Half Ironman (Boulder Long Course Triathlon) - race recap!

Wow, training for this race has been a big part of my life the last 8 months and now it's over! Honestly, I'm a little glad for a break! The race went really well, though. I achieved my main goal of finishing, and my time was 6:15, which is actually right around where I expected (although I was kind of hoping to finish in under 6 hours).

I started at 7 AM but got to the Boulder Res. a little after 5, so I had a lot of time to get ready. Maybe I should have gotten there later, although I ended up spending 20 minutes in line for a portapotty and was glad that I didn't feel rushed! The swim went really well, surprisingly. I finished in about 35 minutes (top 400 out of 1130 racers, my best finish of the day). A 1:45 pace for about 2000 meters - woohoo! I'm not sure how big my wave was, but it was very nice that the waves were 5 minutes apart. I had much more space in this race than previous ones, so I was actually able to get into a good rhythm and really enjoyed the swim.

The bike started out slowly. My plan was to average about 18 mph, but it started out with a discouraging false flat that made me doubt my ability to even average 16 mph. Luckily, some nice rolling hills and beautiful countryside followed so according to my bike I averaged 17.8 mph. I was very conscious of my effort on the bike, and kept my heart rate below 150 bpm (about 77% of my max HR) except for a couple of times on some small hills. This made the bike section into a somewhat leisurely ride for me, and I enjoyed it for the most part (not to say riding 56 miles by yourself is easy! I don't think I've ever done a ride that long at that pace by myself before.). I had a gu at 10 minutes, and then every 45 minutes, while taking a sip of either gatorade or water every 10 minutes. I made sure to take my last gu with about 30 minutes left so that I didn't have too much in my stomach starting the run. The temperatures were very cooperative, I don't think it got above 80 so that was phenomenal. The only bad thing about the bike was that I got a flat with about 7 miles to go. Even this wasn't too bad though, since it gave my legs a break and neutral support (didn't even know there was such a thing) came along, so I got to just stand on the side of the road and catch my breath. So my official bike time was 3:13.

My awesome friends were cheering me on when I finished the bike. I still couldn't believe I was about to run 13 miles after everything else I'd done. But I was feeling confident that I could do it as long as I went at a nice, steady pace. Positive thinking has been my good friend leading up to and during this race (it should be that way all the time). Again, I aimed to keep my HR below 150, but the last half or so I allowed it to get higher and it was around 150-155 for a lot of the run. Even so, my pace was a little slower than I was hoping for. I averaged 10:40 per mile, which shouldn't be too surprising since my pace on my long training runs is always around 10-11 min/mile. One thing my training the last few months has lacked has been faster paced runs. But, then again, at least I had the fitness to finish the thing, which is really what was most important! :) I was pretty happy that I didn't have to walk much, just 30 seconds at every few aid stations. The last couple of miles I ran by several people (men and women) walking. I had two more gus during the run, and 4 clif blocks. No bonking, and no sloshing-stomach either! Yay!

I did feel really bad a few times on the run. I ran with another women for about 4 miles and we talked a bunch, which helped the miles go by. Then I sang to myself for a while, and also kept reminding myself that this was something I've been wanting to do for a while, so I should appreciate it! The other big motivator for me was the funraising for Faith Alive. My math skills during workouts is notoriously awful, but I calculated that I raised about $15 per mile. And that is almost exactly how much it costs for 1 month of life-saving anti-retrovirus drugs for AIDS patients. I'm not sure if that is what the money will go toward, but it was a nice physical thing to think about as I contemplated the viability of finishing those last few miles in the half marathon. :)

Actually the last half mile was the worst. That was the one time I thought it would be nice to just stop and lay down for a while, and maybe a spectator would take pity on me and carry me to the finish line. So I just said over and over again, "You can do it, you can do it ..." Maybe I sounded nuts, but it helped, and I finished! :) Once again, I had a loud little cheering contingency at the end, which brought a big smile to my face.

So, now that it's over, I am very happy that I did it. I enjoyed most of it, even the hard parts, just because I was so excited to be doing something so big! Two things I would do differently are: 1. We spent a lot of the day before out and about. I ended up being very tired and very busy getting things together Saturday night. In hindsight, I should have gotten everything together Friday night and spent less time in the sun and more time with my feet up on Saturday. 2. Something about what I ate. Too much simple sugars maybe (6 gus, lots of gatorade, and the 4 clif blocks), but my stomach felt awful for about 4-5 hours after the race (luckily it was after, though). If I ever do another one of these (which right now does not sound appealing), I will put some more thought into pre-race day and race-day nutrition.

Overall the race was great, the volunteers were all very cheerful and encouraging, the aid stations were great, the course was beautiful, there were portapotties on the bike which I appreciated. I would definitely recommend this race to someone wanting to try out the long distance!

I'm doing a half ironman in 4 days ...

Somewhere in our spare bedroom is a list that I made about 7 years ago. It was one of those "things to do before I die" type lists. Some things I have realized might not come to fruition (when would I have time to through-hike the Pacific Crest Trail?) but on Sunday I'll hopefully be able to check off one thing I've been wanting to do for several years: Do a half ironman!

One thing I will have to work on during the race is my pacing. I found an article about how to be successful in an Ironman, and the authors state that "race day is about execution, not fitness". I can see where they are coming from. Fitness-wise, I am ready to tear through the bike section! But that's not what it's about. Knowing that running is my weakest discipline, I need to save a lot of energy through the bike. I think I should never feel like I am going really hard on the bike. Which is kind of a relief but kind of sucks. :)

The other skill I will have to execute is my mental attitude. The same article says: "As your race day continues, you will eventually hit the Line. It's at this point that your body begins to debate, very loudly, with the mind. Unless you have a very clearly defined goal or compelling reason why you must continue, your body wins and your day will start...to get...very...long."

Do I have a compelling enough reason to keep going? I think having Chris and other friends' support will spur me on. Not that he would think any less of me if I don't finish, but he seems to believe in me and supports me in this crazy ordeal. If you need proof we can start with him getting up at 3:30 AM with me Sunday morning! The other big thing is all the support for Faith Alive. I feel like doing a half ironman is such a small thing compared to the daily struggle of living with AIDS in a third world country. Comparing the two feats makes me feel silly and very spoiled. But if I need strength trying to finish the race I will think of the people Chris met and the stories they shared - all of which remind me that the human spirit is way stronger than 70.3 miles!

I don't know what to expect. I know it will be very hard. I will probably get bored and kicked in the head during the swim, want to go faster during the bike, and want to lay down and cry at some point during the run. So why am I doing this?? Good question.

One strange thing that draws me towards these endurance type events is the whole idea of pushing yourself harder or farther than you thought possible. In those moments of feeling worst, you seem to learn all sorts of things about yourself. And the feeling at the other side is incomparable. Maybe I will have more reasons for why I am doing this a few days afterward (when I can walk again). :)

I will leave with a quote from another article from Bicycling magazine that I've been meaning to share. It is the best way I've found to explain why I like doing hard things. The author is referring to the sign at the top of the Col de Galibier, a famously brutal climb in the Alps.
"I remember that damned sign as if I still stand beneath it, damned now by myself because I want to ride my way back to it again and again. We all do. We seek the sign at the top of the Galibier, at the end of our driveways, at the beginning of the weekend ride. We try to reach it when we've had a bad day at the office, when we have a fight at home, when the traffic sucks and the ATM is down - and when illness or disease or bad luck or the plain act of being alive brings us the kind of suffering that can't be stopped simply by unclipping from a pedal. To be strong we have to truly understand once how weak we are."

Two weeks!?!

Wow, my race is in less than two weeks. I am starting to feel ready for it. Except the fact that my legs are a little tired from backpacking last week in Alaska :). So obviously my biggest priority the next two weeks for training is recovery/taper. I fell knee-first on some rocks on Saturday and I really hope it doesn't cause any problems, although it has been a bit swollen and painful (which reminds me, time for more ibuprofen!).

For fundraising I still have a ways to go but I'm so grateful for all of the donations so far! My last big fundraising effort is this weekend - A COOKOUT! It will be fun! I am providing all of the food (except dessert). Hopefully the weather will be nice because I have some ideas for some games to keep us all entertained. If you have already donated, consider this my way of thanking you. If you haven't, then here is your motivation :). Also, I will need help, I'm sure, with setting stuff up and getting supplies ready. So if you can't afford to donate but want to assist, please let me know!

So life continues to be hectic and crazy and busy. I am looking forward to putting my feet up after the race. I have a new email address: colodawg@gmail.com. Send any questions for me that way. Thanks for stopping by!

Training update ... and priorities

The last month has been so incredibly busy, it's been all I can do to just get in my workouts, so I haven't reported any recently. I am keeping track on active trainer, but at this point I am so far behind it seems like a waste of time to throw a bunch of numbers up here. I do know that this week is shaping up to be probably my biggest training week, at around 14 hours. The scary thing is I am only half-way there, I have almost 7 hours of training to do in the next 2.5 days!

I know I am not the first person to train for a half-ironman and wonder how on earth the time for everything is going to materialize. Training has to be a priority, and hopefully friends and family will understand that this huge time sink is temporary and for something really important to me. But it's also important to me that training is not the first priority in life. My relationship with Chris and my faith are my top priorities (although unfortunately the latter is usually the first thing I lose focus on when I get this busy). Work is next, then training. And other friends and family are up there, too! So that has been important to keep in mind. Yes, I want to be successful and be well-prepared for the races I do, but even more important, I want to be a balanced, happy, healthy individual.

Also, I have to accept that many things that aren't one of those priorities won't get done. While I was taking my prelims, the mess that is my house gradually outpaced Chris' ability to single-handedly keep it clean. Despite this being the wettest year since we've moved to Colorado, I only weeded once and a small jungle is emerging in our backyard. But oh well! Even with training, I have to be forgiving of myself when I miss workouts. During my fastest season of cycling I would take an entire week of at a time, so missing a couple of workouts won't kill me.

A couple of other things. I weighed myself this morning and decided to stop thinking I can get down to what I weighed 3 years ago. I am at a happy weight for my body and age, and there is no doubt I am in good shape (um, I just ran 11 miles last night!). Also, I was feeling kind of bonkish earlier this week, and I'd rather gain a pound or two because I'm getting enough calories than obsess about things and not be able to train properly.

Second, I have tried to limit my coffee consumption this week and at first I felt really good about it (minus the pounding headache on Sunday). But I don't know if it's possible to give it up! How on earth can you make it to 6 AM masters swimming after working until 11:30 PM without it????!!!! Now I am cup #2 of the day ... much better! :)

Lake to Lake 2009

Well I had a great race! Even better than I could have hoped for. Woke up at 4:00, made coffee, had breakfast, packed up and got to the race by a little after 5. I picked up my packet and got transition area situated by 5:30, and wasn't starting until 6:34, so I had a lot of time to kill. I had half a banana around 6:15 and was sipping on water all morning. I have kind of given up on warming up for Olympic distance tri's. I ran for about 10 minutes just to get my legs going. But taking my bike out of the transition area was not an appealing thought with a line stretching through the parking lot by 6 AM. However I wish I had swam more, that could make the start of the swim much more comfortable. I only did about a 4 minute warm-up in the lake.

The swim start was insane, as usual. Legs and arms were flying every where. I couldn't get in a good spot for a while. Last year I got good at drafting but I couldn't find a good pair of feet to follow today. I really felt like I was taking forever and not swimming well. Also my arms felt somewhat lead-like. So I was really surprised to see that I finished the swim in 26:07. I think the longer I do tris, the less I appreciate the swim portion.

I consider my T1 time one of my greatest accomplishments of the day. Thursday night I practiced taking off my wetsuit and just ended up flailing in my backyard for 3 minutes unable to get my legs out. Then I came across this slowtwitch.com post, and it helped tremendously! I used the advice of QRgirl and took off my wetsuit not too long after getting out of the water. I had greased up my ankles, shins, calves, and even behind my knees with some bodyglide, too.

The bike went well. The beginning is pretty slow. I was really out of breath for the first 3-5 minutes from the swim and run to the transition area. Then Glade Road is slightly uphill or a false flat most of the way, and there was a slight headwind. I just tried to keep my cadence up and not be discouraged by the slow speeds. 30 minutes into the ride I had my first gu and not too long after that came the hills! The 1st hill, up to Horsetooth Mtn Park, went fairly quickly. I was able to stay in the aero bars most of the way. The next hill is my least favorite but I tried to go fast up the first part and then carry that momentum. Also Chris, Rachel, and her friend, Erika, were cheering me on near the top and that was AWESOME. It was especially helpful since Chris is often my motivator to go faster up hill, anyway. After that it was smooth sailing back to Loveland. I had a slight tailwind and was going 26-28 mph most of the time on Taft Hill. Fun! A big advantage of all the running I've been doing is I wasn't as concerned as usual about how my legs would fair going into the run. Even if I don't do another half-ironman after this year, I should keep up the long distance running. Anyway, about 1:15 into the bike I had another gu and shifted down one or two gears to get my legs spinning more.

T2 was fairly uneventful, and my cheering squad had made it just in time to send me off in style. :) My legs didn't feel too great, of course, starting the run, but overall I was feeling decent. I had borrowed Christine's HRM again (I need to buy one!!) and used it a little bit. I decided to keep my HR in the 150's for the first 3 miles and then slowly ramp up after that. This plan worked pretty well, since I needed some rest at the start but had enough juice to push myself toward the end. I stopped to walk and drink some water twice, but probably walked less than 30 seconds each time. On the way out I kept my mind occupied by counting the number of women ahead of me. I came up with 25 at the turn-around, although 2 more passed me in the last 3 miles. Oh well. Running is not my strong point! The last mile is annoying because you wind around this park and are frustratingly close to the finish line the whole time. But, I finished faster than my goal at just under 2:51! Woohoo!!

Here are some stats (results from 2008 are in parentheses for comparison).
Swim: 28:15 (28:46)
T1: 1:10 (2:02)
Bike: 1:28:28, 20.2 mph! (1:31:56, 19.5 mph)
T2: 0:54 (1:04)
Run: 51:31, 8:18 pace - PR by almost 45 seconds! (55:07, 9:02 pace)
Total: 2:50:59 (2:58:58)
Place: 4/38! (12/38)

Avg. HR was 156 and peak was 174 (that's about 81% and 90% of my max, respectively).

Time to start obsessing

For those of you who know me, this will not come as a surprise, but the week before a triathlon I usually become pretty obsessive about spending every waking moment anticipating the race. How will I feel? Will my legs be ok in the bike to run transition? How will I pace myself? When should I wake up? When should I eat breakfast? How many gus should I bring? Will my clothes be comfortable? How many people will be in my wave? Are my bike tires ok? Will I be able to get out of my wetsuit quickly? How fast (slow?) will my run splits be? etc etc etc. It is ridiculous.

Luckily over the years I have figured out the answers to some of these questions, and for others, I have learned that I can't spend all week thinking about the race. For example, for Saturday's race (Loveland Lake to Lake) I just started obsessing now, which is an improvement over my first race when I spent almost 2 weeks fretting. Also, I am not nervous but really really excited, so that is a step in the right direction, too.

Well in honor of my tri-related OCD, here are my goals for the race. It is dangerous to set goals though because I don't like being disappointed. So I generally don't make them too high, then I can be happy if I meet them, or really happy if I beat them :)
1. Go faster than last year. I will be really happy with anything under 2:55.
Swim: I think I swam a 1:45/100 meters pace last year. Wow, that is pretty fast for me. I'll be happy just to do that again, even though I feel faster this year because of all the masters swimming. Add a couple of minutes for the run from the beach.
Bike: My goal last year was 20 mph and I did 19.5. So why not go for 20 mph again? I can do it!
Run: Last year I did not run well, and I mostly blame this on sleep deprivation, stress, and general fatigue leading up to the race. So this year I am getting 8 hours of sleep every night this week! In 2006 I ran an 8:25 pace. I should be able to do that, I have been running A LOT more this year than ever before!
So total this would take about 2:54. Last year was 2:59. Whew! :)

2. Qualify for age group nationals. This is totally out of my control because I can only go as fast as I can, and then the rest depends on who else shows up. But it would be nice :)

3. HAVE FUN! Smile.

route for 6/21 group ride

I've changed the ride because of road work and dirt roads on the original routes. Now we'll ride north of Ft Collins. The roads are really nice, I was out there last weekend. The longer loop will look a lot like the one below except we will go north via Terry Lake Road. You can make the ride shorter by cutting off the part of the loop north of highway 1. So two possible lengths are about 26 and 42 miles. Hope to see you there! :)






Both leave from Peloton Cycles at noon.

Fundraising progress report

I am excited to report some totals for my fundraising for the Faith Alive clinic!
$150: from selling African cookbooks earlier this year ($10 if you want one!)
$90: donations reported to me so far from Global Strategies
$183: donations to be sent to Global Strategies
=====
$423 .... wow! About 20% of the way there! Yay! Thank you so much for your donations!

Weeks 20 & 21 and May's Useless Numbers

Well the last two weeks have been busy since I've been working a bit on the fundraising and my plate at work has been full, too. But I've had some really great work outs, too. Two weekends ago I did my first brick of the year. The goal was to keep the pace relatively easy the first half of the bike and run, and then do the second half faster. I biked about 27 miles and then ran a 5K in 28:30. My legs were not happy with me since Chris and I had hiked almost to the top of a 13,800 ft mountain the day before! I was happy with this workout and it got me really excited for the Loveland Lake to Lake in a few weeks!

This past weekend, Chris and I rode 67 miles. It was an excellent ride, basically an extension of my favorite local ride, which is to Carter Lake and back via Horsetooth. And the weather was amazing! It was the first ride this year when I didn't have to bring extra clothing. My legs didn't feel too great starting out but I actually kept up with Chris much more than usual on the climbs. Happy day! I even pushed him on my least favorite hill, somehow I just got in the zone and was able to keep up a good pace, until the very end when he came around me but I still managed to stay on his wheel. Sooo ... maybe I am getting some climbing legs? Also this was my first 50+ mile ride where afterward I did not think, "Holy crap, registering for that half-ironman was the biggest mistake of my life." Haha, a good sign! :)

Well, here are the totals.

Week 20
Total: 14:10, 115 miles
Swimming: 2:15, 4700 m
Biking: 6.25 hours, 85.2 miles (including 13.1 mile TT, long=27 mile brick)
Running: 59 minutes, 6.2 miles
Hiking: 4:30 hours, 7 miles (yes, it was slow but hard! A route-finding, willow-fighting, snow-shoeing good time)

Week 21
Total: 12:33, 121.5 miles
Swimming: 3:15, 7750 meters (back to 3 days a week, finally!)
Biking: 6:05, 100.6 miles (woohoo over 100 miles! Long was 4:00, 67.5 miles, 16.8 mph average)
Run: 2:46, 16.15 miles (caught in rain: once; caught in hail: once. Long was 1:23, 7.5 miles, cut short by hail storm!)

And now, the much-anticipated summary of my May training. Note that I took an entire week off following the half marathon!
Biking: 355 miles, 24:37 hours (vs 263.75 miles in April and 182 miles in March) ... I do love to ride my bike
Running: 40.55 miles, 6:50 hrs (vs 56.5 in Apr and 49 miles in Mar) ... running 13 miles at once will do that to you
Swimming: 9.8 miles, 6:25 hrs (vs 8.44 in Apr and 12 miles in Mar) ... wow I swam a lot in March!

about the Faith Alive clinic

Some of you already know about Faith Alive but if you are coming to my blog from a link you saw, I wanted to provide some more explanation of the clinic. I feel a little inadequate in how I can describe it. I have never been there but my husband visited it in January of 2008. He came back very touched by the work of Dr. Chris, the founder of Faith Alive, and the other doctors, as well as by the stories of several patients who he interacted with.

The Faith Alive Hospital cares for about 500 patients a day and provides ongoing care for HIV/AIDS patients. Approximately 10,000 people are on the waiting list for life-saving drugs, which only cost $183 a year. As the name implies, Faith Alive is faith-based, but they does not discriminate in who they treat - currently they see about 50/50 Christians and Muslims. The clinic's services include counseling and prayer, home-based care, health and HIV awareness education, school sponsorships, job training, discipleship classes, micro-lending, transitional housing, a food bank, support groups, and satellite clinics, schools, and farms. Faith Alive is a free clinic that is truly doing life saving work. Most of the patients cannot afford medical care and their lives would be significantly shorter and more painful without treatment. And the holistic approach to health care not only extends people's lives but also improves their quality of life.

For more information, visit http://faithalivenigeria.org. Thank you so much for considering making a donation!

Group Ride Thursday June 4

I'm leading a group ride on Thursday from the Atmospheric Science department. It will be a no drop ride and all levels of riders (and types of bikes) are welcome. We'll meet up at 5:30 and go over the route and see where everyone is as far as expected speed goes and then head off. I expect the ride to break up if a decent number of people show up but no one will get left behind.

Also I'm doing this to help with my fundraising for the Faith Alive medical clinic in Nigeria. Please consider making a donation for the ride, but please don't let that stop you from coming. Hopefully it will be a beautiful day and a great ride :).

I put two route options on mapmyride.com. They are on my profile at http://www.mapmyride.com/user_profile?u=284124354910322849. (The Lindenmeier route can be made about 2.5 miles shorter by staying on CO-1 until you get to 287, turning left, and then turning right onto Willox from 287.) I hope you can come!

Hard swim workout: 2700 meters

Last night's swim was pretty hard so I thought I'd share the love :) The hard part is the longer sets because they are done with a bit of intensity. Allow some recovery time (30-60 sec) after the sets of 25.
Warm up: 300 swim, 50 kick, 150 pull
300 swim, 100 kick, 100 stroke (non-free), 50 drill (total 1050 m)
Main: 400 free build (get a little faster each lap, ugh!)
2x25 (your worst stroke)
300 free as 50 fast/50 slow
4x25 free (:45)
200 IM
6x25 (your best stroke) :45
100 fast!!!!! (I managed 1:30)
8x25 kick: odds fast, evens easy (or all slow if you kick like me)
(Total: 1500)
Cool down: 150 easy choice

Stupid daydreaming

Pretty much the biggest distraction in my work day is when I start daydreaming about racing. For example, today I am thinking about the Age Group National Championships in Tuscaloosa. The Lake to Lake triathlon I'm doing is a regional qualifier. If I finish in the top third of my age group, I'm qualified. I did the race in 2005 and finished 9/40, and last year finished 12/38 (even though my time was faster!), so I would have qualified both years. But I expect there to be more competition this year since the race is a regional championship. But I also should be faster with all of this distance training! Regardless, I don't see how I could do an Olympic faster than 2:50, and the people who win these races on a national level do it about 30 minutes faster than that. So I wouldn't even be going to Nationals to compete for a win, but it would still be kind of exciting. Plus it is close to home (Georgia) and maybe I could convince some friends or family to come cheer me on. That would make it worth the trip. ...sigh... Back to work!

And we're off! The fundraising 411.

If you've been reading this you know my second big goal for this half ironman (other than completing it!) is to raise some money for Faith Alive clinic in Jos, Nigeria. It is an amazing place run by an amazing man. Today I am excited to officially kick off my fundraising. Global Strategies is the hosting/founding organization for Faith Alive and will be handling the money. You can donate at: http://www.globalstrategies.org/donate.html and mark "Anna Harper" or "Faith Alive" in the comments section.

Small donations can go a long way in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS in Africa. That is why I’ve set a goal of raising $30 for each mile I race – or about $2100! Just imagine the difference that could make in people’s lives. How can you help?
- sponsor a mile of my race for $30 at http://www.globalstrategies.org/donate.html. Mark “Anna Harper” or “Faith Alive” in the comments section.
- attend the bike rides and/or cookout listed on my blog and make a small donation (check back to the blog for more details)
- help me with running one of the bike rides or the cook out (leave a comment for more details)
- consider making a smaller donation if $30 seems like too much – every bit helps!

I hope you will consider helping!

Weeks 18 & 19: Back to work!

Well I am a bit behind in my updates. I have been pretty excited about training the past few weeks (mostly about riding my bike) and have logged a good amount of miles and hours. Even better, I've had several very difficult work outs which I think will be very helpful - but have had ample time to rest between workouts too so I'm not feeling burnt out. So here are my summaries from the past two weeks:

Week 18: 14:34 hours, 165.6 miles!! By far my biggest week. Almost did 200 miles if you count the week as Sun-Sat (I do Mon-Sun).
Swimming: 2:20, 6175 meters
Biking: 10:31, 152.4 miles (woohoo! Longest was 5:11/75 mile ride. Also if you do Sun-Sat I rode 188 miles in those 7 days which is by far my biggest week in a very long time!)
Running: 1:46, 9.4 miles

Week 19: 8:02 hours, 68.4 miles. I skipped an easy swim and run in order to take some time off leading up to the Iron Horse road race (not sure if it mattered because I got schooled by both the women I was racing and the two 10,000+ ft. passes we rode over).
Swimming: 1:50, 4900 meters
Biking: 4:06, 53.5 miles (RR was 47 miles in 3:36)
Running: 1:56, 11.85 miles (long was 7.1 miles. Hard run on Monday with some half-mile repeats at 7:30 pace)

Now that I have some bike racing out of my system, my goal is to be more balanced in my training and stick to the plan a little more! :)

Annoyed

What is up with Active.com? They are becoming like ticketmaster - if you want to register for an event you basically have no choice (and I will say it is extremely convenient). But then you always have to pay their fees which is one annoyance.
Now I am concerned because they hit me with a $9.95 charge for some upgraded membership I didn't ask for. So I asked if they could not do that, and they said, "Sure, sorry for the inconvenience!" But instead they canceled my entire membership and now I can't access my training plan or training logs from the last 5 months!!!! Argh, get it together active!!!

Wed. Lees Ride - ouch

I finally made it out for a group ride - the Lees (team?) ride that leaves from the south store on Wed's at 5:30 (info). I needed some practice riding next to people (instead of by myself like I've been doing) and figured the pace would be a little higher than I'm comfortable with. Well I was right! It was a good challenge, aided by winds that were sustained in the 20's and 30's and gusting to the high 30's.

A few miles into it I ran over a piece of wood and immediately heard a "thunk thunk thunk" on my front wheel. Worried about a flat, I stopped, but luckily it was just my computer magnet. So I readjusted it and set off. The only other woman on the ride, Tanya (I think), had stopped with me, which was really nice of her. She rides for Lipsmackers, a women's pro team. So now we had to catch a group of about 10 guys riding fast with a tailwind. It took about 10 minutes but we did it, although I wasn't much help. Tanya probably could have had a conversation but I was huffing and puffing the whole way.

Things slowed down a bit for a few miles as we wound through Loveland and then we turned into the wind. The pace picked up and I think people were attacking. As usual I found myself at the back - I don't feel like I can go fast enough to stick in the middle of an accelerating group of testosterone. Eventually we went up a little hill and I decided I'd had enough and popped off the back. I was immediately frustrated by this decision - why can't I push myself just a little harder?? So often when I lose a wheel I immediately let my mental game get in the way. Anyway, I was pooped and didn't want to go hard anymore - even though now I was riding into a headwind by myself.

At this point we were on Glade Road near Masonville. I tried to keep my pace up and kept an even distance between myself and two guys who had popped off the back too. But never caught them - too bad, some drafting would have been helpful!! Anyway, then came the hills around Horsetooth and I went as hard as I could (not to say that is very fast). There was a lot of cursing at myself as I did this. Good times. Finally made it to the last hill and my left calf was on the verge of a serious cramp. I told it to buck up and stay with me. I seem to talk to myself a lot when I'm suffering. Then I decided to go up Maniac - actually had to stop in a pseudo-track stand 2/3 of the way up to catch my breath - I was completely out of gas. But then pushed it the rest of the way up and then it was downhill from there!

SO it was a hard ride for me but definitely good too. It ended up being 38.4 miles and I averaged 17.8 mph. Hey not too shabby considering all the hills and wind!

Weeks 16 & 17: taper, rest, and fundraising

I think my taper was pretty effective for the half. Thanks to Gale Bernhardt for a great training plan! The week before the half marathon, I:
swam 1:00 and commuted on Tuesday;
commuted and did an easy 30 minute run Wed.;
rode an easy 15 miles on Saturday.

This week, I decided it was my last chance to be a bum until after the half ironman. So I did minimal training and tried to get a lot of sleep. Unfortunately the week was kind of busy but I still enjoyed the extra rest. The only training to speak of was today, I went for a 35 mile ride up Rist (not easy!).

Next week I get back into it! I am getting anxious about managing my time this summer. I have a few weeks planned with 13-14 hours of training, and they happen to fall around when I am thinking of taking my prelims. :( I guess I might need to rearrange some workouts if that is the case. Time management will be very important!

Also I have written a letter for fundraising to go along with the half ironman. My goal is to raise $30 per mile for Faith Alive AIDS clinic or Global Strategies for HIV/AIDS Prevention. Both are worthy causes but the latter might be easier to set something set up with. I've sent an email to some one at Global Strategies so hopefully I hear back soon! There will be more on this soon.

My first half marathon - the Colorado Half

Here are some stats from the half this morning. I'll write more later (we are having some friends over for breakfast soon), but thought it was cool that I could break down the miles like this (I borrowed my friend, Christine's, HRM and think it's pretty snazzy!). Overall the race went well!
average HR 157
9:42/ 161
9:51/166
9:37/155
9:47/150
8:41/148
9:35/148 (plus one minute pee break!)
8:20/151
8:45/155
8:52/157
8:44/158
8:57/159
8:28/163
8:28/165
Total: 158:45 (not including the pee break)
:) I am extremely happy with that. I figured I'd do 9-10 minute miles and breaking 2 hours was my "if only I could go faster" goal.

More useless numbers! April version

Well I did a few more long rides this month and finally got my running numbers up a bit :). On the flip side, I probably only swam about once a week. Oops ...

Biking: 263.75 miles, 18:27 hours (vs 182 miles, 13:37 hrs in March!) :)
Running: 56.5 miles, 10:40 hrs (vs 49 miles, 9:42) :)
Swimming: 8.44 miles (13,580m), 5:20 hrs (vs 12 miles, 7:45 in March) :(

Nutrition and Weight

I am annoyed with myself for a few reasons.
1. I feel like I have been gaining weight the past few weeks even though I've been training a lot. I want to be somewhere between 125-130 but am creeping closer to 135. :(
2. Does this really matter? I'm not doing tri's to win. Maybe it's muscle? I know I'm in better shape than I've been in for a while (maybe ever?). Shouldn't that be the most important thing? My body weight is healthy so what's the big deal?

It's just that nagging feeling that I hate not looking like a triathlete. But maybe I do look like one and am just being hyper-critical. And what does a triathlete look like anyway. Are we talking real people triathletes or professional triathletes?
Argh. It's annoying. I want to not care but I can't help it! And, I'm not very good at watching what I eat. I like food. I feel like the majority of what I eat is healthy.

Ok, so here is my plan.
1. I am going to keep a food journal, this is supposed to be a good tool for figuring out where I can improve my eating habits.
2. 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day
3. I talked to my doctor today and she said I should be getting about 1200 mg of calcium a day. That is 120% of the daily value. So more low-fat dairy or other calcium sources.
4. I HATE doing core work, I think it's so boring, but I am going to do it more often (meaning I am going to do it at all, starting with about 5 days a week for about 10 minutes). This will help me feel better about myself AND having a strong core is really important anyway!

I have some other ideas for what would make a good daily diet but this is enough whining for now. If you are reading this and have some thoughts on weight and nutrition for triathletes, I'd love to hear them!

Week Fifteen - Wearing Down

I am ready for a break! This was my second week in a row with 100+ miles. Also my first week this year (I think) with 100+ miles on the bike, although I cheated and switched in a bike for a run on Sunday. Luckily I will be doing a semi-taper this week to get ready for the half marathon next weekend. I don't know what else to say, so here are the numbers.

Totals:
10:43, 112.5 miles
Swimming: 1:00, 2750 meters
Biking: 7:15, 103 miles (long 2:54, 46.5 miles)
Running: 2:29, 13 miles (long 1:07, 6.25 miles)

Week Fourteen - HUGE!

Last week was a big one - I successfully completed the 70 mile ride below and ran about 10.25 miles on Sunday - my two longest workouts yet! Actually, I am pretty sure I have NEVER ridden 70 miles by myself. I completely bonked at the end of the ride. It was 10 miles downhill to Colorado Springs at the end and I got hit with a 20+ mph headwind that destroyed me. I was out of the saddle going DOWNHILL and only managing 12 mph. I stopped at a gas station to refill on water and take a break. I was sitting on the sidewalk outside the convenience store and this woman walks by and says, "You really pushed it today, didn't you?" And I managed to say yes, and then she said, "I can tell. Well, at least you're doing something you enjoy!" At first I was like, "Yeah, right" but then realized that yes, I do enjoy this! So I headed back out and was pretty proud of myself when I made it back to my car. My average speed was 16.8 mph before the bonk, and was somewhere in the high 14's by the end of the ride. It took me 4:45.

Anywho, here are my totals from the week:
102.25 miles! My first 'centennial' week :) 11 hours
Swimming: 1:30, 3800 meters
Biking: 5:25, 76.25 miles
Running: 4:06, 23.1 miles (that's the most I've ever run in a week!!!) (long=10.25 miles, 1:50)

Colorado Springs - Penrose Ride

Tomorrow I'm hoping to ride 70 miles to Penrose (near Pueblo)! It will be my longest ride of the year by about 20 miles. According to a book I checked out of the library (Road Biking Colorado - the statewide guide, by Michael Seeberg), I think the total elevation gain will be 4000 feet. I wanted to do some mountain riding but up there it is going to be in the 30's with 50% chance of rain/snow. Down here it should be in the 50's and only 20% chance of rain. Wish me luck!!

decisions

I figured once I got back from Colorado Springs I would sign up with a coach in Ft Collins and/or join a tri team. Being on a team has a lot of benefits (fun and motivation probably being the biggest two to me), but it is also kind of crappy to have to create my schedule based on a team schedule. Since my schedule as a grad student is relatively flexible, I prefer to be home in the evenings when possible so I can hang out with Chris. Problem is, one or both of us have commitments every night except Thursday, so that limits how much time we can spend together.

No matter what I decide, I really like the idea of working from 7-3:30 Mon-Thursday, and from 1-5 on Friday (I volunteer at a house for youth on Friday mornings). What I like about this is - I have about 2 hours after work during which the weather should be nice and Chris won't be home yet. So it doesn't interfere with our time together. Also being at the office early while it's quiet is kind of nice if I can wake up.

I have come to really enjoy swimming with a Masters group (I've been swimming at the Ft Collins Club). It is way more entertaining than swimming by myself, and I miss very few swims since I know I am paying for each one! So I want Masters at least once a week. Also the thing that Chris does on Wed. night is softball, and I can play too if I want (or have any extra energy after training 10-14 hrs a week??).

Another amazing thing is the two-a-day. I think I can realistically fit 9 workouts into 5-6 days of training. So I will always have at least one day off :) A good thing to do on one of those days off would be yoga ... since I have given up on strength training. I will look into that. In the mean time I have some decisions to make. I will "test drive" the 7-3:30 schedule next week (supposed to be a 12-13 hr week) and see how it goes before making any commitments.

Week Thirteen - This is hard!

Two big workouts this week really wiped me out! The run I talked about below and a 35 mile bike ride with a decent amount of climbing. Just to keep in mind, here is how my week progressed:
Monday ride 2-1/2 hours, waste the rest of the night daydreaming about my bike and penalize myself with all work and no training on Tuesday
Wednesday run 95 minutes (9.3 miles) - hardest run yet
Thursday planned 4x6 LT's on the bike but my legs couldn't go hard for 6 minutes, so I did 2 10 minute intervals with 1 minute fast, 1 minute rest and 30 sec on/30 sec off the second time. Was able to do 1 6 minute hard interval at the end but then was wiped out.
Friday "easy" 30 minute run - my blister got worse and my shins/calves hurt really bad.
Saturday 50 minute swim wiped me out
Sunday I am pooped, too much work, too much intensity in training, and not enough sleep this week!!

Anywho, the totals:
6:03, 60 miles
Swim: 50 minutes, 2050 m
Bike: 3:10, 47 miles
Run: 2:05, 12.3 miles

Next week I have two more big workouts I will focus on. Thursday I will be done teaching and if the weather is nice I want to go on a 50-70 bike ride. Pray for good weather!!

Ouch!

I just got done with one of my hardest runs ever. It was a long (90 minute) run, but with some intensity mixed in (tried to get my heart rate up into zone 3-4 for 20 minutes throughout the run). Usually when I do my long run it is a very relaxed pace, so this was a big challenge!

My legs felt bad the first couple of miles. Mainly my calves and hamstrings felt kind of tight. They eventually loosened up though and for the rest of the run felt really good. Surprisingly good, really. I even blew by a guy at one point, I am not used to passing people when I run!! The only bad thing is I got a huge blister on one of my toes. I have pretty blister-prone feet, but not usually on this toe. It is probably about half the size of my toe and to prove it I took a lovely picture that you can see at the end of this post :) Haha. I am also sure I will be sore from this run, my muscles are already feeling a little tender.

But overall I'm psyched about the run. It was a little under 9 miles and I ran it in 1:23, so about a 9:25 pace. Plus I walked a few times so I must have been running faster than that. It was also a decently hilly course. I think it was 8.8 miles - 45 minutes out and 38 minutes back. Wow that is an 8:37 pace on the way back :) Sweet! Oh yeah I had a gel after about 50-55 minutes. I think it helped my energy level but my stomach was not super excited.

Here is my awesome picture: Actually I think it deserves two:



Oh yeah, now I am going out to dinner because I want to eat a lot of food and think I have earned a good meal! :)

Week Twelve - Yatai!

OK, Don't know what I actually said in my title but I am trying to say "I did it!" in Japanese, after Hiro, in Heroes, you know the best show on tv right now :). So my biggest accomplishment last week wasn't any particular huge workout but the fact that, on top of working 60+ hours, I completed all of my training goals for the week. So what if it was a rest week, this is still an accomplishment.

Totals: 5:46, 46 miles
Swimming: 1:45, 4750 meters
Biking: 2:35, 38 miles
Running: 1:23, 8.1 miles
plus
leisurely hike around Garden of the Gods: 1 to 2 hours, probably about 3-4 miles.

I need to get in a few more hours of training this week so wish me luck! It's also the last full week of teaching.

March Madness

Here are my 'stats' from March.
cycling - 182 miles, 13:37 hours
running - 49 miles, 9:42
swimming - 12 miles, 7:45
walking - 10.75 miles, 3:30

Good to see that my swimming and running time and distance both went up (from 10.5 miles and 28 miles, respectively) during Feb. I am overall happy with this. :) Woohoo!

Planning ....

I want to make a list of the workouts I want to do next week. Writing them in my calendar seems too final, I know things will change and I don't want to feel stuck. So if I just have a list, I can pick and chose the ones that work with my schedule.

First, here are the workouts I should do according to my plan:
Swim (45 minutes, 1:00)
Strength (1:15)
Run (30 minutes, 45 (w/ intensity) )
Bike (45 minutes, 45 minutes)

Plus last week I missed a 1:15 easy bike (among other things, but that is one I want to make up).

GOALS: 1:45 of swimming, 1:15 of running, and 2:45 of biking. OK, that is not too bad, hopefully I can do more :). Also I will have the weekend to get some exercise in, weather permitting!

Week Eleven - Eh

So like I said in my last post, time has been short lately. And over the weekend I was moderately committed to getting my workouts in - because I really wanted to spend time with Chris! I really missed him last week, so leaving him for a swim just didn't seem appealing when we only had two days together. But overall I am happy with what I got done last week. Also, I think this week will be a little less work, but is supposed to be a rest week, so I can hopefully make up some workouts.

Total: 7:33, 51.48 miles
Swimming: Nope
Cycling: 1:53, 28.3 miles (masonville, sweet :)
Running: 2:13, 12.43 miles (long was 6.33 miles in 1:11)
Strength: I think I've given up on that ...
Walking: 3:30, 10.75 miles (with Chris on Saturday)

No Time to Train!!

This week I have been working a lot, about 10-12 hours a day, and haven't had much time for training. I did run twice, and both runs were really nice. There are some cool routes from Colorado College, where I am teaching for the next few weeks. I ran a little over 6 miles the other day on a route that could be 10 miles, so I am hoping to be able to do the whole things some time while I'm here. Actually it goes by Garden of the Gods, so I could probably run forever if I wanted (or could). :)

But it got snowy at the end of the week, so I had to stay holed up in my apartment the last few days. There is a pool here but the hours are really inconvenient, so my chances of swimming much are pretty slim. My goal for the weekend, while I'm home in Fort Collins, is to swim twice and bike once. Another run would be really good, too. We'll see how that goes.

Week Ten - Rest and Work

Finally a rest week that I stuck to! It was my last week in Fort Collins before the teaching experience, so I focused more on hanging out with Chris and getting work done. I skipped some workouts but at least got in the key 'time trial' workouts for biking and running.

Totals: 5:48
Swimming: 45 minutes, 1750 meters
Biking: 3:45, 50.8 miles (5 mile TT (but not all out) in 15:11, about 1:20 faster than last time :)
Running: 1:10, 6.7 miles (3.1 mile TT in 26:30, an 8:33 pace)

Week Nine - A big one!

My birthday was Sunday of this week. I am 29! One more year in my age group ... although that doesn't mean much since I'm not really competitive. I can usually finish in the top half, so I will enjoy that one more year until I move into the even more fast age group of 30-34. I must say, one thing I really love about tris is the fact that not being particularly young doesn't seem to slow too many people down. So hopefully I have many many years of triathlons left!

Anywho, here are my totals from the week. Chris and I also went snowboarding Sat - probably my last trip of the year. Beautiful weather but crappy snow/ice!
Total: 10:17, 68.5 miles
Swimming: 3:10, 7825 m (long 1:15, 3375 m)
Biking: 4:15, 53 miles (long 2:30, 31 miles)
Running: 2:22, 10.6 miles (long 1:22, 7.5 miles)
Strength: 30 minutes

Colorado Half Marathon and Training Plans

Well I just registered for the Colorado Marathon (half). This will be my first half marathon and is pretty key for getting ready for the half ironman! I think the course is really nice, I did the 10K last year and liked it a lot. I also went ahead and purchased Gale Bernhardt's phase 2 of base training, which ends with a half marathon. Unfortunately the timing didn't work out as well as I had expected so I had to cut out the first two weeks of the plan. Also, I am not sure how well I will stick to it when I am working in Colorado Springs for 4 weeks. My goal when I go down there is to run and swim a lot, but biking can take up a lot of time and might have to get the ax, except on weekends. More on that later. Anywho, should be fun :)

Week Eight - More nice weather!

Well another week has come and gone. It was another unseasonably warm week in the Fort, but also super windy some days. I skipped weight-lifting this week, but at least I got in all of the aerobic workouts. I might have been a little overzealous and abandoned the base training heart rate zones a couple of times too - I rode over the dams on my 'long' ride and ran up Maxwell Hill the next day. Not easy but fun!

Total: 8:53, 54.5 miles
Swimming: 3:05, 7700 meters
Biking: 2:41, 36.5 miles (long 27 miles, ~1.5 hrs)
Running: 2:52, 13.3 miles (long 8 miles, 90 minutes)

Useless numbers from February

One of the things I really like about using a training plan from active.com is how easily you can track your workouts. And, you can see how much you do each month, which doesn't really serve much purpose but is kind of interesting to me.

Of course the thing I did the most was cycling - 15 hours and 194 miles.
Next was swimming - being committed to going to Masters has helped a lot - almost 7.5 hours and 16.9 km (10.5 miles of swimming, cool)
I ran 28 miles in a little over 5 hours (I'd like to see that number go up, seems like I've been able to maintain 10-12 miles per week in the past).

So total I trained for about 34 hours. That's an average of 8.5 hours a week, which I'm happy with, considering I also try to have a life outside of training ;)

Week Seven - Squeezing it In

Work and travel definitely took precedence last week and that is why I didn't do any strength training. I am starting to feel discouraged about the strength training, it makes my arms pretty tired, especially now that I am swimming 3 days a week. But the stretching and core part of it are pretty important, so I will try to at least keep that up. Also it is time to get back to some bike workouts, especially since it will be in the 70's this week!

Totals:
7:20, 42.65 miles
Swimming: 2:55, 6300 meters
Biking: 2:05, 26.75 miles (all commuting)
Running: 2:20, 12 miles (treadmill/interval workout was long but not very far)
Strength: NONE! Oops

Week Six - Still learning

I followed the planned workouts for rest last week, except that I snowboarded over the weekend. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that snowboarding is hard, and not necessarily a restful activity. AND, if I'm training for a half ironman, maybe it's ok to not ride so many moguls, trees and blacks. Maybe it's ok to spend more time sitting in the lodge. At one point yesterday, I was turning through some trees and stopped and my leg was shaking - I guess from exhaustion. Today, I am very sore - my upper right leg, shoulders, triceps, biceps. My swim this AM was really hard, even though it was a relatively short 2000 m. I am skipping a bike workout tomorrow and will hopefully be rested by the time I go to Masters swimming tomorrow night. What is the point of a rest week if I wear myself down over the weekend? :(

Total: 6:53, 28.5 miles
Swim: 1:00, 2200 meters
Bike: 1:35, 19.5 miles (all commuting)
Run: 1:18, 7.6 miles
Strength: yoga(1:15) + 45 minutes

Time off

I'm taking it easy this week and so far am greatly enjoying it. This is my week to sleep in and slack off. Yesterday morning, I woke up at 5:45 to go to the gym, went to the bathroom, and realized, 'This sucks, I'm going back to bed!' And so I did, for about an hour, and it was great! I still ran 45 minutes before work so I don't feel bad at all. And instead of Masters swimming last night, I went to a really nice yoga class. Aaah. :)

It's a good mental break, too, and a chance to catch up on sleep, work, and chores around the house. Of course, there's still not nearly enough time to get everything done! Anyway, some times it's important to do a workout, even if I don't really feel like it, but for a few more days I get a break from that.

Week Five - It's about the bike

Well this week I took a few days off during the week to make sure my legs were ready for riding in Moab. I didn't ride as much as I had hoped there, but it was definitely worth the trip. My Moab rides were kind of slow, but also very hilly and windy (3000+ ft climbing in 48 miles the first day and 2300+ ft in 31.5 miles the second day). Over the weekend I rode almost 6.5 hours. :) I wish I could ride all the time! Oh yeah, also my longest swim in a while was Tuesday - 3000 meters. Well, I am now definitely due for a rest week. I am also pretty behind on running, so in the next few weeks I will have to skip some cycling workouts in favor of running.

Here are the totals:
Total: 11:10, 93.5 miles
Swimming: 2:08, 5250 meters
Biking: 6:55, 85.75 miles (long 47.75)
Running: :47, 4.55 miles
Strength: 1:20

Moab base training!

I am pretty excited to be going to Moab this weekend with two of my great friends, Rachel and Michelle. We are going to have a great time. It's been ages since I've been on a roadtrip with just girls, and there is just something special about it. Plus Moab is a wonderful place and I love going there. I wish Chris could come, maybe it will still work out, but so far it looks like he has too much work to do.

The other nice thing about the trip is I will be bringing my road bike. I know, I will be sleeping right next to slickrock but not riding on it! But, it's better this way because my friends aren't mtn bikers, and I'm not really good enough to be mountain biking in Moab by myself. Plus it will make Chris feel less jealous. Plus, I can get in some super training!

I just looked up some routes from the Moab Skinny Tire Festival and Moab Century Tour. There is a loop into the La Sals I hope to do, it's about 75 miles with more than 4000 ft. of climbing. That will be killer for me but beautiful. I think it will be cold but hopefully no snow on the roads. So hopefully I can do that on Saturday, spend the rest of the day relaxing and recovering, and then ride another 40-60 miles on Sunday. I love the idea of devoting a couple of days to training, but getting to have fun with friends in the mean-time.

I'll have to not over-train leading up to this weekend, too, but still get in the important swimming and running workouts. Then next week, I promise, I will rest! Just because I love Moab so much, here is a picture of me on the Slickrock trail in 2007. I was scared to death at the time, but last year Chris and I returned and I rode the whole loop and only fell once in a stupid sandpit.

Week Four - Rest what?

So last week was supposed to be a rest week and I failed. It's hard to rest when the weather is so nice! I feel like I have to take advantage of it because surely it will get back to normal crappy winter sooner or later. I am due for a rest week - maybe next week because I have friends coming to town. Here's what I did last week:

Total: 10.05 hours, 73.5 miles! oops
Swimming: 1:20, 3175 meters
Biking: 4:27, 61.87 miles
Running: :44, 4 miles
Snowshoeing: 3:00, 5.6 miles (Lake Agnes - beautiful and challenging!)
Strength: 35 minutes

This week I was also supposed to do a bit of a time trail for each discipline. I didn't do the run since we went snowshoeing and my legs (and entire body/mind) were pretty tired after that. So I should probably do that at some point.

For the swim, I found out that my t1 pace is 1:35. I think this means I can swim 100 yards on a 1:35 interval for reasonable amount of time. This seems so slow to me in some ways, I don't know how people do 100's close to a minute. I have decent form swimming, I think, but am just not that fast.

For the bike, I rode 5.37 miles in 16:37 - about a 19.3 mph pace. This is nice because I was below my lactate threshold for this test (at least as far as I could tell since my HRM broke).

It's official! Boulder Long Course, here I come!

I registered for the half ironman in Boulder on Aug. 9 today!!! I know I want to do it, but hitting the "continue" button after filling in all my registration info was extremely nerve-wracking. What am I thinking? I've never run more than 10 miles before - and I want to run 13 after doing all that other stuff, too!? Well, I'm glad it's official now. The race was filling up so I wanted to make sure to get a spot.

In case you're unfamiliar, the race will be a 1.2 mile swim (1900+ meters), 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. Whew!

Week Three - Success!

Well this week I completed all of the scheduled workouts! I felt like that was a good accomplishment. Chris and I went snowboarding Sunday though and my legs were beat after just a few hours on some blacks at Winter Park. So I guess I definitely worked them this week!

Weekly totals:
7:20, 43.66 miles
Swimming: 2 hrs, 5325 meters
Biking: 2:10, 30.3 miles (long 1:10, 18.3 miles)
Running: 1:45, 10.05 miles (long 1:00, 5.65 miles)
Strength: 1:20

Week Two

The greatest thing about last week was the weather. I rode for almost 2 hours on Wednesday in shorts and short-sleeves! That wasn't even a scheduled workout but I couldn't resist the January beautifulness. I rode part-way up Rist and it was tough but magnificent. :) I also enjoyed a great hike up to Arthur's Rock on Monday with our friend from Georgia, Eric.

Weekly totals:
9 hrs, 59 miles
Swimming: 2 hours, 4550 meters
Biking: 3:21, 41.7 miles (long day - 2:36, 34.2 miles)
Running: 1:23, 7.85 miles (long day - :57, 5.45 miles)
Strength: :45
Hiking: 1:30, 3.5 miles

What do I need to work on? Actually doing the two days of strength training scheduled each week!

Week One

Week of Jan. 12-18 ...
I signed up for a 10 week training plan from Gale Bernhardt, a triathlon and cycling coach I know from when I worked at Peloton. Her credentials are many, including coaching the women's olympic triathlon team in Athens in 2004. She's also a nice, encouraging person, from my interactions with her at the bike shop. Plus, her plans (found here) are affordable - $35 each - and she knows the importance of building a strong aerobic base. You get a full plan and the ability to move workouts around to fit your schedule. I'm doing an 8 week plan after this one that ends with a half marathon - and coincides perfectly with the Fort Collins Half Marathon I'm planning on doing in May. So, it's an excellent fit.

I also signed up for Masters swimming at the Fort Collins Club. I plan on going on Tuesdays and Thursdays (6-7 PM) for the next couple of months. As the weather warms and the prospect of group workouts outside becomes more appealing, I am also thinking of joining Team Trifecta, which is coached/led by Wendy Mader. I wish I had more money to devote to racing, but for now I am trying to get the most of what money I (& my husband, who earns the majority of our household income!) am willing to spend.

Anywho, last week totals:
5:43, 39.78 miles
Swimming: 2 hours, 4900 meters
Biking : 2:10 , 30.5 miles (my commuting miles are usually pretty slow)
Running : 1:03 , 6.2 miles
Strength: :30
And two days of snowboarding! :)

The beginning ...

Well this week I started my base training. It's been a little hard since I haven't really been working out on a regular basis for about a month (!!). I've been tired a lot, especially at night and in the morning. It also doesn't help that last weekend wasn't exactly relaxing - my husband and I spent several hours doing fence repairs in our yard.

This morning I meant to go for an hour run, but when my alarm went off at 6 AM it was pitch black and my throat hurt, so I went back to sleep. It turns out it was really foggy, so maybe it's better I wasn't running in the dark. Anyways, I'm hoping I can get better at the early morning wake up calls, but I'm trying to be forgiving of myself as I ease into it this week.

I'm still trying to figure out a coaching situation - if I even want one. It just seems like a lot of money, even though I know it will help me improve. And not sure which races I want to do, either. Once I figure that out for sure I'll post it on here.

The "It's been a while" swim

Last Sunday I swam 2500 yards. It was probably only the 3rd time I've swam in the last couple of months, so it was kind of rough, but a good workout. Here's what I did:

200 choice
8x50 with 25 drill/25 swim and 10 seconds rest

10x100 mainly free on 1:50. Every 3rd 100 was pull/kick/pull (#3/6/9) with 10 seconds rest.
12x50 as 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free on 10 seconds rest.

300 cool down

It took about 55-60 minutes.