Tri Training Tuesday: week 7

The past week has been a bit rough. I'm a tiny bit injured & trying not to make things worse, so there hasn't been much running going on.



Saw this on Facebook yesterday and felt it was appropriate to how I'm feeling about this whole triathlon thing.

Here's how the week played out.

Monday 7/8 - STRENGTH with NROLFW A6 then walked for 3/4 of a mile.

Tuesday 7/9 - RUN 3 miles in 30 min (10 m/m pace) and later in the day SWIM 30 min (backyard pool)

Wednesday 7/10 - BIKE/RUN brick: 11.2 miles on the bike (45 min/15 mph) then 1/2 mile run (10 m/m pace). Later in the day STRENGTH with NROLFW B6

Thursday 7/11 - I was completely burned out and having meltdowns on Wednesday, so I took a rest day and spend the day reading and floating in the pool.

Friday 7/12 - Saw the sports chiro and he benched me from running.  My heel and achilles are pretty messed up. Turns out my body is burning out too.  He said I could bike easy and swim.  BIKE 10.5 miles in 45 min (14.1 mph).

Saturday 7/13 - BIKE 10.6 mph in 44 min (14.4 mph) then a little later in the morning SWIM 1/2 mile in 20 min in the lake.  Not really a brick because they were spread out.

Sunday 7/14 - SWIM/BIKE brick - went back to Saturday's lake and did 6 laps SWIM for about 3/4 of a mile (1200 yards or so) in 30 min then tried to BIKE around the area but freaked myself out about getting lost and only went 5.4 very slow miles in 23 min (13.9 mph).  Was extremely pissed and disappointed in myself, so when I got home, I did another BIKE ride of 6 miles on the trail in 22 min (16 mph).  I still feel like I'll never be a "real" cyclist.  I just get too nervous and scared about biking on the roads and my speed is too slow even with my road bike to keep up with group rides.  It is what it is, I guess.

This coming Saturday is Tri Del Sol race day.  The weather looks pretty close to perfect and might even be cold in the morning (I'm worried about being cold on the bike after getting out of the water and biking soaking wet).  That happened in the tri last year and in 15 miles my feet never warmed up.  Maybe if they're frozen, my planar fasciitis won't hurt?? #wishfulthinking

Tri Training Tuesday: Weeks 5 and 6

Since I had to talk about my awesome 10k last week, I got a week behind on my training posts.  Hope you didn't mind :)

Here's the last 2 weeks.

Monday 6/24 - RUN 4.1 in 42:40 (10:24 pace) - completely BAKED outside on this lunch run.  Then went into the gym and did STRENGTH - NROLFW workout A.
Tuesday 6/25 - BIKE/RUN brick - It was storming so I did a 50 min spin class and then just 1 mile RUN on the treadmill, but that mile was at a 9:20 pace :)
Wednesday 6/26 - STRENGTH - NROLFW workout B, then SWIM about 15 min in the pool for 500 yds.
Thursday 6/27 - RUN 3.2 in 32:15 (10:04 pace) Another steamy one.
Friday 6/28 - BIKE/RUN brick - just a baby brick, 7.45 mile bike in 28:33 (15.7 mph) and a .5 mile run in my new shoes at a 9:07 pace.
Saturday 6/29 - RUN - Reeds Lake Run 10k and a killer new PR!!! Ran my first sub-60 and finished in 58:50 (9:29 pace).
Sunday 6/30 - SWIM/BIKE brick - swam for 20 minutes in my girlfriend's pool and then she took me out for a very hilly ride on real roads. 13.12 miles in 53:47 (14.6 mph).  This ride kicked my already shredded legs collective ass.

Monday 7/1 - I was really sore from the weekend and just did NROLFW workout A. This week it upped to 3 sets and I even upped my weights a bit more.
Tuesday 7/2 - RUN double.  3.1 miles in the morning in 32:38 (10:21 pace) then 2 miles in the evening with my girl in 21:25 (10:42 pace)
Wednesday 7/3 - BIKE Upright spin bike at the gym, 20 miles in an hour.  For the record, I don't think that's accurate at all.  STRENGTH Lifted for 25 minutes.
Thursday 7/4 - Wanted a preview of the Tri Del Sol bike route, so I biked it, but I missed a turn and added 6 miles to the route.  BIKE 20.75 miles in 1:31:11 (13.7 mph).  Then RUN 1 mile in 9:55.
Friday 7/5 - SWIM did a 20 minute open water swim.  It went ok.
Saturday 7/6 - RUN 10.11 miles in 1:51:42 (11:02 pace).  HOT HOT HOT run. I downed over 50 oz of water and still felt like it wasn't enough.
Sunday 7/8 - Trifecta! Brick in the morning: BIKE 14.5 miles in 58 min (15 mph) followed by RUN 2 miles in 19:21 (9:40 pace). Then before dinner: SWIM 20 minutes at my friend's pool so I have no clue on distance.

I'm going to start freaking a little bit that Tri Del Sol is now less than 2 weeks away. I feel much less prepared than I did for my first tri last year but the last few brick workouts have been pretty good and I'm becoming more comfortable on my bike and in the water.

Tri Training Tuesday: Week 4, the one where I kicked my own ass

I won't lie...last week was really hard.  I struggled mentally and physically, but I made it through the week with only some sore muscles and maybe a new perspective on double workouts.  Here's how the week played out:

Monday 6/17: RUN and STRENGTH.  I ran to and from the gym for 2.8 miles in 28 minutes (total - 1.4 miles each way) and while I was at the gym completed workout A3 from NROLFW.  I upped the weights this week and didn't die, so I'll call it a win.  
Tuesday 6/18: Triple workout day.  Oh.My.Werd. RUN 3.2 in 33:56 (10:36 pace) in the morning.  SWIM 20 minutes in a LAKE in the afternoon.  Then RUN 4.5 miles in 45:35 (10:02 pace) at the Grand Rapids Marathon Beerrun.  I was extremely proud of myself for nailing these workouts.
Wednesday 6/19: NOTHING - I took the day off. 
Thursday 6/20: BIKE 14.2 miles in 58 minutes (about 14 mph) in the morning then a RUN of 4.2 miles in 42:26 (10:06 pace) at lunch time.  Loved the convo and running with a friend but was reminded why I never run at lunch time.  Holy HOT.  And then I might have eaten 1/2 a bag of tortilla chips on the way home from the store. Don't judge.
Friday 6/21: NROLFW 3B - Mentally, this day was really tough for me to the point of sitting in the parking lot at the gym for the longest time before I'd even go in.  I didn't want to work out but I sucked it up and did it anyway.
Saturday 6/22: RUN 9.34 miles in 1:38:24 (10:32 pace).  This was my virtual 15k for the We Get LOST in Running Race Series.  It was so humid that I was praying for rain to dry me off.  All I got was a dude's sprinklers for about 3 steps.  This run was hard, I ran out of water, and it overall sucked and hurt but I stuck with it.  In all likelihood, my relay and half marathon in August will be worse than today, so I might as well get used to it.
Sunday 6/23: I mowed the lawn. Calling it good.


How was your training this week?  Any fun races this past weekend?

Tri Training Tuesday: Week 3: #vlog #triathlon

Anyway...here was how the week panned out from a training standpoint:

Monday 6/10: RUN a most incredible 5 miles in 46:34 (9:18 pace) with Corey in the morning and then NROLFW workout A2 in the afternoon.
Tuesday 6/11: SWIM 1200 yards in 36 min - Couldn't managed to swim freestyle the whole time like I'd wanted so ended up doing 300 free/100 back three times.  Also tried to drown by inhaling water up my nose, going under and flooding my goggles, all while doing the back stroke.  I should also note this was in the pool with a deep end and I couldn't touch bottom.  It was definitely one of my finer moments. Go ahead. Laugh. It's ok.  I live to amuse.
Wednesday 6/12: BIKE - the one where I fell down.  Only  made it 1.5 miles before I wiped out and then had to bike 1.5 miles home.  It wasn't a good day.  My scrape has crusted over very nicely  now and the bruise on my elbow is quite colorful.

Thursday 6/13: RUN 3.2 miles in 31 minutes (9:44 pace).  I was very stiff from Wednesday's fall and wasn't sure how this would go, so I just left a watch on the porch and took off.  No music, just me and the wildlife.  It actually turned into a pretty decent run, in spite of the sore areas and God-awful humidity.
Friday 6/14: NROLFW 2B - I was supposed to do this on Thursday along with the run but my forearm, hand and wrist were entirely too sore to try lifting weights, so I scrapped the planned rest or swim and did the strength workout I missed on Thursday.  Didn't go nuts this time but still used the same weights as last week.
Saturday 6/15: RUN 8.1 miles in 1:26:28 (10:40 pace).  This just felt all sorts of wrong the entire time. Had to refill my water at the 1/2 way mark, never felt like I got into a groove. It was just a really crappy run.
Sunday 6/16: BIKE 10.5 miles in 43 minutes (14.6 mph) - My plan called for a 1 hour ride but I'm just not comfortable going out onto roads yet so I stuck to the trail. I was feeling really negative when I left and wasn't any better when I got back, but at least I didn't fall.  

Vlogs? yes, no, want more, don't care?  I hope I wasn't too annoying.  Ever notice things about your speech when you record one?  I know I do.

Tri Training Tuesday: week 2

I think I'm starting to get into the swing of training again - but I'm paying for going a bit overboard.  Mostly a number of muscle groups are a little pissed for jumping back in too quickly and still not being fully recovered.  It'll get better though.  Here's how the week looked:

Monday 6/3: SWIM 1000 yds in 27 min and NROLFW workout A1
Tuesday 6/4: RUN 4 miles in about 40 min - my Garmin wigged out so I'm not really sure what I did, only that this run was HARD.
Wednesday 6/5: Happy National Running Day! RUN 2 miles in 21:17 (my first "double" of relay training), BIKE (upright at gym) 6 miles in 17:22.  NROLFW workout B1
Thursday 6/6: nothing - so sore that I could barely move.
Friday 6/7: BIKE 11.7 miles in 51:44 then a short .6 mile run off the bike in 5:57
Saturday 6/8: RUN 6.2 miles in 1:03:36 (10:15 pace).  Finally feel like I'm getting my legs back!
Sunday 6/9: nothing

My hamstrings are still complaining a little but I'm starting to feel much better.  I had the most amazing run yesterday, too - can't wait to tell you all about it!

How's your training going?  Do you plan races in the summer or is this your "off" season?

Tri Training Tuesday

Since it seemed to work out to post my half marathon training here, I figured I'd start posting my training for Tri Del Sol now that all those crazy halfs are done (at least for a little while).

I have to admit - trying to come up with a training plan for a triathlon that is only about 7 weeks away, plus incorporate the NROLFW strength workouts, train for the 200 mile relay and keep up my mileage for the half I have at the end of August has been a colossal PITA.  I learned last night that I don't like to follow swimming with any other workout (unless I'm outside and just going to do a swim/bike brick) because getting dressed for a workout after a swim is dumb.  Do any of you have any idea how hard it is to put on a sports bra when you're all wet? And yes, I tried to dry off first.  I've reworked the plan a little to avoid this scenario.  I'm trying to get in at least a couple bike rides, a couple swims, 2 strength workouts and 3 runs each week. It's a lot.  I haven't even begun to figure out 2-a-day runs for the relay and I'm trying not to stress that the run days just say "run" - there's no speed work, tempos, intervals, etc.



As for last week's workouts....they were pretty minimal.  I can't believe DailyMile called them "epic" or something ridiculous like that.

Monday 5/27: nothing
Tuesday 5/28: nothing
Wednesday 5/29: 15 min abs workout
Thursday 5/30: nothing
Friday 5/31: BIKE 1.5 miles - maiden voyage clipped in and I didn't fall down.
Saturday 6/1: RUN 3.1 miles in 31:08 (9:56 pace) - pretty good run considering I still felt very tight/sore in my achilles and calves from last Saturday's half and it was 80bazilionty degrees outside.  Later in the day BIKE 7.8 miles in 31:15 (15 mph ave) - great ride but I was disappointed I wasn't faster overall.
Sunday 6/2: nothing

The workout log will get better.  I hope.  I'm open to any suggestions in that training plan.  Just hit me up in the comments.

Tri Tuesday: Week 14 The Finale

Today marks the last installment of training recaps for my first triatholon :)  The week was really pretty easy since it was a taper.

Monday 8/6/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed Swim 0:20 for about 600 yards.  The thought of only working out 2 days this week made me get in the pool for an easy swim.

Tuesday 8/7/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (0:30/0:10) - Completed Bike/Run Brick.  I biked 7 miles in 29 minutes and then ran an uber fast (for me) 9:46 mile for the Shrinking Jeans Virtual Olympics 4 x 4 mile relay (my team took GOLD - but I think we were the only ones who entered - LOL).  It felt so badass to know I still could crank out some speed for at least short distances.

Wednesday 8/8/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF

Thursday 8/9/12 - Scheduled Swim/Bike Brick (0:10/0:20) - Completed Swim/Bike Brick (0:12/0:23) I really pushed on the bike and finally got some speed back up there, averaging about 13.8 mph.

Friday 8/10/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF and packet pick up :)

Saturday 8/11/12 - Millennium Triathlon Day!!! I finished a 500m swim, 14.8 mile bike ride, and 5k run in 1:52:56.  You can read all about it here!

So, what did I learn from this little endeavor into the world of triathlons?

• I really do like swimming :)  My technique may not be the best, but I don't completely suck at it either.  I even think my swimming ability improved along with my endurance. Having specific workouts and drills really breaks up the boredom of just swimming laps.
• Biking is really scary at faster speeds but I LOVE my Trek Lexa.  I have friends who are REALLY fast on their bikes and the thought of going 25 mph on a regular basis, not just when zooming down hills, scares the crap out of me.  That being said, I don't plan on upgrading from the road bike I bought this year any time soon.  Now, maybe cycling shoes, new pedals, and a trainer from Santa for Christmas might be nice. (Granted this would also slow down my T2 time since I'd need to swap shoes, but I can work on that.)
• My running is still no where close to where it needs to be (or where it used to be).  I'm still having some achiness in my injury site that I think I just need to accept is going to be there unless I want to quit running completely, which I don't want to do.  The real test for my recovery will be to see how the shins behave as I ramp up my mileage and start doing speed work for the Wine and Dine Half in November.
• Triathletes are really nice people.  Even with all the jostling in the water, people were saying "sorry" when they hit you :)  A couple of ladies that I passed on the bike were super encouraging and then I returned the favor and kudos when they blew me away on the run.  Golden Rule certainly applies.
• Practicing your transitions is necessary.  I wouldn't have been nearly as fast in transition if I'd been worrying about where all my stuff was and what order to swap everything out.
• Biking and swimming are great for cross training.  I hope to keep them up as long as I can (which is why I need a trainer at some point because I'm not going back to riding those awful stationary bikes at the gym and will NEVER ride my bike in the snow).
• Stretching and foam rolling are still important.  I did neither all weekend, then did a decent 2 mile run on Monday and I'm paying for it today.  Ouch.
• ANYONE can TRI.  There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages at Saturday's race (and I got my ass handed to me by a ton of people older and bigger than me - so high 5s to them - they freaking ROCK!).  Plus, if I can do it, you can too!

There you have it, folks.  I'm now a triathlete and I fully plan to do more of these.  Hopefully my running improves enough that I feel comfortable registering for the September tri I have my eye on.  It's longer: 880m swim, 18 mile bike, 5 mile run and REALLY hilly.  Plus, it'll be a wetsuit swim for sure because the lake will have cooled way down  by then.  Apples to oranges in comparison to Millennium but I want to give it a shot.

Now I want some feedback from you.  Have you liked reading these recaps?  Should I keep them up for November's half or would you like to see a different type of post in their place?  Leave me some ideas in the comments, please.

Thanks for all the support the past 14 weeks, too :)  I wouldn't be able to stick with this and do what I do without your encouragement.  ((hugs)) and *kisses*

Tri Training: Week 13 The Home Stretch!

The 14 week tri-plan I've been following had 2 weeks of taper at the end, which seemed a bit silly for a sprint tri.  I decided to go "off plan" again this week and make up another peak week from training (so what I'm reporting is the week I repeated).  The week went well and I hit about 43 total miles.  It's no wonder I was tired by Sunday night!

Monday 7/30/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF.  After the previous weekend's long bricks - I needed this.

Tuesday 7/31/12 - Scheduled Run 0:30/Strength 0:30 - Completed Run 0:40/Strength 0:15. I switched things up because of the heat/humidity and headed to the gym to do a treadmill ladder workout.  It was challenging and left me in a puddle of sweat at the end.  I had about a .6 mile warm up/cool down (10 minutes) and then 2.8 miles of running during the ladder. I finished with a 15 minute abs workout.  I was toast.

Wednesday 8/1/12 - Scheduled Swim 0:30 - Completed Swim 0:37. Set a new distance record of 1200 meters (or yards, I'm never really sure how the pool is measured). 

Thursday 8/2/12 - Scheduled Bike 0:40/Strength 0:30 - Completed Bike 0:45/Strength 0:30. Rode 11 miles in 45 minutes.  I picked a very hilly, country road route to get used to streets again.  It kicked my ass.  Then I did a 30 minute abs workout that further turned me to goo.

Friday 8/3/12 -  Scheduled Swim/Bike Brick (0:20/1:00) swapped for Saturday due to scheduling - Completed Swim/Bike Brick (0:20/0:53).  The swim was fine - just basic laps in my friend's pool, but I was not feeling this ride.  I went 12.4 miles (about a full mph slower than the hill ride from Thursday) and this route was pretty flat.  It pissed me off that I was biking worse on an easier route.  I think I wasn't well hydrated and I had a migraine during the ride.  Not very confidence building for the last weekend before a race. 

Saturday 8/4/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF.  Needed to pick up the kids from band camp so my workout consisted of sitting in the car for 3 hours, sitting in a stadium watching marching band shows for 2 hours, and then crashing on the couch when we got home. 

Sunday 8/5/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (0:55/0:25) - Completed Bike/Run Brick but struggled. I biked 12.74 miles in 0:56 (13.5 mph average) on a slightly hillier course than Saturday.  I woke up early to get this done before church and before the major heat of the day, but I never felt like I got my groove.  It was very humid (85%) and around 75*.  I was surprised how much this affected me on the bike.  I also think I drank too much because I got done with my ride and I had to pee.  Ended up coming in, going to the bathroom, and then watching the top finisher's of the Olympic Women's Marathon.  You'd think watching these women run a full marathon in a much faster time than I can even run a half would motivate me, but it didn't.  The run sucked donkey dongs. 2.06 miles in 22:51 (11:05 pace).  I walked about a bazillion times and yelled at myself for every one.  I mean, seriously, it was ONLY 2 MILES but I couldn't pull it together.  Sucky way to end my week but it happens to the best of us.  Just wish it didn't happen so often to me. Dear God, can I please start loving to run again and feel like I'm getting back to my "old" self? Love, Me.

So, I'm officially into the home stretch. A couple easy brick workouts on the schedule, plus I'm throwing in some extra swimming and biking because that doesn't kill me and I really don't think I need to taper much for this.  Now, if I was doing an Olympic distance or more, you bet your ass I'd be tapering.  For this distance I don't think it's really necessary and neither do my "coaches".  Next week at this time, hopefully you'll be reading a race report :)

Thanks for all the love and comments - I'll definitely be channeling any mojo you can give me next weekend!

Tri Training Week 12 - Almost there!

Since my vacation cut into the biggest weeks of my training, I'm repeating the two peak weeks.  Overall, week 12 was a VERY good week - I hit 51 total miles and boy did I feel it by the end of the weekend.

Monday 7/23/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed Run 3.15 miles in 34:49. I needed this run - it was my first non-walking run of this distance since I got injured.

Tuesday 7/24/12 - Scheduled Swim 0:30/Strength 0:30 - Completed 1000 yd swim in 29 minutes and a very hard 30 min Nike Training Club workout (this app is awesome if you have an iPhone or iTouch).  The strength workout killed my hamstrings and they hurt all week.

Wednesday 7/25/12 - Scheduled Run 0:30 - Completed 3.15 mile run in 34:11. 

Thursday 7/26/12 - Scheduled Swim 0:30/Strength 0:30 - Completed Bike 10 miles in 44 minutes.  I hadn't been on my bike since before vacation and was itching to ride.

Friday 7/27/12 -  Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF

Saturday 7/28/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (1:05/0:20) - Completed a great Bike/Run Brick! I biked 15.19 miles in 1:05:22 (13.9 mph average) and then knocked out a 2 mile run in 21:03 (10:31 pace!).  I felt great through this whole workout.

Sunday 7/29/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (1:00/0:25) - Completed Bike/Run Brick but struggled a little. I biked 14.66 miles in 1:01:30 (14.3 mph average) on a hillier course than Saturday.  I also had a near-miss baby crash where I hit a curb and twisted my foot and ankle a bit getting my foot out of the cage (which I did before I tipped over).  The run after this was also a little hilly and mentally I was not into it.  I ran 2.21 miles in 25 minutes but I had a couple walk breaks and mentally just felt drained.  


Four runs this week, including back-to-back bricks, and nearly crashing on Sunday really knocked me for a loop.  It doesn't help that I haven't been sleeping well (for many reasons and none that I can really do anything about) and I'm starting to feel run down.  Yesterday I was more than willing to respect my rest day and not work out.  This coming week is going to be another hard training week with back-to-back bricks again but the workouts are shorter and one is a swim/bike brick.  


I'm getting excited for my tri, but also nervous.  I still know nothing about transition and I'm starting to stalk weather.com already (so far it looks warm but dry).  Any veteran triathletes have any advice for me?  One thing you wish you had known before your first tri?

Tri Training "Mid Cycle Taper" & vacation photos

Since I was on vacation last week, I'm combining weeks 10 and 11 of training today (and let's face it, the "training" while on vacation was minimal at best so it doesn't warrant it's own post).  Here's how it all played out:

Week 10 Build/Recovery
Monday 7/9/12: Planned Rest - Completed Rest
Tuesday 7/10/12: Planned Run 0:25/Strength 0:30 - Completed Run 0:35 min and about 3.4 miles. Stopped and took a break at the midpoint that wasn't included in the time, plus my app didn't record in right so the data is a total guess.  Not sure what happened with strength training, but I didn't do it.
Wednesday 7/11/12: Planned Swim 0:25 - Completed Swim at Lynn's Lake 0:29 minutes (the OCD in me is a little perturbed that I didn't keep swimming for another minute)
Thursday 7/12/12: Planned Bike 0:40 - Completed Nada.  I spent the morning cleaning house before I hit the road for vacation.  We'll call vacuuming "cross training".
Friday 7/13/12: Planned OFF - Completed many hours of walking around the memorials in DC. This was my favorite picture of the night and I'm not even sure which memorial it is. Sad, huh?

Saturday 7/14/12: Planned Swim 0:25 - Completed An awesome meetup with 4 of my best girls.  We spent the day at the National History Museum laughing and catching up, while trying to keep track of the 5 children we had with us.  You'd think the 1:1 ratio would have been easy - it wasn't!

Sunday 7/15/12: Planned Bike 1:00 - Completed a shit ton more walking around DC.  I don't even remember where I went.

Week 11 Peak (oops!)
Monday 7/16/12: Planned Rest - Completed more walking.  I think this was the day I went to the National Archives (where photos are not allowed) and then the American History Museum. Does anyone know if there is an easy way to tell when photos on your camera roll were taken because I feel dumb when I can't figure it out.

Tuesday 7/17/12: Planned Swim 0:30/Strength 0:30 - Completed a bucket list watchless run around DC :) 1 mile warm up/cool down walk between the Metro and Marine Corps Memorial, then about a 4.5 mile run/walk from the Marine Corps Memorial, past Arlington Cemetery, along the Potomac, and out to Roosevelt Island and back.  It was hotter that Hades and mentally I really struggled with feeling like I "needed" to take walk breaks, but the scenery was awesome. The bonus to this run was running into a very friendly runner before I left who clued me into a ceremony that was to take place at the Marine Corps Memorial that night.  I got to see the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps Marching Band and the silent drill team.  Mostly I took video to show the kids when I got home.

Wednesday 7/18/12: Planned Run 0:30 - Completed a 3+ hour drive to meet up with Kirsten at the beach! On the way I stopped at Dogfish Head Brewery for lunch and had probably one of the best crab cakes (not to mention the Namate Belgian-style white beer) that I've ever had.  ZOMG!

Thursday 7/19/12: Planned Swim 0:30/Strength 0:30 - Completed Run/Walk 0:40. Kirsten and I got up early (after a night of booze - awesome pre-run strategy) to attempt 3 miles.  I think she could've done it.  I crapped out after 1.5.  We walked and had a great talk on the way back to the beach house. Then we spent the morning on the beach (that's her dad in the picture watching the ocean - isn't he so cute?!?) and were treated to a storm and DOUBLE RAINBOW that night! We also headed to the beach at sunset for a bonfire and s'mores.  YUM!

Friday 7/20/12: Planned Rest - Completed 0:30 min Atlantic Ocean Open Water Swim :) The waves and dark sky were insane and for a lot of the swim I felt like I was on some kind of weird aquatic treadmill because I'd look up and realize I hadn't moved, even though I'd been swimming. The day was capped off by more beach lounging, a trip to Ocean City, MD for Thrasher's fries, and a few more beers.

Saturday 7/21/12: Planned Bike/Run Brick (1:05/0:20) - Completed a long-ass drive to a hotel just outside Pittsburgh through torrential downpours (um-the Bay Bridge is scary on a GOOD day!), with a stop in Baltimore to have lunch with my friend Meg at a funky little place called Papermoon Diner. ZERO exercise unless you count sitting on your ass for almost 12 hours.

Sunday 7/22/12: Planned Bike/Run Brick (1:00/0:25) - Completed the rest of my drive home.  Another 6 or 7 hours in the car and then I crashed on the couch so another day with no exercise.

Needless to say, I will be repeating week 11 of tri-training since my race is in 3 weeks (eeekk - technically less than that now!) and I need to be more prepared than I am.  The plan I've been following has a 2 week taper, which seems a bit excessive for a sprint tri, so I'm going to cut out one of those weeks.  It'll work itself out. I hope.

Overall, I didn't do too bad on fitting in workouts over vacation.  I actually completed 3 official workouts which is much more than I would have done 5 years ago on vacation.  Plus, if you count all the walking around DC, there was even more.  Sadly, the scale was not too kind to me yesterday morning (up 2.5 pounds I think), so I am getting back on the bandwagon because my weight before I left for vacation was bad. Now it's even worse.  Oh well, I had an amazing time and got to spend a lot of it with some of my best friends.  What more could I ask for?

Tri Training Week 9

A little look back at week 9's training.  Overall - a VERY good week.

Monday 7/2/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF (I'm trying to be a little better about taking rest days).

Tuesday 7/3/12 - Scheduled Run :40/Strength :30 - Completed B-double E-double R-U-N BEERRUN!  Today was the 2nd Grand Rapids Marathon beerrun and it just so happened to fall on one of the hottest days in history (I wanna say it was in the mid to high 90s when we ran).  I managed to finish 3.4 miles in 40 minutes and I skipped strength training that day.

Wednesday 7/4/12 - Happy Independence Day! Scheduled Swim :30 - Completed Swim :30 by swimming laps in my girlfriend's pool.  Still freaking HOT here and the pool temp was in the high 80s.  Not exactly a refreshing swim.  Also did some walking at the 4th of July parade and later to watch fireworks.

Thursday 7/5/12 - Scheduled Bike 1:00/strength :30 - Completed Bike 34 min (8.2 miles)/Strength :40.  Not sure why I cut the ride short today.  Maybe I spaced on it or something. No clue.

Friday 7/6/12 -  Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF

Saturday 7/7/12 - Scheduled Swim/Bike Brick (0:15/1:10) - Completed Swim/Bike Brick! I swam for 15 straight minutes in my friend's pool (so maybe 500 yds) and then biked 16.18 miles in 1:10 :)  I learned that my Ride Glide washes off a bit in the pool cuz the lady parts were a bit sore after the ride (sorry, TMI) but overall I felt great when I was done.

Sunday 7/8/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (1:00/0:30) - Completed Bike/Run Brick!!! This was one of the best workouts I've ever had.  The temperatures dropped and were in the low 70s when I started out - to the point I even felt a little cold on the bike for the first few miles.  I rode 13.5 miles in an hour and then hopped off my bike and off I ran.  REALLY RAN!!! I clocked the first 1.5 miles in just under 16 minutes!!! Oops - WAY TOO FAST cuz I pretty much died after that :)  Still finished 3 miles in 31:24 (10:24 average pace).  I obviously need to work on my pacing for these bricks so I don't go out too fast.  My shin really never bothered me at all, but was a tiny bit sore and my arch hurt A LOT on Monday, but overall and excellent workout.  Totally kicked my butt, though - I ended up taking a nap after dropping K off at track camp that afternoon.

To summarize:

Woo-hoo!!! I made it through the first week with scheduled brick workouts!  I also had a follow-up with my sports med doc on Monday and even though I'm not 100% healed from my stress reaction and I've started to develop some planar fasciitis-type issues, he's discharged me from regular checks.  I'm to continue to ice and roll, go to the chiro for active-release technique therapy, and progress my runs as tolerated.  We also spent a good deal of time talking about my 1/2 marathon training that will start in August.  Basically he put the kabosh on a 4-5 day a week running training plan and has encouraged me to look into the plans outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.  I used a similar plan when training for my full marathon, so I think I'll like it.  The gist is to run 3 quality runs per week (speed work, tempo, long/slow distance) and cross train 2-3 times per week. I picked up the book yesterday and hope to start reading today.  Come August I'll be ready to dig into my training for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney World!! :)

I also answered a few more questions about myself this weekend in case you missed it :)

This coming week is a nice, easy recovery week in my training and then I'm on vacation.  I'm hoping the time away does me some good mentally but doesn't put too much of a dent in my training because my tri is only about a month away - EEK!

How was your week of healthy living? Tell me one thing you did this week to make you stronger, faster or healthier...

Tri Training Week 8

I am now officially over half way through with my Millennium Triathlon training!  How the freak did THAT happen?  Sadly, this also means I'm 1/3 the way through summer vacation, but that's a topic for another blog post. As you can see from the recap, I didn't really follow the plan this week.  I'm still tweaking it to make it a bit harder and starting to add in some extra workouts, but not running as much as I need to be.  Too bad my diet this week sucked or maybe I'd be seeing some results on the scale, too.

Monday 6/25/12 - Plan REST - Completed SWIM 500 yds

Tuesday 6/26/12 - Plan Run :40/Strength :30 - Completed SWIM 1/2 mile open water. Then 30 min Shred DVD.

Wednesday 6/27/12 - Plan Swim :30 - Completed BIKE 12.6 hilly-ass miles in 56:17 (ave 13.4 mph).

Thursday 6/28/12 - Plan Bike 1:00/Strength :30 - RUN/SWIM brick.  Ran 3.25 miles on the hottest day of the year (41:43) and then swam for 22 minutes (maybe 600 yds) in the Millennium lake. The run didn't really bother my leg much at all, but the heat about killed me.

Friday 6/29/12 - Plan REST - Completed 30 min Shred DVD.

Saturday 6/30/12 - Plan Run :40 - Completed 3.2 miles in 36 and change. 1/2 mile walk to warm up (7:xx) then 2.6 mile run in 29..  The run felt ok, but I still couldn't complete the entire distance without some walking. I'm not happy with the walking parts but I'm walking because of the heat, not because my leg hurts.

Sunday 7/1/12 - Plan Swim :30 - Completed BIKE/SWIM brick. BIKED 15.1 miles in 59:10 (15.3 mph) - SQUEEE!!! This was basically the Millennium Tri course and I biked it with a friend. He pushed me and helped me get comfortable riding on the roads.  Lots of hills, too, but not as bad as earlier in the week.  Then SWIM 30 min in Millennium Lake.

Overall, this was a very good training week.  I'm getting more confident in the swims and faster on the bike. The running isn't hurting as much, but as you can see, I'm only running twice a week right now instead of 3 times a week like I should.  I need to add another run in but I want to see how this week goes with a couple 3 mile runs first. I also ended the week with some stomach issues and a lot of fatigue.  I'm going to make sure to include at least 1 rest day this coming week.

PS: In case you missed it, this past weekend was my 3rd Blogiversary!  I have a little giveaway going on over here to celebrate and than you all for sticking with me the past 3 years.  My readers really do mean the world to me, so thank you for being here and commenting. 

Tri Training Week 7

It's hard to believe I'm half way through my training for the Millennium Triathlon.  I should probably sign up for it at this point, huh?  These week's training went ok.  Had some good swims and bike rides, but the running was just "eh".  My leg still isn't cooperating like I want it too, with lingering achiness after my runs persisting into the next day.  I'm supposed to increase my run to 2.5 miles this week, but 2 miles on Saturday was really rough.  Not sure what I should do.  Elliptical this week instead and up the run next week?  I know I'll be able to cover the 3.1 miles at the tri, but whether I can run them all is what is in question at this point.

We had a funeral to attend out of town this week so that threw a bit of a wrench into the plans. I had to switch a couple workouts around, but that's how life goes, isn't it.  Anyway, here's the breakdown of this past week's workouts:

Monday 6/18/12 - Plan REST - Completed REST

Tuesday 6/19/12 - Plan Run :35/Strength :30 - Completed 1 hour bike (14 miles). Then 30 min mixed strength training.

Wednesday 6/20/12 - Plan Swim :25 - Completed Swim/Run brick: 1000 yd swim in 22:38 (lots of drills & I didn't time the rest breaks) then 2 mile treadmill run in 20:21.

Thursday 6/21/12 - Plan Bike :55/Strength :30 - Completed a 2 mile bike ride, but rode in the streets.  It was unnerving and I almost crashed once.

Friday 6/22/12 - Plan REST - Completed REST but also spent a little time walking around an outlet mall.

Saturday 6/23/12 - Plan Run :30 - Completed 3.2 miles in 38 and change. 2 mile run in 21:46 and 1.2 mile wu/cd in 17:04.  The run hurt a bit and I felt like I never found my groove.  I couldn't even make it the full 2 miles without a walk break, which pissed me off more than the overall slow pace.

Sunday 6/24/12 - Plan Bike :40 - Completed a 20 mile bike ride (in 1:27 - just shy of a 14 mph average) and did level 1 of the 30 Day Shred (25 min strength). On the bike ride, I rode a lot of it on trails but also quite a bit on actual streets.  Even had to stop at lights and figure out which lane I should be in.  The whole time thinking "please, God, don't let anyone run me over.  My fastest times on the bike (upwards of 20 mph) were on city streets I think because I just wanted to get it over with! It also about killed me to do these things back-to-back. I discovered my shin does NOT like jumping jacks yet and I was just wiped out from the bike ride.  I ended up doing some sort of boxer's jog instead, which was dumb, to try and modify the workout a bit.

I clearly went overboard on the biking this week, but since my running is definitely sub-par I felt I needed to make up for it somewhere.  I think my biggest frustrations at this point are not being able to run as well (or as far, or as often) as I'd like (or in my mind that I think I should be able to run) and that my swimming still feels so weak.  I know it will get better and I can't expect to be a great swimmer right away - there is some element of a learning curve and unlearning some serious bad habits.


In case you missed it, this past weekend was my 3rd Blogiversary!  I have a little giveaway going on over here to celebrate and than you all for sticking with me the past 3 years.  My readers really do mean the world to me, so thank you for being here and commenting.

I love comments - so stop lurking and say something!

Tri-Training Tuesday Weekly Recap

I feel like a bad blogger since I haven't written anything since Thursday, but I also feel if you don't have anything to say, you probably shouldn't say anything.  I had ideas for posts this weekend, but they just never came to fruition.  Bottom line - the beginning of summer break has been crazy busy.  This past week I also went a bit overboard in my training and now I'm paying for it.  I have no clue what today's workout will hold, I just know my leg is pissed and I'm supposed to up my runs to 2 miles this week.  Somehow, I don't think that's happening.

Anyhoo...here's how training panned out this week:

Monday 6/11/12 - Plan: REST. Instead, I swam 800 yds in 23 minutes and biked 6 miles in 30 min - my first ride on my new road bike :)

Tuesday 6/12/12 - Plan: bike 30. Completed an 18 mile bike ride (10 while Pete ran at 6.3 mph and then 8 more fast when I got home with a 13.7 mph ave), then ran 1.25 miles in 12:50 (10:16 pace!).

Wednesday 6/13/12 - Plan: swim 20. Completed 800 yds swim in 26:20.

Thursday 6/14/12 - Plan:  run 25/strength 30. Completed 15 min on ellip arc trainer (stupid .7 miles) then ran 1.5 in 15:16 (10:10 pace!). Finished with 36 min legs & abs.

Friday 6/15/12 - Plan: REST. Biked 11.5 miles while Pete ran (6.3 mph)

Saturday 6/16/12 - Plan run 30. Completed 1/2 mile walk, 1.63 mile run in 16:15 (9:57 pace - holy crap!) then 1 mile walk.

Sunday 6/17/12 - Plan swim 20. Completed swim/bike brick. 20 min swim (about 600 yds) then 6.1 mile bike with 14.6 mph ave.

This was a crazy week of training, on a week that was supposed to be a "recovery" week.  Oops. Like I said, I'm paying for it now with a really sore shin.  I saw the chiro yesterday and he pretty much lectured me about my body's crazy tolerance for pain (or maybe stupidity) that tells me everything is fine when it really isn't.  I think he pushed the injury spot a lot today to remind me what it will feel like if I don't use some common sense.  Needless to say, other than walking around the mall shopping on Monday and floating in the pool, I respected Monday's rest day.

Before you all leave me to enjoy this beautiful summer day, please go give my girl, Angie, some love over here at Real Women Tri.  She absolutely kicked ASS in her last half iron and this is her first blog post about the experience.  Angie convinced me to run my very first 5k and has helped me with training for pretty much every race I've done since then.  If I hadn't run that first 5k back in 2006 I wouldn't be writing about marathons and training for a tri today.

Do you have anyone who has inspired you to try something new?

Tri-Training Tuesday

Last week was a pretty great training week! I learned a bit about healing & that back-to-back runs are a no-no. But even with that little screw-up, I still did well this week. I'm gaining confidence & strength, which are 2 things I need right now. I just need to trust that the running will get there eventually.

Here was my week:

Monday 6/4/12: rest day

Tuesday 6/5/12: Planned 30 min run/30 min strength. Completed: B double E double R-U-N BEERRUN! Ran my first full mile in around 10:35 & then walked back to the bar hosting the beer run to wait for M & my friends who were running the full run.

Wednesday 6/6/12: Planned 25 min swim. Completed 1 mile run for National Running Day (ouch) and swam 800 in 21 min.

Thursday 6/7/12: Planned 30 min bike/30 min strength. Completed 10 mile bike ride (5 miles each way to the gym) with a 40 min strength workout in between.

Friday 6/8/12: Rest Day

Saturday 6/9/12: Planned 25 min run. Completed 1 mile run in 10:52 & 1 mile walk home.

Sunday 6/19/12: Planned 35 min bike. Completed 8 mile bike ride in 37 min. Hopefully the last bike ride on my old bike. From now on I'm riding this sexy beauty!  I cannot WAIT to post next week's training summary so I can talk about today's workout(s).  But if you want a preview, check me out on DailyMile :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tri-Training Tuesday

I managed to make it through another week of triathlon training. 

Week 4: May 28-June 3, 2012

Monday: Planned OFF. Completed virtual 5k run/walk in 40 minutes.
Tuesday: Planned Run 25/Strength 30. Walked .5 miles/Lower body strength 40 min.
Wednesday: Planned Swim 20. Completed 1/2 mile swim in 25 min.
Thursday: Planned Bike 30/Strength 30. Completed 6 mile bike in 30/Upper body strength 30.
Friday: Planned OFF. Completed OFF.
Saturday: Planned Run 20. Completed 2.7 mile elliptical 30.
Sunday: Planned Bike 30. Completed 5.2 mile bike in 27.

Overall this was a pretty good training week. Today I'm seeing a new sports chiropractor who specializes in running and running injuries. I'm hoping he has some good advice and puts me back in alignment since I feel all out of whack from wearing that dumb boot. 

Tonight I hope to run for a mile. It would probably be foolish to think I can run the whole mile without stopping, but I'm going to try.

Have you tried any new workouts lately?  If the stars align, I might be doing this week's bike workouts on a new road bike - wish me luck that I don't crash on the dang thing.

Tri-Training Thursday & Sports Med Follow-Up

This week's training was a bit different.  It was a "recovery" week so there weren't as many workouts.

Here's how May 21-, 2012 played out!
Monday: Planned OFF 
Tuesday: Planned 20 min - Completed 5 minute run on treadmill and 15 min "run" on elliptical for a total of 1.9 miles.
Wednesday: Planned 20 min swim - completed 800 in 25 minutes (a very sucky swim).
Thursday: Planned 30 min strength - Completed 40 min ab and arm workout that left me a puddle on the gym floor.
Friday: Planned OFF - Completed Saturday's 20 swim workout as 800 in 28 min nice and relaxed.
Saturday: Planned 20 min swim - Hung out at K's track meet for 10 hours and sprinted between events once. I wish I'd worn a pedometer because I walked all over the dang HS campus.
Sunday: Planned 30 min bike - Completed a 38 min, 7.26 mile bike ride, including some real roads without sidewalks and hills!


I'd say this was a pretty successful training week.  Nothing too crazy and the one crappy swim didn't send me into a tailspin or anything.  


I had a follow-up appointment with my sports med doctor yesterday.  It had been 3 weeks since I'd seen him and he wanted me to try a couple of short runs before meeting with him yesterday.  He didn't tell me to go out and run a 5k on Memorial Day, which is what I did and had some bona fide soreness/mild pain. Lesson learned.  


The recommendation is to begin next week with 3 1-mile runs and each week bump up the miles by .5 until I get to 3 3-mile runs without pain.  If I have pain, I need to skip the next run (or do it on the elliptical). On the days I'm supposed to run for my tri training, I'm to start with the miles he's prescribed and then finish the time on the elliptical.  I think I'm comfortable with this plan.  The hard thing will be listening to my body and being patient.  He also wants me to get in to my sports chiro for some ART therapy because my ankle and opposite hip are really tight and I feel "off" from being in the boot.  Hopefully he can get me in next week after school gets out.


Are you training for any cool spring or summer races?  

Tri-Training Tuesday: Week 2

I've managed to make it through the 2nd week of triathlon training - modified still but I'm making progress and that's what counts.  I even capped off the week with one of the best "race" experiences I've ever had.

Here's how May 14-20, 2012 played out!
Monday: Planned OFF - "Ran" 1.6 miles on the elliptical in 20 minutes!
Tuesday: Planned 20 min run/30 min strength - did chiropractor and 60 min massage.
Wednesday: Planned 20 min swim - completed 800 in 23 minutes
Thursday: Planned 25 min bike/30 min strength - Walked 1.75 miles in 40 min for a field trip for school.
Friday: Planned OFF
Saturday: Planned 20 min run - Walked around IKEA and a ginormous mall north of Chicago instead :)
Sunday: Planned 20 min swim - Finished a 5k mud run (walked it) and completed 13/13 obstacles in probably a little over an hour!!

Obviously, the plan had some tweaking this week with that mud run and a doctor's appointment in there, but I was thrilled to finally "run" on the elliptical!  I've had minimal to no pain in my shin this week (the worst was after the walking on Thursday which was why I skipped the planned workouts).  Not having any shin pain after Sunday's mud run was awesome.  I'm feeling good enough that I might try some actual running this week mixed in with the elliptical.  Wish me luck!

Tri-Training Tuesday: week 1

Yep, it looks like I'm going to do that sprint tri in August provided my healing goes well (I won't register until the last possible moment).  I figure I might as well put all this swimming and biking to good use. To help keep myself accountable, I'll be posting my training each week on Tuesday.  I welcome any feedback and suggestions you could give as this is totally foreign to me :)  Until I can start running, I'll be subbing in extra biking or swims, and beginning to add in some elliptical work as I can.

So here we go...May 7 - May 13: Week 1 is in the books!
Monday: Planned OFF - Swam 1/2 mile in 24:50
Tuesday: Planned 15 min run - Biked 30 min (11.3 miles)
Wednesday: Recumbent bike for 20 min (3.3 miles & hated it), strength train 30 min with NTC
Thursday: Swim 1/2 mile in 23:24, mixed strength training 30 min
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Planned run 15 min but instead I spectated my missed 25k race.
Sunday:  Planned 20 min bike - Biked 30 min (6.1 miles) Happy Mother's Day to me :-)

I might be tweaking this plan just a bit.  This coming weekend I have the mud run, so I will be "swimming" though a giant mud puddle instead of a pool on Sunday :) Also, Sundays are very busy for us and it will be hard to get longer workouts in.  Luckily, I only have about a month left of school and the training doesn't get really time-consuming for awhile.  I also have a week's vacation right in the middle of training, so who knows what I'll do for that week.  Maybe an open water swim or two in the Atlantic???? *gulp*

What do your workouts look like lately?  Any fun races on your schedule?

Thankful Thursday: On Two Feet

This Thursday, I'm giving thanks for being able to motor on my own two feet.

• I'm now considered "weightbearing as tolerated" in the boot & out of the boot.  No more scooter!
• I can start weaning myself off the boot, so long as it doesn't hurt.  There's no exact science for this and the doctor said to expect a bit of "two steps forward, one step back" for awhile. He said I'll know if I'm overdoing it. My plan is to wear the boot at work the rest of this week and then 1/2 days next week and go from there.
• I've been given the clearance to start the elliptical next week and even some treadmill walking at the end of the week if all feels good.
• I don't need PT because of the Tri workout I've started. Dr. K thinks the swimming and biking are a great idea and basically said "go for it" with regards to the tri, even if I never do any real running training between now and August (which he thinks I will).
• I see him again in 3 weeks and he wants me to do a tiny bit of jogging the day or two before I see him to gauge how it feels. SQUEEE and EEEEKKK!

While I was hoping for a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to ditch the boot and everything, I knew deep-down that wasn't very realistic.  I think my biggest issue is the fact that I've been wearing the same 3 pairs of pants and 2 dresses for the past 2 1/2 weeks because nothing else fits over the dumb boot! And I really miss my cute sandals.  I'm looking at the need for the boot (at least in some capacity) for probably another 3-4 weeks as an excuse to go buy some cute skirts.

What's your favorite store for cute, floofy (ie, not tight), knee-length, work-appropriate skirts?