tri training

Long run on the trail

2010-07-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Did I say long? T, Dana, Michelle and I met at the usual spot this am. Our plan was to run 13 miles. We weren't sure of the route we would take. That all depended on if there was water on the trail once we got out there. Lucky for us there was plenty of water. I will mention that the water was warm but it's not a complaint. I'm sure it was alot cooler the day prior when we usually run.

I really had no expectation other than to complete the miles. The last longer run I completed was 3 weeks prior and I ran 8 miles. I was able to run all 13 without too much fatigue or soreness. I couldn't have done it had it not been for T and her well thought out pacing skills. Dana and Michelle ran with us for about 3 miles and then they picked up the pace. T and I kept it around a 10 minute pace. At mile 4 Katherine, Jenny and friends caught up with us at the water station. We visited with them briefly and got back to it. We didn't stop our Garmins when we walked a few times around mile 8-13. Each step counts!!!!

After we got back to our cars a cold G2 awaited. We both commented on how de-lish it tasted. Nothing like earning an ice cold G2. Maybe another 13 next weekend and then 15 the following:)

mile 1: 9:53
mile 2: 9:57
mile 3: 9:55
mile 4: 9:57
mile 5: 9:42
mile 6: 9:48
mile 7: 10:20
mile 8: 9:53
mile 9: 10:01
mile 10: 12:16 a little bit of walking
mile 11: 11:36
mile 12: 11:08
mile 13: 13:17 I don't think I stopped my watch when we stopped a 1/2 mile short of 13 to get a drink & talk to T's mom before finishing our last 1/2 mile.

Total time: 2:17:50
Ave pace: 10:36 happy with this :)

weights

2010-07-02T05:55:00.001-07:00

You would think with my two little ones being away that I would end up with more time to blog. NOPE!! I have, however, been able to get into a weight lifting routine at the gym on the floor. This was a big step for me due to some misconceptions I had about what women do out there. Since I didn't know what I was doing or have a plan the thoughts of working out in front of all those men intimidated me. With alot of help from Dana I was able to go out there with some knowledge of what I could do with the equipment and what to work on. To my suprise the women on the floor, for the most part, were not parading around looking for attention from the "meat-heads". They mean business and I'm impressed with how "tight & toned" they look. That was enough encouragement to keep going. My plan is to have some of this flabby skin alittle tighter by the end of summer. I really feel the soreness after every workout so something might be working. The only fear I have is by the end of the week I may not be able to crawl out of bed and put in 10-13 miles on the trail with my legs so sore. I'm still learning so there is room for improvement in my plan and how/what I work on through the week to leave my legs fresh for Saturdays :)

5 mile run with T

2010-06-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

It's been a few months since my last night-run with Teresa. We ran our old route which brought back memories of when Shannon was still living here.

The heat was relentless. No wind to speak of and the sun directly at our face for the first half of the run. T stuck some G-rades in the freezer before we left which offered encouragement to get back. 2 miles into our run we realized that we would need water alot sooner than we'd planned. We ran into her mom's neighborhood, knocked on her door and begged for water. It offered a nice break but made it more difficult to return to the heat. I enjoyed the conversation as usual which always motivates me and makes me look forward to every run. We finished those 5 miles dripping with sweat with a layer of salt on us. We enjoyed our chilled orange G-rade and made plans to run later in the evening next time.

running hills in Atlanta

2010-06-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

The picture just doesn't do it justice. 80 degree heat at 7am this hilly run was one of the most difficult I've done this year. This Atlanta neighborhood had steap hills which offered very little time of recovery between them. My calves and back end was on fire. I initially planned to do 5-6 miles until I soon realized that my heart rate staying in the red zone would make for a very miserable longer run. I ran 3.5 miles which felt more difficult than our 13 miles on Saturdays on the flat Florida trails. As I'm posting this blog 3 days after this run my calves are still on fire. I need to do a run like this more often. My next run away from home will be California. Looking forward to 60 degree weather for those runs!

saturdays longer run

2010-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Balmiest (if that's a word) morning thus far this year fo sho! Started our run at 6:15am. Andrew, T and I decided 6 would be a good distance considering that Andrew hadn't run consistent for 2 weeks and T has Dunedin Tri tomorrow. I was relieved actually since later today I will be at the gym for my first instructional work out with Dana. We will be hitting the weights. I won't note all the uncomfortable moments of heat we experienced along the way. More memorable was the laughing at ourselves and light-hearted convo. No husband/male bashing today so the pace was slow and steady, although Andrew did mention he wanted to do some w-punching, LOL. Oh the memories we will have for years to come. Here is how it all went down:

Mile 1: 9:31
Mile 2: 9:18
Mile 3: 9:27
Mile 4: 9:24
Mile 5: 9:32
Mile 6: 9:30

Total time: 56:42, burned 540 cal (which I ate more than that after my run :)

Longer run with the Striders

2010-05-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me that I won't set the alarm for anything else during the week until Fridays nights preparing for my Saturday run with the Striders. I literally pop right out of bed and get to it. This morning I didn't pick any of my girls up. They decided to meet me there because they had post run errands to run. Just before the sun came up we all met at the trail and joined about 50 others that show to enjoy this morning run. It was me, T & Dana. T was hurting from a spill she took at work and I think some back-to-back Tri soreness as well. We all ran out 3 miles and 3 back to get in the miles T wanted to do. Despite T's injury she pushed through and completed the 6 miles saying that she was "glad she did". From there Dana and I headed back out to put in 2 more. Our plan was to put 8 in and add a mile each week to gradually bring us back to our 13 we were running. From there, who knows, maybe the momentum will take us to a marathon distance.

8 miles: 1:15:06
Ave pace: 9:23 (I'm sure we will see this creep up over the summer)

Holy hamstrings

2010-05-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

My hamstrings are really hurting tonight. Yesterday I lifted weights for the first time since I began training for Madiera Beach. Lots of lunges and squats, OUCH!! Tri training left little time for anything other than swim-bike-run. Tonight I had to force myself to run. I've learned that when I'm sore and stiff I need to push through it and eventually it gets better.

Tonights run started out tough due to the tight hamstrings and sore shoulders. The first 2 miles were not enjoyable. By mile 3 I felt myself settle into my comfort pace and relax. By mile 5 my shoulders were stiffening and I was thirsty. Not too many more nights left like this with less humidity. Come summer the night runs wont feel any different than the day ones, yuck. But, I prefer any run outside to the dreadmill. The 5 miles went down like this:

mile 1: 9:35
mile 2: 9:07
mile 3: 9:03
mile 4: 9:03
mile 5: 9:03

A little slower than I had hoped. I'm hoping to regain my pace in the next couple months with my weight training, track runs and intervals.

Madiera Beach Tri

2010-05-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

I'm very disappointed in myself for not blogging the last few months. During this time I trained for my second Triathlon. My first was Longleaf which was 1/4 mile swim, 9 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. Madiera Beach was 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike and 3.1 run (3.25 according to my Garmin). This go around I decided to join the Master's Swim at the Y which I feel really made a difference in the swim. It really helped my confidence; which I'm sure if you were standing at the water's edge with me on race day this past weekend you wouldn't have believed me. I knew I could go the distance but I feared the unknown. The unknown of the ocean and swimmers around me. I did get the privaledge of being in the same wave with 2 great friends who were able to give me encouraging words before heading into the water. Teresa said something that really put the race into perspective for me. She said "don't let anyone get in the way of YOUR race today". That helped me realize that it wasn't realistic to worry about all the other athletes around me, I was to focus on all the training I did up until this point that prepared me to run "my race". I have to admit that I had a few moments of slight panic during the swim when I felt someone claw me and another few brush up against me. I was able to talk myself down easily and finish the swim in a respectible amount of time.....This was my first open water and 1/2 mile swim....swim time 19:34

Scott and the girls were waiting to cheer me on as soon as I got out of the water. Scott said I looked alot stronger leaving the swim than what I did at Longleaf. I would have to agree, I felt like I could've swam further. I did well in transition....T1 1:41

The 15 miles on the bike were not difficult however my time was alot slower than I planned. I climbed 2 bridges which was also a first for me. I never even attempted a climb in training. I did however get comfortable going through my gears which was a step ahead since my first race. I left it in one gear the entire time training for my first tri and during my first tri.....bike time 48:56 (a Tri bike would improve this time for sure)

Another job well done transition 2. I opted to not wear socks which saved me time but did allow a couple blisters to spoil my fun....T2 1:20

The first half of the run was on the road which made it hot and sticky. The second half was on the sand. My pace was an impressive 8 until I hit the sand. I was thankful for the breeze once I neared the water but the Garmin only delivered bad news of my pace being a 9 for most of the rest of the run. The loose sand close to the finish line made it feel as though I was never going to make enough progress to cross but I dug deep and did finish strong...run 27:55

Total time 1:39:24

29th/73 in my AG

Post race I felt releaved. I think I'm ready for a break, more so mentally then physically. I feel the playfulness of summer nearing and I'm looking forward to finding enjoyment in my running again. All the classes I use to take at the Y that I enjoyed so much have been on the back burner. But I can't help but feel a little torn about waiting until this fall for my next race. Especially when I think about my Tri friends doing Dunedin and a few of the others coming up. I'm going to try to stick to my decision of taking the summer off of tri training but it's going to be difficult.

03.02.10 track run

2010-03-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

With the wind gust 20-40mph it was a real challenge to get through this run. Without plans for what type of intervals I would be doing I set out with a goal of 5 miles. For majority of my run the wind was at my face and while my Garmen read 9 pace at times my legs felt like they were running 7. Although the road was flat it felt as though I was running uphill all 5 of these miles. It was a challenge mentally. I told myself that the harder the wind would blow the better the workout would be for me. After 3 miles my legs were tired. I struggled to commit myself to the last 2 miles. I'm glad I did because once it was over I was proud of myself.

Mile 1: 8:58 (wind at my face)
Mile 2: 8:38 (wind at my face)
Mile 3: 8:08 (wind at my back)
Mile 4: 9:13 (wind at my face)
Mile 5: 9:08 (face again!)

02.28.10 My Gasparilla

2010-02-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

15K Gasparilla race was yesterday. Unfortunately my daughter was ill and I had to miss it. I always look forward to the expo which brings alot of great dri-fit shirts for this race. The race course is beautiful, running along the water.

Today was My Gasparilla. I took off when the sun was beginning to set. This is my favorite time to run. I really miss my evening runs. I enjoy not getting up early and the cool evening breeze, watching the sunset. I planned on doing 10 miles but soon thought it would be a better idea to run the 15K that I missed yesterday. I fueled with 4 chomps and carried my water bottle with me. I left my middle class neighborhood and ran towards the upper crust homes close by. Thank goodness for the music. I don't feel as alone out there with all the songs that Madison has down loaded on my ipod. With each run I feel like I get to know her better listening through each song choice. It's a mix between East coast and Twilight if that makes any sense. At least that's how they feel to me.

I ran 4 1/2 miles before stopping for water and fuel. Around 5 1/2 miles it felt like my legs left my body, comparible to a runner's high I suppose. That didn't last long unfortunately. Around mile 7 I was ready for it to be over. I think the lack of sleep, staying up with Gracie the past 2 nights took it's toll on me. Once I got back to my neighborhood I still needed a mile so I ran our loop one time around. It's such a let down to get close to home and need extra mileage. That's where good planning comes into play.

Mile 1: 9:26
Mile 2: 9:16
Mile 3: 9:26
Mile 4: 9:37
Mile 5: 9:40
Mile 6: 9:36
Mile 7: 9:34
Mile 8: 9:13
Mile 9: 9:00

Total time: 1:24:55.....A little disappointed with my pace per mile. I can usually put away those miles closer to 9, if not 8:50. There's always next week. Looking forward to the Princess 1/2 Marathon at Disney with my girls.

02.25.10 Cardio Sculpt

2010-02-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Sinus pressure was way too great to get in the pool tonight. Kelly offered a great work out with plenty of challenge. I was pleasantly suprised that I felt so strong throughout class. Kelly's classes use to be a greater challenge. I think the cross training between the run and swim has improved my cardio and the Body Flex classes have helped me build a little muscle.

02.24.10 yogalates

2010-02-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Great new class taught by Jeanine at the Y. Traditional Yoga mixed with core work. The music was also a treat; John Mayer, The Fray and some Thai thrown in there. Very relaxing and I felt loose when I left. I'm giving this class 2 thumbs up and I will return next week. These running legs need every chance they get for stretching.

02.24.10 finally, a short run outside

2010-02-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

Total time 44:26. Total miles 5. It was drizzling rain which made the run more comfortable than usual. My only concern was should the rain get heavier my Garmen would not survive. Luckily it stayed light and enjoyable.

Mile 1: 9:11
Mile 2: 9:05
Mile 3: 8:54
Mile 4: 8:50
Mile 5: 8:25

Need to do some more speed work. Last year around this time I was making alot more progress. You only get out of it what you put into it and lately my training has been laxed.

02.22.10 Body Flex

2010-02-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Body Flex with Kelly. It was the usual weight lifting with a little element of cardio from set to set. The greatest pain is the shoulder and ab work out. She's always changing up the work outs to keep it fresh. Love your classes Kelly.

02.18.10 Swim

2010-02-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Shared a lane with T and as usual it's so awesome to see how fast she gets each week. Since it was very cold outside we kept moving and put in alot of laps. I don't think I will ever be able to keep track of them. I get too caught up in all the different drills she runs us through. I really enjoy the end of class when she has everyone pick a favorite stroke and we swim 50 meters of everyones favorite. Of coarse by the end of class I like to pick the finger drag since it's easy and relaxing. The breast stroke and the lifeguard I find the most challenging. My neck always feels sore after the lifeguard. I was very fatigued after this swim. I think running earlier in the day added an element of challenge to this swim.

02.18.10 Tempo

2010-02-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

Another treadmill run..

2 miles easy
2 miles @ 8:13
2 miles easy

02.16.10 speed work

2010-02-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

Dreaded treadmill but not much choice with the rain...

1 mile warm up at 9:30
4 x 800 at 8:13 pace (2 min RI)
10 min cool down

Challenging is all I remember.

02.13.10 long run w/ Striders

2010-02-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Waited too long to blog this run to note anything besides stats.....

mile 1: 9.44
mile 2: 9:44
mile 3: 9:25
mile 4: 9:24
mile 5: 9:37
mile 6: 9:39
mile 7: 9:34
mile 8: 9:33
mile 9: 9:29
mile 10: 9:38
mile 11: 9:40
mile 12: 9:46

Total time 1:54:50...ave pace 9:34

02.11.10 swim (two a day)

2010-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

First two-a-day work out of the Tri season. I made myself finish my 6 mile tempo run even though my hamstrings were tight and tired. 3 hours later I'm proud to say I actually got in the pool. It was 40 some degrees and steam was rising off the water. I hurried into the water which was alot warmer than the air. After a 200 meter warm up we spent the rest of the 1 hour and 15 minute class swimming drills. I believe I swallowed less water this swim. Not sure of the distance because I was more focused on my technique. At the end of our swim Emmy had us swim 50 meters of each swimmer's favorite stroke. Of coarse T and Chris picked the most strenuous ones (arm pulls and one arms). Emmy had us do dolphins to the deepend, breast stroke to the end of the pool and lifeguards on the way back. I was officially done after that. I got out of the pool feeling a great sense of accomplishment. It was worth the goggle eyes.

02/11/10 tempo run

2010-02-11T13:58:00.001-08:00

work out #2 of marathon training. Back on the treadmill. The temp is 50 degrees outside and the gym seemed like the better of the two options. Although, I'm planning to swim in this weather this evening......

6 mile run:

2 miles easy @ 10:20 pace
2 miles @ short tempo (8:16)
2 miles easy again

Another tough work out. The book is calling for 13 miles this weekend. We will see.

02.08.10 speedwork

2010-02-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Haven't picked up my "Run Less, Run Faster" book in months. I found myself not getting excited to do the workouts. So I openned it to the "Training for a Marathon" section and decided I would attempt it. Got on the treadmill and performed my first workout...

10 min work up at 10 something pace
3 x 1600 (1 min RI) @ 8:13 pace
10 min cool down at 10 soemthing

Tough work out but I expected nothing less. Will attempt to stick with it.

Long run w/ Striders 02.06.10

2010-02-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

12 miles, 1:55:46...Wow, first blog since Christmas. What a vacation that has been. I skipped 3 whole weeks due to illness, weakness and holiday.

Met Dana, Teresa and Andrew at the trail. Temp was in the 50's and it felt great.

Mile 1: 10:00 pace
Mile 2: 9:52
Mile 3: 9:50
Mile 4: 9:45
Mile 5: 9:41
Mile 6: 9:44
Mile 7: 9:42
Mile 8: 9:33
Mile 9: 9:34
Mile 10: 9:32
Mile 11: 9:23
Mile 12: 9:05

Christmas run 12.25.09

2009-12-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

40 degrees in dreary Indiana. Light sprinkle that turned into a steady drip with strong wind gusts. Grey skies and a 10 mile radius from one end of town to the other. Thank goodness I ran this day because the days that followed were plaqued by the stomach flu and little energy for 3 days. I ran my usual route to the local park, through town, pass the post office, the high school and back to my moms. I covered 1/2 of town in less than an hour.

mile 1: 9:31 pace
mile 2: 9:31
mile 3: 9:24
mile 4: 9:30
mile 5: 9:28
time: 49:23

12.19.09 long run

2009-12-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

total miles= 10, time 1:28. Since it's 2 weeks after this run on the trail I can only post details of a 10 mile run in stat form. Sorry friends....The posse consisted of Dana, Teresa, myself & Jenn.

mile 1: 10:15 pace
mile 2: 10:30
mile 3: 10:24
mile 4: 8:39 (this is the mile Jenn decided sprints would be a good idea ;)
mile 5: 9:38
mile 6: 9:32
mile 7: 9:27
mile 8: 9:18
mile 9: 9:24
mile 10: 9:14

12.18.09 body flex

2009-12-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

12.17.09 Tempo run

2009-12-17T16:21:00.001-08:00

Total miles 6. Very tired tonight when I got home from work but I was determined to get my tempo run in.

"Run Less, Run Faster" tempo run week 1

2 miles at easy pace @ 9:40
3 miles at short tempo pace @ 8:04
1 mile at easy pace @ 9:40

Thank goodness Oprah had a tragic story on to distract me from the pain during the 3 mile stretch of 8:04. This was definately a challange but more comfortable than the track run 2 days prior.

Back to "THE book" track run 12.15.09

2009-12-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

Back to my "run less, run faster" workouts. I've decided to not omit any runs or shorten the 18 week plan. I picked a more challenging 5K time which will make my runs faster. This track run was a challenge.

10 min warm up at 9:30 pace
12 x 400 meter with 90 sec RI
I ran all the repeats at 7:25 pace with the 1st 6 RI's at 8:30
I couldn't keep up the fast recovery pace so I kept the repeats at 7:25 but slowed the RI to 9:30 for the last 6.
10 min cool down (I had to walk this)
Total miles just shy of 7.

With 2 more repeats to go I felt a wave of nausea come over me and a feeling that I couldn't go any further. I dug deep mentally & physically and pushed through it. I had to talk my shoulders down away from my ears and tell myself I could finish. I may decide to back down my goal pace. I based this work out on a 24 min 5K (my last plan I used the 26 min 5K). I'm going to run my tempo run this Thursday & then decide.

Mon 12.14.09 Body flex

2009-12-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Another weight training day down. Love/hate them. I love the fact that they help me gain strength but hate the entire hour of lifing. Kelly conducts a great class and always challenges us to push ourselves.

Sat run 12.12.09

2009-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

total miles 10, time 1:42:12. Jenn finally came out with us so we ran her out 2 miles on the trail and ran her back 2 miles. Great run for Jenn since she hadn't run but a mile here & there recently. From there me, T, Dana and Andrew set out for 6 more miles.

mile 1: 10:47 pace
mile 2: 10:55
mile 3: 11:58 (didn't stop watch at short walking break)
mile 4: 10:37
mile 5: 9:49
mile 6: 9:45
mile 7: 9:39
mile 8: 9:18
mile 9: 9:39
mile 10: 9:41

My plan is to add another mile next Saturday and keep the same pace.

body flext 12.10.09

2009-12-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

Friday morning body flex with Toni Ann. 1 hour of weights, 4 minutes each muscle group. My body is just now getting use to incorporating weights. I've avoided weights for 3 months. My plan is to weight train M-W-F with running in between and hopefully squeezing a bike ride in.

12.10.09 B-E-A-UTIFUL RUN

2009-12-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

5 miles 42:34 splits: 8:59/8:45/8:27/8:12/8:09. I ran with purpose which seems to be the latest craze these days :) pleased with this run considering I ate twiced baked potatoes, meat loaf & a pumpkin cream muffin. Who punishes themself like this before a run? There is definately something to running in the morning; less time to mess up your diet before the run....

12.06.09 long run w/ Dana

2009-12-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

11 miles, 1:43:59. 6am on a Sunday run with Dana. Our Saturday run was cancelled due to alot of rain.

It was about 45 degrees when we started out. We had our ear warmers & gloves on. It felt great.

mile 1: 9:46
mile 2: 9:43
mile 3: 9:37
mile 4: 9:22
mile 5: 9:23
mile 6: 9:19
mile 7: 9:16
mile 8: 9:06
mile 9: 9:24
mile 10: 9:29
mile 11: 9:22

Best pace so far for that many miles!!!!!!!

11.18.09 bike

2009-11-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

20 mile ride on the beautiful Suncoast/Starkey trail. Longest ride thus far on my little bike. It couldn't have come at a better time. With Wednesday being the middle of the week and having the remnants of the Mon & Tues work garbage and the anticipation of the weekend upon me. I left my cases that I have to finish reviewing by tomorrow & drove to the trail for some much needed decompression. My goal was to finish 20 miles & keep it under a 17 mph pace. Average pace ended up being 17.4, max pace 20.5, 826 calories burned, total time 1:09:19. I stayed in my aero bars the whole ride & wondered if I would feel the effects of this in a couple days.

During my ride I saw 4 turtles, 1 black snake with a white stripe down his back crossing the trail and lots of birds. Once I reached the Suncoast I caught a glance of Mr. Alligator sunning himself in a nearby ditch. What a glorious ride that could only be better with company.

Tip of the day: Do not get out of the saddle to climb after putting in long miles, it only calls attention to your hurting parts that you have to sit back into.

Wild life: 4 turtles, 1 snake, lots of birds & an alligator.

11.17.09 5K

2009-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

5K...time 26:00. After getting the girls off to school I decided on a road run instead of the treadmill. It was 65 degrees and very comfortable. After running 12 miles on Sunday I would have thought that a short run today would seem alot easier, not so. It felt hard. My breathing and feet felt heavier. I'm pretty sure I know the culprit, my diet. Yesterday started out well but did not end well as far as nutrition. I ate a whole grain bagel w/ peanut butter & apple. For lunch I ate a whole wheat flat bread sandwich with turkey and low fat provolone, one serving of peanuts, (and here is where it goes down hill) and a hand full of sun chips. 2 hours later when the girls came home from school I had a hand full of regular potatoe chips and 5 twizzlers. For dinner I ate a piece of skinless chicken seasoned w/ Lowrey's salt & squash w/ salt. See a theme here?.....SALT. Thank goodness I gave up soft drinks a long time ago or it would only added to my sodium binge. Today I'm planning to do better, however we have small group tonight w/ lots of "fat-girl dips" & deserts. 5 more days until the Women's Half Marathon! LORD give me strength.

11.14.09 Long run

2009-11-14T15:47:00.000-08:00

What a great morning to run. The weather was awesome, a little cool to start and perfect for the finish. Dana, Tand I hit the trail early with a 12 mile goal to run with the Striders. It was dark when we started but it soon became light for the rest of the run. We ran out 5 miles, back 5 miles plus 2 miles off the trail past a few of the pavilions. The pace was faster than last weekend and there were NO walking stops. The last mile we met up with Andrew and he ran with us to keep us company. Here are the recorded laps:

Mile 1: Ave pace 10:41
Mile 2: 10:29
Mile 3: 10:22
Mile 4: 12:57 (forgot to stop watch at water stop)
Mile 5: 10:15
Mile 6: 10:21
Mile 7: 10:03
Mile 8: 10:10
Mile 9: 10:02
Mile 10: 10:18
Mile 11: 10:25
Mile 12: 10:27

11.13.09 bike ride

2009-11-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

Friday the 13th and nothing unlucky about it. I got to head to the trail with my bestest friend Teresa. She played hookie from work and I was there to support her. Around 10am we both had our kids dropped off at school and our bikes loaded. The weather was beautiful, warm sun/cool wind. A little more wind than I hoped for but I will take it.

As we headed out on our bikes I took the lead into the wind. We rode out 8 miles and took a drink break. We discussed alot of great ideas like promoting Team Tri-a-licious for next tri season and deciding who we would want as teammates. After a much productive "board meeting" we were on our bikes for our beautiful 8 mile ride back. T took the lead which added speed. We made one more stop to see Mr. Alligator in the pond and finished our ride with smiles on both of our faces. It's not very often that 2 close friends like me & T get to play hookie on the same day.

Total distance 16 miles.....average pace 17.1, max 21.7. Going out we stayed around 17 into the wind and coming back around 19. Due to the fact that I didn't restart my watch right away after our turn around our ave pace I recorded coming back is lower than actual pace.

11.11.09 spin

2009-11-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

With the weather being wet I went to Cherise's 45 min spin class. My quads were feeling it.

11.10.09 tempo run

2009-11-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

I deviated from my "Run Less, Run Faster" program and ran what I felt like running on the treadmill.

Mile 1 9:00 pace
Mile 2 8:05 pace
Mile 3 7:35 pace
Mile 4 8:05 pace
Mile 5 9:00 pace

It felt good to push myself.

11.07.09 long run

2009-11-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Long run with the Striders and T. Our plan was to do 12 miles and we did them. The last 2 were not pretty. Great pace on the rest.

Mile 1: 10:21 ave pace
Mile 2: 10:25
Mile 3: 10:25
Mile 4: 10:31
Mile 5: 10:19
Mile 6: 10:36
Mile 7: 10:33
Mile 8: 10:31
Mile 9: 11:14
Mile 10: 10:38
Mile 11: 11:57
Mile 12: 11:52

12 mile attempt next weekend as well with Dana included. She was at a conference this weekend.

11.05.09 track run

2009-11-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Deviated from "Run Less, Run Faster" to get an outside run in after eatting all the fried food when my parents were in town. At 7pm when it was somewhat cooler I hit the road.

mile 1: ave pace 9:05
mile 2: 8:48
mile 3: 8:40
mile 4: 8:39

4 mile run...Total time 35:15

mom & dad in town 10/31-11/04 no training

2009-11-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

10.31.09

2009-10-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Long run with the Striders. Me, T and Dana were at the trail at 6:15 this morning. The plan was to do 10 miles. T had to leave after mile 6 and Dana and I finished the rest out.

mile 1- ave pace 10:26
mile 2- 10:31
mile 3- 11:07 (water stop & didn't stop watch)
mile 4- 12:15 (tail end of water stop & didn't stop watch)
mile 5- 10:46
mile 6- 10:56
mile 7- 10:34
mile 8-11:02 (water stop)
mile 9-10:01
mile 10-9:39

Total time 1:47:19...We will try to beat this time next weekend :)

10.29.09 track run

2009-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

5 miles on the treadmill at 8:56 pace. Legs STILL sore from Tuesdays interval run so I was glad when the miles read "5" and I was able to get off. I will take a break tomorrow to allow myself time to rest before Saturdays long run...13 miles!

10.28.09 swim

2009-10-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

So proud of myself that I actually got in the pool. First swim since my first tri. It actually felt real good and not having the pressure of an upcoming race made it a great swim.

400 free-style
100 kick board
200 arms
400 free-style faster speed
100 kick
100 arms
100 cool down

My legs were sore from the 7 miles on the treadmill the day prior so the kick board was more of a challenge. Total meters 1400.

Track run 10.27.09

2009-10-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ran on the treadmill today for the first run of the week...

10 min warm up at 10:31 pace
1 mile (400 RI) @ 8:20
2 miles (800 RI) @ 8:20
2 x 800m (400 RI) @ 8:20
10 min cool down at 10:31 pace

total miles 7 and some change.

....................challenging!

long run 10.25.09

2009-10-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Great run this evening with T & Dana. We put away 10 miles at an average pace of 10:15. Legs are a little stiff but it was worth it. Great conversation with great friends. The weather was nice and cool. It's what we've all been waiting for :)

bike 10.23.09

2009-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day on the Suncoast.

I rode about 15-16 miles at an unknown pace (left my Garmin at home). Longest distance since tri-training. The breeze was cool and the sun was hot. I met a named man Troy from St. Louis who said he did the International distance at Longleaf last weekend. I applaudid him and was unable to imagine myself doing that distance at this point. He made my day when he told me that I looked like and had a build like a Triathlete. He had just rode alot of miles on his bike and ran. He was clearly delusional from his work-out. Thank you Troy! I spent the rest of my time at the trail with a big smile on my face. Wish T could have been there. She would have enjoyed it.

tempo run 10.22.09

2009-10-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Feeling alot better since my first day back to training.

Todays scheduled run 5 miles at mid-tempo pace @ 9:01.

My version (I was a little short on time): 3 1/2 miles @ 8:56 pace (closest to 9:01 that treadmill would do) and the last mile 8:20 pace. Total miles 4 1/2.

I had to take Hannah to gymnastics.

run 10.20.09

2009-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

First run after my triathlon...I started out with good intension with my track run wrote out on a little piece of scrap paper "10 min work up, 3 x 1600 @ 8:13 pace w/ 10 min cool down". As soon as my legs started to move I soon realized the pain in my calves, shins and quads. My whole body felt tired.....So maybe a day & 1/2 is not enough recovery after a tri, who knew?....

I settled for a 5k run in the beautiful 80 degree weather. My splits were as followed:

9:36 mile 1
9:28 mile 2
9:32 mile 3

5k time 29:39...

I will allow myself one more day of rest and then it's on!!!

FIRST TRIATHLON...LONGLEAF race #566

2009-10-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is how it all went down. Woke up at 5:20 am after a descent nights rest. T, Lee & Leland came to pick me up at 6 am. A brisk 46 degrees greated me when I walked outside. I was bundled up in 2 jackets, yoga pants, tennis shoes and gloves. We arrived at the dark, cold parking field and carried our bikes and gear across the prickly field to avoid any flats. Found myself one rack deep which is not too shabby and set up my transition. Around 7:30 we made our way down to the lake. IT WAS COLD!! I tried to keep myself from shivering to avoid burning the calories I had carefully stored for the race by running around the field which boardered the water. Just prior to race start a group of my wonderful friends showed up to cheer me on....Scott, Hannah, Grace, Barb, Dana, Todd, Cory and the Striders.

One by one the swimmers entered the water in a staggered fashion. T jumped in just before I did. I ran into the water about 42 minutes after start time and found myself in brown, WARM water. It was difficult to sight where I was or where I was going after starting my swim. My muscles were cold and the swim felt HARD!! I just kept telling myself it would all be over and I didn't want to think "I couldve gone faster" so I just kept swimming. I was exhausted by the time I ran out of the water. I ran at a good steady pace into transition which was about 1/8 mile from the water. Transition went well with only a little difficulty of putting my helmet on. My hands and feet were numb. My friends again were there to cheer me on :) I mounted my bike without difficulties and found myself in some tough head-wind on the way out. I passed alot of riders and never got passed by any athletes, that was encouraging. I saw T heading back on my way out & she looked strong & happy. We yelled at eachother to keep it up!! On the way back in the wind was at my back and the ride felt fast!! Transition into the bike area and heading out to my run was again very smooth (I unclipped from my bike without injury). My feet were still numb when I headed out for the run. I felt strong and again found myself passing alot of athletes. The final leg through Longleaf neighborhood was the best. The last mile had us making a square and again I saw T heading out of the square before I entered and was able to yell "Go Tiajuana!". There were people yelling and cheering all the athletes on. When I rounded the last corner I saw more friends and my family. Jenn & Josh & Ryan were there now as well. Jenn was holding up a sign for me & T and everyone cheered loud. It was what I needed to finish strong. I crossed the finish line in 1:09:56 and was glad it was all over. T was waiting for me with a cold towel and I just gave her a big hug. The weather was so cold that I didn't even break a sweat on the run. The following are my stats....

I finished 2nd my age group & earned a trophy. Overall time 1:09:56 (T also finished 2nd in her age group)

400m swim-7:48
Transition 1-3:35
9 mile bike/T2-33:38 ave speed 17 mph with 21.6 mph best
5 K run-24:56....YEAH!!!! mile 1 8:13 ave pace/best 7:03. mile 2 8:16/best 7:08. mile 3 7:48 ave pace/6:14 best. last 1/10 mile 7:39/best 5:37.

10.15.09 swim & bike

2009-10-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Needed to swim & bike mentally before the race.

Swam for 40 minutes & not sure of the distance due to the fact that my mind was thinking how discouraging it was to be swimming so slow just prior to Longleaf Tri. I came home & biked 9 miles which raised my spirits (I felt fast). The next couple of days will be my rest and Longleaf Sunday.

track run 10.13.09

2009-10-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

6 miles on the dreadmill.

10 min warm up 10:30 pace
6 x 800 with at 8:13 pace with 1:30 RI
15 min cool down at 10:30 pace

GOOD RUN :)

Swim 10.12.09

2009-10-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

100 free-style warm up
400 medium speed free-style
50 kick, 150 arms
400 medium speed free-style
50 kick and 50 arms
100 cool down

total distance 1300 meters

Long run 10.11.09

2009-10-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

After eatting a fattening dinner at Beefs for Madison's 15th birthday me and T headed to Starkey for our long run. We ran 8 miles at an average 10:30 pace. We walked about 3-4 times briefly and had a great run. It got dark alot sooner that we expected and the car headlights were blinding. Even with the sun down it was HOT!!

10/10/09 Julia's run for a reason

2009-10-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Took Grace, Hannah and Hannah's friend Emerald to the Starkey Trail at 7am for Julia's Run for a Reason. Met T & her family there and Leland and Lee did the 5K. Leland came in 1st in his age group, to no suprise. he is crazy fast. i think his time was 24. the little ones all did the 1 mile fun run. it was hot, hot, hot. the kids enjoyed that they got a medal and the after race activities were fun. i worked up a sweat trying to keep up with Grace during the run. Hannah & Emerald ran to win and their time was 10 minutes :)

swim 10.09.09 16 year anniversary

2009-10-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

climbed in the water around 10am with intensions of swimming only. i did 100 free-style warm-up, 400 at medium pace and decided to get out of the water and go get on my bike. i did the 400 swim in 8:30. came home & transitioned to the bike and rode 9 miles in 30:35 which is a good time considering that i rode in the neighborhood breaking for cars and riding around lawncare trucks. transitioned to the run and ran 5k in the hot 11:30 am sun. average pace 8:17 with best pace at 7:31 and finished feeling like i couldn't give anything else. hopped in the shower and started my anniversary celebration with my husband who also had the day off.

Tempo run 10.08.09

2009-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

5 miles at mid tempo pace (9:01) on the dreadmill. not much to tell except for i found it odd not to do a warm up run or cool down. thats what the book called for so i did it. wasn't too difficult. i stretched well and headed home.

Bike 10.07.09

2009-10-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Rode 13 miles mid morning on the trail. i found it difficult to stay down in my aerobars for more than 3 miles at a time due to the shoulder strength it requires. i thought after all those "4 minute shoulders with Shannon" work outs i would have done better. time to hit the gym again. i did find more speed while being in them. going out i rode an average speed of 16-18 and on the way back i was able to push for 21-22 mph at times. after getting off the bike the sun was nice and hot and i tested out my bike legs on the run. i ran 1/2 mile and found my pace around 7:15-7:30. i wasn't able to sustain that pace, i just wanted to get a feel for it. good workout!!

Track run 10.06.09

2009-10-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ran on the treadmill...

10 min warm up at 10:30 pace
6 x 800 with 90 sec RI
5 min cool down at 10:30 pace
5 min walking

Total distance 6 miles at 8:13 pace....Very tired!!!! How T got through that one with blisters on her feet is amazing to me.

Swim 10.05.09

2009-10-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

The hardest swim I've done in a long time. I only swam a total of 800 meters. I had no stamina and felt like I couldn't breath easy most of the time.

100 warm up free style
100 kick/100 arms
400 medium speed free style
100 cool down

I climbed out of the pool very disappointed and chalked it up to needing more rest, too many miles running this weekend.

long run w/ T 10.04.09

2009-10-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

T came to my house for our 6am run. We ran a total of 9 miles with a few periods of walking. It took about 2 1/2 hours to complete. Our next goal is to cut down on the walks and finish in less time. Ave pace 10:30. T left with blisters on her feet and friction rubs everywhere else. Poor T!!

Run with Andrew & bike 10.03.09

2009-10-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Andrew & I hit the trail about 6:45 am. I ran 2.2 miles out with him and turned around went the sun started to come up so I could bike. I ran 2.2 miles back for a total of 4.4 miles at around a 9 min pace. I got on my bike and rode 10 miles while Andrew finished his 8.5 miles. I got into my aerobars for the first time with success and without injury. My shoulders are not use to being in that position for very long and I had to change my hand positions a few times throughout my ride. I let Andrew borrow my Garmin so I'm not sure how fast I went.

swim 10.02.09

2009-10-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've waited too long to blog this swim & can't remember all I did. I do remember feeling strong and that I had my arms do alot of the work by really stretching my strokes out and adding speed. I swam for 45 minutes which is my usual 1500 meters work out.

Run #2 for the week 10.01.09

2009-10-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a twofer. Swam in the am and now the run.

Using week 13 in "Run Less, Run Faster" I had to run a total of 6 miles at long tempo pace which is 9:16. Since the closest pace on the treadmill was 9:13 thats what I ran at.

6 miles at 9:13 pace

I felt strong for all the miles and had to use my towel to sop up all the sweat. It felt good to be done and now I anticipate a great long run with T this Sunday:)

swim 10.01.09

2009-10-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Cooler weather is on its way and the swim is less inviting. Air temp was 77 so it wasn't bad. I've learned not to touch the water or wait around to get in, I just jump in and suck it up!!

100 free-style warm up
300 total of kick & arms
400 medium speed free-style
200 kick & arms
300 medium speed free-style
100 cool down
total distance 1400 meters

Light stretching in the water to top it off and the swim was done:)

Run #1 09.28.09

2009-09-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Another run down on the treadmill.

10 min warm up @ 10:30 pace
6 x 800 8:13 pace
90 sec RI between 800's
10 min cool down @ 10:30 pace

total miles 5.45, time 50 minutes

Run with the Striders 09.26.09

2009-09-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

After 2 tough work outs I planned to run 10 miles with some of the veteran Strider Runners. I was a little scared of the condition my legs would be in at a 10 mile/9.5 pace. I met Rebecca and Mel at 6am. The pace was easy and alot more relaxed than I expected. Rebecca turned around at 3 1/2 miles to walk back. She has a hip injury that she is trying to heal before her full marathan in 2 weeks.

Mel and I continued on without any idea what we were about to experience @ mile 7....We could hear it way before we saw it. Whatever it was was tearing through the woods aggressively. We kept running, thank goodness because it ran across the trail about 25 meters behind us. What a close call that was!!! An UGLY wild boar. If I never see that again it will be too soon. We finished up at mile 10 and met back up with Rebecca to walk another mile for a cool down. The only ache I had was in my feet. I do need new shoes.

09.25.09 Swim

2009-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

100 warm up free-style
25 fast, 25 easy
50 fast, 50 easy
75 fast, 75 easy
50 fast, 50 easy
25 fast, 25 easy
1 minute RI
Repeat x 1 more time (the book says 2 more times but i didn't have it in me)
100 kick, 100 arms
100 cool down
total distance 1300

After coming home and showering I could tell that I worked hard because my whole body was tired and sore. The run thurs & the swim drill of today were some of the toughest work outs thus far and I only just started with the book workouts. I'm hopeful that these challenging work outs will push me past the comfort zone I've kept myself in.

track run 09.24.09

2009-09-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

i thought i would loath getting on the treadmill. last time i was on one i ran speed drills with Shannon & T. it was the first REAL track run from "Run Less, Run Faster", grouling :0

warm up x 10 min @ 10:30 pace
12 x 400 @ 1:57 (8:13 pace)
90 second RI
10 min cooldown @ 10:30 pace
total miles 10K
total time 1:03

at first i felt like this work out was going to be easy. by the 4th 400 i knew it would be more like a challenge.

Pimped out ride 09.23.09

2009-09-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hit the trail by myself today for the first time. Tara was sick & T has a job (that gets in the way of my training with her-darn it!). On with the ride. Used my Garmen in bike mode & i rode 9 miles in 31:15. Great time!!! Total miles 13. it got me motivated to head to Suncoast Bikes.

i pimped out my ride with Aerobars, new tape to match the bike, fuel tank and pouch to carry my sports beans in. i am now tri ready. i also picked up my first pair of tri shorts. 1 hour at the bike shop $275.00. riding on the trial looking stylish-PRICELESS!!

Track Run 09.22.09

2009-09-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

so i didn't do a "track run". it was raining heavier than a light sprinkle so i couldnt wear my Garmin. since the point was to do some speed training i ran fast at a "pushing uncomfortable" pace. my best guest would be around 8:30. distance was a 5K. next time it rains i think i will wear my Garmen anyway & protect it with a baggie & 2 rubber bands. thats what McGiver would do!!

Swim 09.21.09

2009-09-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

speed work in the pool.

100 free-style warm up
2 x 200 drills (175 medium speed, 25 sprint)
2 x 200 kick
2 x 200 arms
100 sprint
100 cool down

total distance 1500 meters..no messin around!!

unknown ride

2009-09-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

Mid afternoon ride on the trial with T. we started with a few mock transitions to work out all the kinks and to gage what it is i need to work on before race day. i found that clipping into my bike will probably be my greatest challenge without getting run over or falling trying to get out of them after the ride.

The picture to the right is my best attempt to air my tires to 130 psi. i thought there was something wrong with my pump until T EASILY aired them up where they needed to be with EASE. that is why she is the pit crew & i just ride. T-THANK YOU FOR DOING ALL THE WORK. on with the ride.....

T's computer & garmin was dead so i proudly said "no worries, i've got mine" only to have to tell her half way through the ride that i didn't even start my watch. that is why this ride is titled "the unknown ride". who knows how many miles or how fast. it was a good ride regardless. T did say this ride was more difficult and that her legs were tired. later in conversation she figured out that she didnt eat breakfast or lunch. alot of mysteries are solved on these Sunday rides. after leaving the trail T decided she would eat a meal and I would go home & work on my upper body strength. she may not always be there to air my tires :0

Run with Striders

2009-09-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Up at 5:30 this Saturday morning for a run with the Striders. Me, T & Andrew hit the trail before the sun came up. It was a little erie at the start but that all changed once the sun provided some light. It's usually a rough roll out of bed that early but as soon as I hit the trail I know its all worth it. We ran 6 miles at around 10:15 pace. My Garmin was dead this morning after leaving it on all night....bummer. T ran strong and confident today and I was so proud of her. Derek snuck up on us around 4 miles into the run and him and Andrew finished strong together. Me & T took a couple water breaks and popped a few sports beans for fun. Always enjoy the Saturday runs with great friends and great conversation. Tomorrow the bike :)

Swim 09.18.09

2009-09-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Best swim to date....100 meter free-style warm up and 900 meters continuous swim at medium speed (was so excited)....then 200 kick board, 200 arms and 100 cool down..great swim, total distance 1500 meters...whoop whoop!!

Hottest run ever!!! 09.17.09

2009-09-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

2:30 in the afternoon is not a smart time to run outside, no clouds, no wind, no shade. 93 degrees with 100% humidity. the plan was to run 6 miles with 3 being short tempo pace, that did not happen.

first 2 miles were done at 10:21 pace. (per plan)
1 mile at short tempo pace of 8:46. (2 miles short of plan)
1 mile at easy pace 9:28. (too fast per plan, wanted to get it over)

it was a smart decision to not prolong the agony because it took a good hour to recover afterwards. next run will be before the sun rises or after it goes down.

bike w/ Tara 09.16.09

2009-09-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another 15 mile bike with Tara. Proud of both of us since we again remembered to air up our tires, stretch and not do an figure 8's on the trail in front of other riders. The bike felt good & the sun felt hot. Good company and calories burned :) I do need to get my cadence sensor to work. Haven't set it up and I've had it for 3 weeks.

swim 09.15.09

2009-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Strong mid-afternoon swim today. I tried out a swimming drill that "Run Less, Run Faster" suggested...

100 meter free-style warmup
25 meter fast, 25 slow
50 fast, 50 slow
75 fast, 75 slow
50 fast, 50 slow
25 fast, 25 slow
1 min RI (I was suppose to repeat that 2 more times for the whole work out. I felt it too challenging at this point to complete it.) So, I substituted and did the following:

200 (175 medium, 25 sprint)
100 kickboard & 100 arms
100 cool down.........Total swimming distance 1050 meters.

run 09.13.09

2009-09-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

First run after reading "Run Less, Run Faster". This book focuses on a 3 day a week run with 2 days of cross training which will make it more feasable to train for the 1/2 marathan & triathalon. Since I missed my long run which was rained out yesterday I ran it tonight.................
8 mile run without T, long & lonely...according to this book my goal pace is 9:46 for 8 miles.
Mile 1 9:54 ave pace,
Mile 2 9:43,
Mile 3 9:51,
Mile 4 9:53,
Mile 5 9:48,
Mile 6 9:40,
Mile 7 8:32, I sped it up to get home faster
Mile 8 9:28.

The next 2 runs for the week will be track repeats of 12 x 400 meters @ 1:57 and a tempo run of 2 miles easy at 10:21, 3 miles @ short tempo at 8:46 and 1 mile easy at 10:21. I'm excited to put this running plan with cross training to the test & change things up. 1/2 marathon pace goal is 9:26.

Mock Tri 09/10/09

2009-09-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

With no intensions to swim/bike & run this afternoon i headed to the pool. i did a 100 warm up & felt strong. thats when the idea of timing my swim & adding the bike & run came to me. i had the time & felt good. i swam 400 meters in 7 1/2 minutes & swam 225 more for more training. ran after the swim since i did not have my bike w/ me. i ran 2 miles & shaved the last mile off due to the extra swim. 1st mile at 8:42 pace & 2nd mile at 8:36 pace. the run was sooo hot at 1 pm. i then got in my car & drove home, got on my bike & rode 9 miles in 34 minutes. my bike time was dissappointing however i had to slow down a few times to avoid the inconsiderate drivers that wouldnt get over. without transition my total time was 1:07:11 (i had to estimate mile 3 for the run at around 8:45). i reviewed last years Longleaf results to compare my time to who placed. the time to beat was 1:10:50. i now question my swim time since first place swim was 8:32 for the 1/4 mile. i will time myself again on my next swim & see how accurate i was. im now motivated to train a little harder.

T-in your age group you missed 1st place by 16 seconds....OH MAN!!! your transition time was so much faster than the rest, all of your events were impressive...You are amazing!!!

bike w/ tara 09.09.09

2009-09-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

we started the ride out by stretchin & airing our tires up (T would be proud). we also decided that if we encountered other riders that we would communicate & stay to the right (its the little things that save lives). we started the first few miles out around 15 mph & finished the second half of the 15 mile ride at 18 mph. we saw one red fox & a turtle that we had to swirve to miss. as usual on that trial the wind was at our face riding out & the wind was at our face riding back. after our ride we stretched again. AMAZING. still dreaming of the fall weather. the ride was
H-O-T.

best swim so far 09.08.09

2009-09-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Best swim so far!!..started with at 300 meter free-style warm-up then did 100 meters kick, 100 arms and proceeded to do 2 x 200's (175 medium speed & 25 sprint). this swim was worth noting since i found a medium speed. i use to only have 2, slow & sprint. i then did another 100 kick/100 arm and finished with 400 meter free-style medium speed with the last 100 being a cool down. i felt strong & enjoyed it today. Total meters 1500...YEAH!!

on a side note i did drown my cell phone in between laps when i was checking my voice mail :0

Run w/ Striders 09.07.09

2009-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Special Labor Day run this am with the Striders. we all met at 6:30 am for a 6 mile run. this was Jenn's longest distance so far. she kept a great pace & when she needed to take a break she walked a fast pace. me & T ran ahead a few times & doubled back to get her to add distance & encourage Jenn. the last couple miles were the toughest. T pushed herself through it and we helped run Jenn in. GO TEAM! it felt good to start the holiday off that way with good friends & an excuse to eat junk with our families:)

bike 09.06.09

2009-09-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Rode the trail with T in the heat of the day. we rode about 11-12 miles at an average 18 mph. came real close to running into a deer, close encounter. i was suprise at how fast my hands reacted to grabbing the breaks. my speech was alot slower to respond-i yelled "oh deer" which did not give T a clear indication that we were about to run into one. she was looking towards me in conversation & the deer came out from the other direction. luckily T's bad luck had run out :)

run w/ striders

2009-09-05T18:43:00.001-07:00

6 miles this am while the sun was coming up....BEAUTIFUL..felt good to meet other striders going out and coming back with words of encouragement..With T with me we occupied our 1:08 run with good conversation..Great start to the holiday weekend :)

swim 09.04.09

2009-09-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

1200 meter swim..started with 300 meter free-style warm-up, then drills of 100 kick & 100 arms then 175 free-style with 50 sprint then back to 100 kick/100 arms and 300 free-style..good swim and off to small group with goggle rings around my eyes :)

Run 09.03.09

2009-09-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Thought I was running with jen but she never showed..where did my jenny go...first mile was with Hannah & Grace-run/walk. they are excited to run the Julia's Run For a Reason 1 mile at starkey next month. Grace talked the whole time, the more we ran the more she chatted (so funny). After dropping them off I continued to run...Total miles 4...Average pace breakdown:
mile 1- 9:21
mile 2- 9:00
mile 3- 8:54
mile 4- 8:31

cant wait for the fall weather :)

spin 09.02.09

2009-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

woke up this morning excited to hit the trail with Tara & noticed that the skies were grey. unfortunately it started to rain enough to be concerned about a slippery trail so I settled on spin class instead. glad i did. Robin taught an excellent 45 minute class.

run 09.01.09

2009-09-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

since it was overcast i had a great idea to run at the hottest part of the day. funny how it seems less hot outside until you start running. total miles were 4 with an average pace of the following: mile 1: 9:01
mile 2: 8:51
mile 3: 8:46
mile 4: 9:45 (cool down)

my face was glowing red & my body was in need of hydration. looking forward to the fall weather :)

short swim 08/31/09

2009-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

BTW swimming hours at the Y have changed. pool closes at 8:30pm. found that out the hard way. i had a total of 15 minutes to swim. swam 600 meters free-style, which felt good and called it a "swim".

bike 08.30.09 (victimized)

2009-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Me & T rode 16 miles on the Suncoast, ave 18 mph. We didn't do any sprints because we were too busy talking :)..Unfortunately our wonderful ride was over shadowed by T's car being broke into and her purse with everything it was stolen. Since 4 others were also victomized we had to stay after dark until the police were able to do their investigation. Without bug spray we returned home in very poor condition which will now be a daily reminder of the crime.

Run w/ T & Striders 08.29.09

2009-08-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

6:45 am me & T drove to the trail to meet up with the Suncoast Striders. Very welcoming group of people. Some of them started their run at 5:45 depending on the distance. When we arrived Dave & a few of the other men were hanging out for the last of the runners to show (which I think were me & T). We socialized a few minutes and headed out to the trail without stretching, which has become a theme to our runs. We both started our Garmens & soon fell behind the pack. Since it had been about a month since T had run our plan was to keep the pace slow and try to get some miles in. We set out goal for 6 miles and kept it between a 10 1/2 to 11 min pace. During our run we noticed how nice it was to watch the sun come up and see deer near the trail. There were 2 water stations during our run that we also enjoyed. We only walked a couple minutes towards the end and rejoiced when our last mile was complete.

After the run alot of the runners were hanging at the Pavilion near the trail greeting all the returning runners. Nicest group of people I've ever met. Several of them had brought beverages and snacks to share.

Daves wife Karen introduced me & T to a 3-day a week marathon training program that we were both excited about. Its a book called Run Less, Run Faster which focuses 3 days on running & the rest crosstraining-perfect for a 1/2 marathon/tri training. We both ordered the book & I'm excited to read all about it.

too sore to swim/bike or run 08.27.09

2009-08-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

3rd ride on the bike

2009-08-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

met up with Tara after dropping the girls off at school. I was afraid that it was going to be scorching hot but the cloud cover was awesome. it was cool and breezy. we rode a total of 15 miles to the trail and back with an average of 16-17 mph. we chatted the whole ride and i found out how adventurous she is. she did her first tri with a mountain bike and only being able to swim the side stroke with her head out of the water. she said 2 weeks before her first tri she decided to do it and didn't realize how hard the swim was going to be. she only had 2 weeks to train so she concentrated ont he swim only and just did it. i told Tara that i was soooo thankful for my friend T because she would not let me do such dangerous things. T will have me completely prepared to tackle transitions, recovery, safety, hydration etc...no doubt!! Me & Tara are dangerous together-too much alike. we cheated death only once on our ride this time. to make a long story short we rode figure "x"''s in front of another biker because we couldnt decide which side of the trail to be on when he was approaching us at stelth speed from behind. it was not a proud moment when i had to tell T....

weigh training 08.25.09

2009-08-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

went to kelly's bodyflex and lifted weights for an hour...boy im sore...i love her classes and miss her when i don't attend.

swim 08.24.09

2009-08-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

only had 1/2 hour in the water until the kids let out from school...Repeated swim/drills that i did with T...i did notice that i completed the 1000 meters within 30 minutes instead of greater than an hour workout me & T did...1/2 work and 1/2 play= good balance...I stink at sighting!!!

2nd ride 08.23.09 "the magic touch"

2009-08-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

headed out to the trail at 6pm tonight. was sooo excited for ride #2. what a disappointing first 7.5 miles. i felt like i was riding in mud at 14 mph. Teresa was pulling away from me the whole time and i felt like i could never fully gain on her. at that 7.5 mile we pulled over to give me a rest (T did not need one, clearly. she hadn't even broke a sweat). she played around with my breaks and said she found my break pads to be touching my tires. i think she is a magic genie because after she touched my bike i got on it and rode 18 mph without feeling warm. "what the...". the 7.5 miles back to the car was so enjoyable. next time i'm checking my breaks and letting T "touch" my bike :)

swim 08.21.09

2009-08-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

met up with T at 6:30am. really enjoyed the change up in workout that we did. we started with 300 meter free-style warm up then 50 meter drills that equaled 200 meters, 50 sighting, 50 touch ups, 50 one arms & 50 (i cant remember, sad). we ended with 400 meters that broke down to 2 sets of 150 easy free-style with 50 sprint. we swam a 100 easy free-style to cool down. 1000 meters total. throughout the swim we did solve alot of the world problems as well.

Swim 08.19.09

2009-08-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ive decided to stop numbering my swims (random, i know)...ended up at the pool around 3:30 between storms. ran into a few pool bullies that tried to crowd me out of my space. got hit twice by a large man with bad swim alignment. started with 500 meter free-style warm up then 100 kickboard and 100 arms. then to my suprise T shows up with the family. it was just enough encouragment to finish strong with repeat 500 free, 100 kick, 100 arms and then 100 meters with 25 of that being a sprint. Thanks coach T, you are always on time.

run 08.18.09

2009-08-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

4 mile run..ave pace 9.00...max pace 7.54...love my new watch :) i purposfully did not reference my run until the last mile. i wanted to track my "comfort" pace or in other words my pace without looking at my equipment. now that i know im at a 9 minute aveage pace i can build from there. sure was lonely without T or Jenn.

mile 1-ave pace 9.05/best 8.31
mile 2-ave pace 8.58/best 8.19
mile 3-ave pace 9.02/best 8.20
mile 4-ave pace 9.06/best 8.37