouts outside when I can. Yep. I'm ready for the spring.
We usually don't have much of a winter, but this year, we have. And I'm tired of it. The spring will definitely be very pleasant this year. The very little bit of spring we have. Because I know it won't be long until I'm complaining about the heat. But for now, I'm complaining about the cold. I don't know how you northerners do it.
Around Christmas and New Year, I did several outdoor runs in temps of high 20s or low 30s. I don't like it, but I can handle it. I just bundle up and go and pretty soon my body heat takes over and I'm not so cold anymore. It's a different story on the bike.
I will once again be fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as part of the Team in Training Cycle Team. I'm doing a local ride this year since my main focus is Ironman Florida. The season kicked off Thursday night and the first practice was Saturday. For the new folks, it was an information session, but for the alumni, it was time to get back on the bikes outside.
I've been riding a lot on the trainer lately so I was excited to get outside and ride. Do I take the road bike or the tri bike? How far did I think I could go with the group? Was I ready for the hills? None of that really mattered much when I saw the temperature forecast for Saturday morning - high 20s or low 30s with winds of 14mph. Yikes!
Because of the winds and because of the roads we would be riding on, I felt it was best for me to take the road bike. The tri bike is lighter and in high winds I sometimes get thrown around a bit. We would be riding on the shoulder of a major road and I didn't want to risk it. Besides, on my tri bike I can't tuck in behind the big guys and draft like I can on the road bike.
Saturday morning I woke up and started layering the clothes. Underarmour - check. Fleece vest - check. Windbreaker - check. Gloves - check. Something to cover the ears - check. I drove to our meeting place to find out that only 5 other people brought their bikes and were prepared to ride. And I was the only female. Oh well. If I didn't ride now, I knew I wouldn't get a ride in and I had made the effort so I figured I'd see what I could do. One of the guys ended up staying behind to help with the clinic, so there were only 5 of us to ride. Three of the guys are actually training for a ride called the Triple Bypass in July and were planning on doing a longer ride. I didn't think I was ready for that yet. Luckily the one other guy said he would turn around early with me.
When we started out my legs had that "this isn't the trainer" feel. And when we hit some of the first hills they were asking me "what are we doing?" It took a little while to get in my rythym. When we hit the major road (the one that is very hilly), I tried to get behing the big guy so I could draft and he would block the wind. I did everything I could to stay on his wheel. I did for a while but lost him on a downhill and couldn't catch back up on the next hill. At that point I felt like giving up and turning back. But I kept thinking to myself, "You have an Ironman to train for and there is no giving up on race day. No matter what. You can do this." I also kept repeating a phrase that those of you from beginnertriathlete are probably very familiar with - HTFU.
We regrouped at the top of a hill. One of the guys and I decided on a place to turnaround and the three others decided on their route as well. Our turnaround spot wasn't much further and I was very happy when we got there. Turning around meant I was on my way back to warmth and it also meant the wind was now mostly at our back. It's amazing the difference the wind makes not only in the effort you have to put forth, but in the way the temperature feels. With the wind at our back I was still cold, but not shivering like I had been. I knew I could make it back.
All in all I ended up with just over 20 miles. I would have liked to gotten in more, but it will come. The days are starting to stay light just a little bit longer and hopefully I'll get some warmer days in the near future where I can get out in the afternoon and get in an outdoor ride. It's nice to have the trainer and the treadmill, but I much prefer to do my workouts outside when I can. Yep. I'm ready for the spring.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
3M Half Marathon Race Report
It is the illusionthat we can go no faster that holds us back." Kenny Moore
When I did my first half marathon in 2004, it took me almost 3 hours. I was undertrained for that one and walked a lot, so I knew I could get faster. And with each half marathon, I did. Three years ago I ran a half in 2:05 and I knew I was close to breaking the 2 hour mark. I signed up for the 3M Half Marathon in 2008 hoping to break that mark because this race is known as a fast course. That year I came in at 2:00:40. Last year I came in at 2:00:55. It was very frustrating knowing that I was so close, yet couldn't break 2 hours. So once again, I signed up to try again.
This morning, I left the house early so I wouldn't get caught up in the traffic going into the parking garage. I got there early and sat in my car for a while to stay warm. Last night, a "cold" front blew in. The temps really weren't that bad (high 40s or low 50s), but the wind was horrible. Weather.com said the wind was 16mph out of the NNW. The bad part of that is it made it feel a lot colder than it was. The good part is that the wind would be at our back for a good portion of the point-to-point course.
The race was suppose to start at 6:45, so at 6:00 I got out of my car, dropped of my clothing bag with warm clothes for after the race and headed to the port-a-potties. The lines were short at the time, so I still had some time to wait for the start. I was in shorts, a tank, and a long sleeve top. But I was cold. So, I joined some others behind the generator for the lights and kept a little warm. Then one last time I hit the port-a-potties again and got in line for the start. Even among the bodies, I was cold and couldn't wait to get moving.
And then we heard the announcement. The wind was so bad, it was blowing the baricades over which was allowing traffic through on parts of the course. The city would not let us start until the issue could be fixed due to safety concerns. So there we stood. Freezing. Wanting to run but not being able to. The lady next to me said she was leaving if we didn't start in the next 10 minutes. I'm not sure what happened to her. I was thinking the same thing myself, but stayed. I told myself at that point that I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to get going and get warm.
And finally an hour late, the gun went off and we took off running. At first, my feet felt numb from being so cold and standing on them for an hour. But it felt good to be moving. I had lined up between the 1:50 and 2:00 pacers and just hoped I could keep the 2 hour pacers behind me. But I told myself with the cold and wind that if I didn't break 2 hours today that it just wasn't meant to be.
When I hit the first mile marker I hit my split button and saw 8:43. I was surprised. I felt like I had started slow, but didn't think I could hold that pace for 12 more miles. I slowed a bit to have a 9:24 mile two. That mile was also uphill and into the wind. Then we started back downhill and mile three was 8:54.
Mile 4 was 8:56. Mile 5 was 8:23. Mile 6 was 9:17. It was at this point I was almost wishing I had done the relay of the race so that I would be done, but I told myself to just keep running. No walking.
Mile 7 was 9:04. Mile 8 was 9:10. Mile 9 was 9:11. Mile 10 was 9:12.
Again, I was wishing I was done, but I knew if I kept this pace for the next 3 miles I would break 2 hours. So I told myself what I've been telling myself during my training runs, "You can do this for 30 more minutes. You can do anything for 30 minutes." And I kept going.
Mile 11 was 9:02. I guess I got excited and ready to be done because Mile 12 was 8:55. I knew I was close. I slowed down a bit that last mile, but when I saw the finish I started speeding up. The last 1.1 mile was 9:42.
And just like that I broke the 2 hour mark. Official chip time was 1:57:55. I am very happy with that time and felt good after the race. I got my medal, got some water and gatorade and ate some recovery blocks from Cliff and headed back to get my car.
I guess I no longer have the illusion that I can't go faster.
When I did my first half marathon in 2004, it took me almost 3 hours. I was undertrained for that one and walked a lot, so I knew I could get faster. And with each half marathon, I did. Three years ago I ran a half in 2:05 and I knew I was close to breaking the 2 hour mark. I signed up for the 3M Half Marathon in 2008 hoping to break that mark because this race is known as a fast course. That year I came in at 2:00:40. Last year I came in at 2:00:55. It was very frustrating knowing that I was so close, yet couldn't break 2 hours. So once again, I signed up to try again.
This morning, I left the house early so I wouldn't get caught up in the traffic going into the parking garage. I got there early and sat in my car for a while to stay warm. Last night, a "cold" front blew in. The temps really weren't that bad (high 40s or low 50s), but the wind was horrible. Weather.com said the wind was 16mph out of the NNW. The bad part of that is it made it feel a lot colder than it was. The good part is that the wind would be at our back for a good portion of the point-to-point course.
The race was suppose to start at 6:45, so at 6:00 I got out of my car, dropped of my clothing bag with warm clothes for after the race and headed to the port-a-potties. The lines were short at the time, so I still had some time to wait for the start. I was in shorts, a tank, and a long sleeve top. But I was cold. So, I joined some others behind the generator for the lights and kept a little warm. Then one last time I hit the port-a-potties again and got in line for the start. Even among the bodies, I was cold and couldn't wait to get moving.
And then we heard the announcement. The wind was so bad, it was blowing the baricades over which was allowing traffic through on parts of the course. The city would not let us start until the issue could be fixed due to safety concerns. So there we stood. Freezing. Wanting to run but not being able to. The lady next to me said she was leaving if we didn't start in the next 10 minutes. I'm not sure what happened to her. I was thinking the same thing myself, but stayed. I told myself at that point that I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to get going and get warm.
And finally an hour late, the gun went off and we took off running. At first, my feet felt numb from being so cold and standing on them for an hour. But it felt good to be moving. I had lined up between the 1:50 and 2:00 pacers and just hoped I could keep the 2 hour pacers behind me. But I told myself with the cold and wind that if I didn't break 2 hours today that it just wasn't meant to be.
When I hit the first mile marker I hit my split button and saw 8:43. I was surprised. I felt like I had started slow, but didn't think I could hold that pace for 12 more miles. I slowed a bit to have a 9:24 mile two. That mile was also uphill and into the wind. Then we started back downhill and mile three was 8:54.
Mile 4 was 8:56. Mile 5 was 8:23. Mile 6 was 9:17. It was at this point I was almost wishing I had done the relay of the race so that I would be done, but I told myself to just keep running. No walking.
Mile 7 was 9:04. Mile 8 was 9:10. Mile 9 was 9:11. Mile 10 was 9:12.
Again, I was wishing I was done, but I knew if I kept this pace for the next 3 miles I would break 2 hours. So I told myself what I've been telling myself during my training runs, "You can do this for 30 more minutes. You can do anything for 30 minutes." And I kept going.
Mile 11 was 9:02. I guess I got excited and ready to be done because Mile 12 was 8:55. I knew I was close. I slowed down a bit that last mile, but when I saw the finish I started speeding up. The last 1.1 mile was 9:42.
And just like that I broke the 2 hour mark. Official chip time was 1:57:55. I am very happy with that time and felt good after the race. I got my medal, got some water and gatorade and ate some recovery blocks from Cliff and headed back to get my car.
I guess I no longer have the illusion that I can't go faster.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
