I am so excited - my Garmin Forerunner 305 should be arriving any day now! I have been longing for one of these GPS running watches for about 3 years, and Chad and I decided that now would be a good time to get one. The Forerunner 305 uses GPS to transmit your distance and speed, which includes your average pace and mile splits. I know this will be much more accurate than the Nike+ system, which was based only off of foot-strike.
The other aspect of the Garmin I'm excited about is the heart rate monitor. I've wanted to integrate heart rate training into my running for awhile, so I am excited to have the tools to do it now. Once I get the watch set-up and figured out and take it out for a few test runs, I will post a more thorough review. I hope it arrives today!
I also ordered a RoadID Wrist ID Sport. This is another training tool I've been wanting to order for a while. The RoadID website describes their product as "this awesome piece of gear not only looks good but it could save your life. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will. It's not just a piece of gear - it's peace of mind."
I ordered a yellow RoadID, with my name, Chad's cell phone number, my mom & dad's cell phone numbers, my birthdate, and "NKA" for "no known allergies". I pray that medical personnel never have to put my RoadID to use, but I do love having the peace of mind that I will always have identification and emergency contact information on me when swimming, biking and running. And RoadID is based in Northern Kentucky, so it is nice to support a local business!
Another good week in the books for my sprint triathlon training. My next race is in a week and a half and I can't wait!! I am so excited about this race in Louisiana.
Monday 7/12
• Swim: 30:00 min.
Tuesday 7/13
• Run: 32:22 min.
Wednesday 7/14
• Swim: 30:00 min.
Thursday 7/15
• Run: 40:00 min.
Friday 7/16
• Swim: 31:30 min.
Saturday 7/17
• Run: 1 hr. 5 min.
• Swim: 20 min.
• Bike: 1:15:18 (19 miles)
Sunday 7/18
• Bike: 52:57 (14.1 miles)
• Run: 27:00 (3 miles)
• Total brick time: 1:19:30
Showing posts with label triathalon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label triathalon training. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Hectic Times
The end of the school year always brings crazy times for me at work. We are wrapping up one semester, beginning another semester, and preparing for/executing two commencement ceremonies. It is a stressful time (not because the work is not enjoyable or difficult necessarily, just because it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day!) but a really fun time as well. In my office (Registrar's Office) we get to work with people from the time they are a prospective student all the way through until they are an alumni, so commencement is always a special time for us. This year is especially bittersweet because Chad and I have so many dear friends graduating. I am so proud of each of them - it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to earn a 96-hour Master of Divinity degree or one of Asbury's MA degrees. This season is also giving me a glimpse into what our future will be like next year as we prepare to leave Kentucky and head home to Louisiana. We can't wait to get home, but it is going to be harder than I thought to leave our friends and the life that we have built for ourselves here in Kentucky.
I've been able to get in some really good workouts over the past couple of weeks. I'm sticking to my plan and loving it. I feel fatigued most nights, but in a good way. I am sleeping like a rock and wake up each morning at 4:30am feeling refreshed and ready to go. In the past I've woken up anywhere between 4:45am and 5:15am and sometimes struggled with consistency, but 4:30am must be the sweet spot for me. Most mornings I wake up before my alarms go off. I love that I am able to get in at least a 1 hour workout, a walk with Emma, and a semi-leisurely breakfast before I have to really start getting ready and be at work by 8:00am. And getting all of my workouts in really helps with my stress levels, too!
Workout Log
Mon 5/10:
AM: 45:00 "push-run"
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Tues 5/11:
PM: 30 minute swim
-I like swimming in the evening about as much as I like running in the evening, but I wanted to get it done.
Wed 5/12:
AM: 1:03 run
-2k x 6 intervals w/ 2 min. rest in between
-Hoo nelly! These were tough, but fun!
Thurs 5/13:
AM: 40:00 push run
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Fri 5/14:
Rest day
Sat 5/15:
-9.6 mile bike/37:04/16.3 avg mph
-1 hour run
-Planned to swim, but pool closed for cleaning
Sun 5/16:
-No bike due to rain
-40:47 nice and easy run
Swimming has been a comedy of errors (scheduling at the pool is not consistent, and differs daily from the monthly schedule they send out to members...argh!) and the weather hasn't cooperated with me too much lately on the bike. My running is going great, but I have to spend more time on the bike and more time in the pool. Once things settle down and I get into a routine for the summer I know it will be easier to have a more consistent swim and ride schedule. Right now I ride on Tuesday nights, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings. During the summer I get off at 12:30pm on Fridays (so great!) so I am thinking of adding in an early afternoon Friday ride.
Chad and I are going out of town next weekend (Memorial Day weekend) for my aunt's wedding, Chad's sister's Doctor of Physical Therapy graduation, and a visit to our family in Monroe. I can't wait! It will be so nice to be in Texas and Louisiana for a few days, and we will get to see everyone! My immediate and extended family, and Chad's immediate and extended family! I hope to take lots of pictures to post here. I am going to try to still get some good workouts in, but I mainly want to enjoy the time with family. We normally are only able to head south twice a year, so this will be a really fun "bonus" trip!
One more thing - I'm almost through reading "Born to Run" by Chris McDougal and it is incredibly interesting! I know it spawned the whole barefoot movement a few years ago, but I wonder why it didn't spawn a vegetarian movement amongst runners? I have been thinking about getting a pair of Nike Frees for awhile, and I think I am finally going to get them. My Lunarglides are at the end of their rope, and my sister has had success with her Frees, so I think now would be a good time to try them. I'll be sure to post a review!
I've been able to get in some really good workouts over the past couple of weeks. I'm sticking to my plan and loving it. I feel fatigued most nights, but in a good way. I am sleeping like a rock and wake up each morning at 4:30am feeling refreshed and ready to go. In the past I've woken up anywhere between 4:45am and 5:15am and sometimes struggled with consistency, but 4:30am must be the sweet spot for me. Most mornings I wake up before my alarms go off. I love that I am able to get in at least a 1 hour workout, a walk with Emma, and a semi-leisurely breakfast before I have to really start getting ready and be at work by 8:00am. And getting all of my workouts in really helps with my stress levels, too!
Workout Log
Mon 5/10:
AM: 45:00 "push-run"
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Tues 5/11:
PM: 30 minute swim
-I like swimming in the evening about as much as I like running in the evening, but I wanted to get it done.
Wed 5/12:
AM: 1:03 run
-2k x 6 intervals w/ 2 min. rest in between
-Hoo nelly! These were tough, but fun!
Thurs 5/13:
AM: 40:00 push run
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Fri 5/14:
Rest day
Sat 5/15:
-9.6 mile bike/37:04/16.3 avg mph
-1 hour run
-Planned to swim, but pool closed for cleaning
Sun 5/16:
-No bike due to rain
-40:47 nice and easy run
Swimming has been a comedy of errors (scheduling at the pool is not consistent, and differs daily from the monthly schedule they send out to members...argh!) and the weather hasn't cooperated with me too much lately on the bike. My running is going great, but I have to spend more time on the bike and more time in the pool. Once things settle down and I get into a routine for the summer I know it will be easier to have a more consistent swim and ride schedule. Right now I ride on Tuesday nights, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings. During the summer I get off at 12:30pm on Fridays (so great!) so I am thinking of adding in an early afternoon Friday ride.
Chad and I are going out of town next weekend (Memorial Day weekend) for my aunt's wedding, Chad's sister's Doctor of Physical Therapy graduation, and a visit to our family in Monroe. I can't wait! It will be so nice to be in Texas and Louisiana for a few days, and we will get to see everyone! My immediate and extended family, and Chad's immediate and extended family! I hope to take lots of pictures to post here. I am going to try to still get some good workouts in, but I mainly want to enjoy the time with family. We normally are only able to head south twice a year, so this will be a really fun "bonus" trip!
One more thing - I'm almost through reading "Born to Run" by Chris McDougal and it is incredibly interesting! I know it spawned the whole barefoot movement a few years ago, but I wonder why it didn't spawn a vegetarian movement amongst runners? I have been thinking about getting a pair of Nike Frees for awhile, and I think I am finally going to get them. My Lunarglides are at the end of their rope, and my sister has had success with her Frees, so I think now would be a good time to try them. I'll be sure to post a review!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Its tomorrow...
Breathe in, breathe out. That's what I've been telling myself for the past few days, every time I start to think about competing in my first triathlon tomorrow morning. I've prepared myself physically for the event, but I don't know that I have fully prepared myself mentally for the event.
I had a great 9.5 mile easy ride last night that really boosted my overall confidence. Throughout the ride I tried to visualize getting in the water, swimming the course, going into transition, getting on the bike, riding the course, getting off the bike, transitioning to the run, and then crossing the finish line with my hands held high. This is really out there for me, but I am trying to visualize myself completing the course and finishing strong. It would be very ease to visualize myself flapping through the swim, struggling on the bike, and crawling through the run - landing in a soggy heap at the finish line, but I'm not going to let myself do that. I am physically prepared, and I will be mentally prepared.
Training for this triathlon has been fun, really fun actually. I've tried to compare it to marathon training, but there really is no comparison. When I first got into running, it was a huge challenge physically and mentally. After two years of running seriously and completing 1 marathon, 5 half-marathons, and countless 5ks and 10ks, the "challenge" aspect has kind of faded. By no means am I a fast or even good runner. I know that I can always, always improve - I need to work on getting faster, having a more efficient form, setting new PR's, all that. But last spring I realized that what I really needed was a new challenge, something to shake things up a bit.
When my sister sent me her Specialized Allez bike last fall, it solidified my desire to compete in a triathlon. When I was able to join a gym with an Olympic size pool for only $60 a year (yes, a year!) it further solidified my desire to do a triathlon. So this spring, I set to it. I taught myself how to swim, and found a great cycling coach in our friend Cody. I spent so much time learning my new trades of swimming and cycling that I let my old friend running slip to the back burner. During my brick workouts, I could really tell that I needed to focus on my running as much as I focused on swimming and cycling. So I began adding in more miles and now I am back in a good place.
I keep thinking, wow I am only training for a sprint triathlon. Really, it is a little shorter than the standard distances for sprint races. It is a .54 mile swim (roughly 1000 yds)/9 mile bike/2.6 mile run. This has been my basic training schedule since May:
Monday: run 3-5 miles (am); ride 15-18 miles (pm)
Tuesday: swim 800-1000 yards (am)
Wednesday: run 4-6 miles (am)
Thursday: swim 800-1000 yards (am); ride 22-25 miles (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: run 5-7 miles, swim 600-800 yards
Sunday: ride 9-12 miles, run 2-4 miles (brick workout)
I have absolutely no idea how someone would train for an 70.3 race or an Ironman while balancing work, family and other obligations. I've had a hard time balancing things, and I'm just doing a teeny sprint race!
But I do feel prepared for the race tomorrow. I certainly have lots of butterflies and quite a bit of nervous energy. After getting off work at noon today, I am going to go home and get my bag packed and practice setting up my transition areas. I will go pick up my packet tonight and preview the course - something I am really excited about being able to do.
I will be up at 4:45 tomorrow morning to get dressed, and eat a good breakfast. I will head to the race site at 6:00 to get marked and to get my transition area set up. I will be getting there really early, and I am hoping to be able to ride a little bit on the first part of the bike course (if that's allowed) so that I can be in the right gears when I start out on the course.
Chad will be coming to cheer me on and I can't wait to see him as I exit the swim and head into transition. He has been extremely supportive of me in my training, and I hope to make him proud! I also want to thank those who read my blog and are always so supportive of me - mom, Megan, Michelle, Kelly, Kat, Sarah J., Sarah M., Dru, Jen, and I know there are more that I am forgetting right now, but I really, really thank you for your support.
My ultimate goal for the race would be to finish within 1:30-1:45, and I will be happy to finish under 2 hours. I am excited to see how I do in this race, because I am already thinking about registering for another tri at the end of September. Once I get my first one under my belt, I will have a really good idea of how I can improve, what I need to focus on, how I can speed up my transitions, etc.
Whew...breathe in, breathe out! I will be updating Twitter and hopefully posting "Twitpics" from my phone in the morning, so check out the sidebar for updates. A race report will hopefully follow in the next few days!
I had a great 9.5 mile easy ride last night that really boosted my overall confidence. Throughout the ride I tried to visualize getting in the water, swimming the course, going into transition, getting on the bike, riding the course, getting off the bike, transitioning to the run, and then crossing the finish line with my hands held high. This is really out there for me, but I am trying to visualize myself completing the course and finishing strong. It would be very ease to visualize myself flapping through the swim, struggling on the bike, and crawling through the run - landing in a soggy heap at the finish line, but I'm not going to let myself do that. I am physically prepared, and I will be mentally prepared.
Training for this triathlon has been fun, really fun actually. I've tried to compare it to marathon training, but there really is no comparison. When I first got into running, it was a huge challenge physically and mentally. After two years of running seriously and completing 1 marathon, 5 half-marathons, and countless 5ks and 10ks, the "challenge" aspect has kind of faded. By no means am I a fast or even good runner. I know that I can always, always improve - I need to work on getting faster, having a more efficient form, setting new PR's, all that. But last spring I realized that what I really needed was a new challenge, something to shake things up a bit.
When my sister sent me her Specialized Allez bike last fall, it solidified my desire to compete in a triathlon. When I was able to join a gym with an Olympic size pool for only $60 a year (yes, a year!) it further solidified my desire to do a triathlon. So this spring, I set to it. I taught myself how to swim, and found a great cycling coach in our friend Cody. I spent so much time learning my new trades of swimming and cycling that I let my old friend running slip to the back burner. During my brick workouts, I could really tell that I needed to focus on my running as much as I focused on swimming and cycling. So I began adding in more miles and now I am back in a good place.
I keep thinking, wow I am only training for a sprint triathlon. Really, it is a little shorter than the standard distances for sprint races. It is a .54 mile swim (roughly 1000 yds)/9 mile bike/2.6 mile run. This has been my basic training schedule since May:
Monday: run 3-5 miles (am); ride 15-18 miles (pm)
Tuesday: swim 800-1000 yards (am)
Wednesday: run 4-6 miles (am)
Thursday: swim 800-1000 yards (am); ride 22-25 miles (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: run 5-7 miles, swim 600-800 yards
Sunday: ride 9-12 miles, run 2-4 miles (brick workout)
I have absolutely no idea how someone would train for an 70.3 race or an Ironman while balancing work, family and other obligations. I've had a hard time balancing things, and I'm just doing a teeny sprint race!
But I do feel prepared for the race tomorrow. I certainly have lots of butterflies and quite a bit of nervous energy. After getting off work at noon today, I am going to go home and get my bag packed and practice setting up my transition areas. I will go pick up my packet tonight and preview the course - something I am really excited about being able to do.
I will be up at 4:45 tomorrow morning to get dressed, and eat a good breakfast. I will head to the race site at 6:00 to get marked and to get my transition area set up. I will be getting there really early, and I am hoping to be able to ride a little bit on the first part of the bike course (if that's allowed) so that I can be in the right gears when I start out on the course.
Chad will be coming to cheer me on and I can't wait to see him as I exit the swim and head into transition. He has been extremely supportive of me in my training, and I hope to make him proud! I also want to thank those who read my blog and are always so supportive of me - mom, Megan, Michelle, Kelly, Kat, Sarah J., Sarah M., Dru, Jen, and I know there are more that I am forgetting right now, but I really, really thank you for your support.
My ultimate goal for the race would be to finish within 1:30-1:45, and I will be happy to finish under 2 hours. I am excited to see how I do in this race, because I am already thinking about registering for another tri at the end of September. Once I get my first one under my belt, I will have a really good idea of how I can improve, what I need to focus on, how I can speed up my transitions, etc.
Whew...breathe in, breathe out! I will be updating Twitter and hopefully posting "Twitpics" from my phone in the morning, so check out the sidebar for updates. A race report will hopefully follow in the next few days!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Vacation!!
We are packing up and shipping off for a week of vacation in lovely Louisiana. Every summer since we have moved to Kentucky we have gone back home to Louisiana to spend a week with family and relax. The two parts of the year I most look forward to are Christmas and our summer trip to Louisiana - because we are able to be surrounded by our families.
While we have made wonderful friends here in Kentucky and have really built up a family here, there is nothing like being home. I mean home home. I tentatively call our address here in Kentucky home, but Texas and Louisiana will always be home home.
So, tomorrow morning me, Chad and Emma will embark on a 14-hour drive to Alexandria, Louisiana to Chad's parents house. During our trip I plan to swim, float in the pool, lay by the pool, read by the pool, play with Emma in the pool...you get the drift!
I also plan to get some good transition training in, since I will have readily available access to a pool. I am going to work on my swim to ride transition, as well as my ride to run transition. My triathlon is less than 4 weeks away and doubts and nervousness and excitement is really starting to set in. I feel well prepared for the distance, but I will feel better after doing a mock tri next week.
I am also very excited about getting to see my side of the family next week. Last summer I was able to see my grandmother, aunt and cousin on my dad's side, and this summer I will get to see my grandparents, aunt, cousins and family on my mom's side. I wish there was a way I could see everyone each summer. I can't wait to reunite with my cousins Emily and Amy - we've been partners in crime since birth. And now Amy and her husband Tim have a beautiful baby boy that I will get to meet.
The other great thing about the trip is that my family (my mom, dad, sisters Megan and Michelle and niece Brittany) will be driving over from Houston to spend three days with us in Alexandria. Brittany will be turning 10 (which I just cannot believe) on July 31st, so we will get to celebrate her birthday with her a few days early.
Brittany w/ Emma - 4 years ago. My little babies are just growing up so fast!
While we have made wonderful friends here in Kentucky and have really built up a family here, there is nothing like being home. I mean home home. I tentatively call our address here in Kentucky home, but Texas and Louisiana will always be home home.
So, tomorrow morning me, Chad and Emma will embark on a 14-hour drive to Alexandria, Louisiana to Chad's parents house. During our trip I plan to swim, float in the pool, lay by the pool, read by the pool, play with Emma in the pool...you get the drift!
I also plan to get some good transition training in, since I will have readily available access to a pool. I am going to work on my swim to ride transition, as well as my ride to run transition. My triathlon is less than 4 weeks away and doubts and nervousness and excitement is really starting to set in. I feel well prepared for the distance, but I will feel better after doing a mock tri next week.
I am also very excited about getting to see my side of the family next week. Last summer I was able to see my grandmother, aunt and cousin on my dad's side, and this summer I will get to see my grandparents, aunt, cousins and family on my mom's side. I wish there was a way I could see everyone each summer. I can't wait to reunite with my cousins Emily and Amy - we've been partners in crime since birth. And now Amy and her husband Tim have a beautiful baby boy that I will get to meet.
The other great thing about the trip is that my family (my mom, dad, sisters Megan and Michelle and niece Brittany) will be driving over from Houston to spend three days with us in Alexandria. Brittany will be turning 10 (which I just cannot believe) on July 31st, so we will get to celebrate her birthday with her a few days early.
Brittany w/ Emma - 4 years ago. My little babies are just growing up so fast!My sister Megan has really gotten into Crossfit, so I am going to do a few "WOD's" (workout of the day) with her. These will likely leave me in a heap, but I am going to give it a try.
I hope to have a lot of pictures to post after the vacation. I will also be "live tweeting" our trip down to Alexandria and back. You can follow my Twitter feed on the side bar here, or at twitter.com/meremawbrooks
We have a plethora of items to keep us entertained on the way down. We just picked up a Griffin iTrip so that we can listen to podcasts. I have some episodes of the The Stay Tuned Report, Triathletes Coffee Shop, and Zen and the Art of Triathlon stored up to listen to, and Chad has some Bigfoot podcasts that he has downloaded. You can guess which part of the drive I will be sleeping through!
I also recently picked up David Sedaris' most recent book "When You are Engulfed in Flames" to read on the trip. I am also working my way through John Grisham's "The Client" for the second time. After watching the Ultramarathon Man dvd about Dean Karnazes, I am considering re-reading "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days."
Well, happy trails (and tails, in honor of Emma)! I will post when we are back in Kentucky with vacation pictures and training updates.
I hope to have a lot of pictures to post after the vacation. I will also be "live tweeting" our trip down to Alexandria and back. You can follow my Twitter feed on the side bar here, or at twitter.com/meremawbrooks
We have a plethora of items to keep us entertained on the way down. We just picked up a Griffin iTrip so that we can listen to podcasts. I have some episodes of the The Stay Tuned Report, Triathletes Coffee Shop, and Zen and the Art of Triathlon stored up to listen to, and Chad has some Bigfoot podcasts that he has downloaded. You can guess which part of the drive I will be sleeping through!
I also recently picked up David Sedaris' most recent book "When You are Engulfed in Flames" to read on the trip. I am also working my way through John Grisham's "The Client" for the second time. After watching the Ultramarathon Man dvd about Dean Karnazes, I am considering re-reading "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days."
Well, happy trails (and tails, in honor of Emma)! I will post when we are back in Kentucky with vacation pictures and training updates.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Life and Training Updates
Life Update:
Emma is getting her teeth cleaned today. We dropped her off at 8:00am this morning, and we will be able to pick her up around 3:30 or 4:00 this afternoon. I have the day off of work, so I am spending the day preparing for her return. I am going to make a large pallet in the living room for us to sleep on tonight. The vet tech warned me that Emma should not do any jumping once she is home tonight, so I am going to bring our bed down to her level, rather than making her sleep alone on the floor after a kind of scary day.
Dachshunds have notorious tartar build up problems, so we wanted to get her teeth cleaned while she's still relatively young, so as to prevent future internal problems from the tartar. She will probably need to get another cleaning when she is 8 or so. They are also clipping her nails while she is knocked out, so that will be nice! She hates getting her nails clipped.
When Chad and I dropped her off at the vet this morning I did a lot better than I thought I would. When we had her spayed when she was one, I couldn't even make it through the check in process. I handed her over to Chad and went outside, sat on the curb, and cried. This morning I made it through the check in process and the consultation, reserving my tears for the car ride home. I know it is pretty ridiculous, but I just worry so much about her. I take great comfort in knowing that she isn't having major surgery or having any organs removed - she's just having a routine cleaning. This is why I'm not ready to have kids yet. I can just see it now - "what's that doctor? He needs to have his finger pricked?" as I fall to the floor in a heap of sobs. Nope, just not quite ready yet!
Training Update:
Triathlon training is FUN! I have had 3 weeks of really good training, and I am really enjoying each leg of the sport. The only thing I have been lagging in is my swimming, and the pool I use is going to be closed for the next two weeks, so that kind of sucks. But, we are going to Louisiana in two weeks for a week long vacation at Chad's parents house and I plan to swim in their pool every day. Here is my workout log for the past few weeks:
6/15 Mon: 2. 0 mile run in 19:47
6/16 Tues: 3.0 mile run in 28:38
6/17 Wed: 25 minute swim
6/18 Thurs: AM- 2.0 mile run in 18:57; PM- 22.2 mile ride in 1:39:06 (experienced my 1st flat!)
6/19 Fri: Rest
6/20 Sat: Brick - 7.12 mile run in 1:14:05; 650 yard swim in 15:55
6/21 Sun: Brick - 9.5 mile bike in 38:55; 2.0 mile run in 19:00 (2 minutes in transition)
6/22 Mon: Rest
6/23 Tues: Rest (overslept for a.m. run, too stormy for p.m. ride)
6/24 Wed: Rest (overslept for a.m. run)
6/25 Thurs: 2 mile run in 20:23
6/26 Fri: 12 mile ride in 47:21 with a 15.5 average mph
6/27 Sat: 5k road race in 26:12
6/28 Sun: Brick - 9.5 mile bike in 37:33; 2 mile run in 19:00 (1.5 minutes in transition)
6/29 Mon: 900 yd swim in 21:00
6/30 Tues: AM- 3.0 mile run in 30:02; PM- 16.5 mile ride in 1:05:29
7/1 Wed: Rest
7/2 Thurs: 26 mile ride in 1:5o:37
7/3 Fri: Rest
7/4 Sat: 10k road race (time TBD)
7/5 Sun: Brick - 12 mile bike, 4 mile run (times TBD)
I feel like I still have a lot of work to do in each area, but for my first tri in August my goal is just to finish and have fun. I've really enjoyed my brick workouts, and I feel like they really give me an idea of how race day might go. Two things I really would like to work on are increasing my average miles per hour on my rides, and improving on my running times.
I ran the RJ Corman 5k in Wilmore last Saturday in 26:12, which was good enough for me to take 1st place in the women's 24-29 age group. While I would have like to have finished in 25:30 or so, I was happy with the 26:12 time because it was HOT. My favorite part of this race is that they have iced down watermelon at the finish line. I practically dunked my head in the big ice bucket. That watermelon was so good. I didn't think I would place, so I was happy to learn that I had taken 1st place in my age group. Like I've said before, it's all about the size of the field folks!
Tomorrow morning I am running the Bluegrass 10k. I ran this race year before last, and I remember it as a fast, flat course. There are normally about 3,000 or so participants, so that will be fun to participate in a larger race. Readers who have been with me for awhile may remember that I was verbally assaulted by a homeless woman the last time I ran this race!
Well, I am going to get back to preparing the house for an afternoon with one groggy miniature dachshund.
Emma is getting her teeth cleaned today. We dropped her off at 8:00am this morning, and we will be able to pick her up around 3:30 or 4:00 this afternoon. I have the day off of work, so I am spending the day preparing for her return. I am going to make a large pallet in the living room for us to sleep on tonight. The vet tech warned me that Emma should not do any jumping once she is home tonight, so I am going to bring our bed down to her level, rather than making her sleep alone on the floor after a kind of scary day.
Dachshunds have notorious tartar build up problems, so we wanted to get her teeth cleaned while she's still relatively young, so as to prevent future internal problems from the tartar. She will probably need to get another cleaning when she is 8 or so. They are also clipping her nails while she is knocked out, so that will be nice! She hates getting her nails clipped.
When Chad and I dropped her off at the vet this morning I did a lot better than I thought I would. When we had her spayed when she was one, I couldn't even make it through the check in process. I handed her over to Chad and went outside, sat on the curb, and cried. This morning I made it through the check in process and the consultation, reserving my tears for the car ride home. I know it is pretty ridiculous, but I just worry so much about her. I take great comfort in knowing that she isn't having major surgery or having any organs removed - she's just having a routine cleaning. This is why I'm not ready to have kids yet. I can just see it now - "what's that doctor? He needs to have his finger pricked?" as I fall to the floor in a heap of sobs. Nope, just not quite ready yet!
Training Update:
Triathlon training is FUN! I have had 3 weeks of really good training, and I am really enjoying each leg of the sport. The only thing I have been lagging in is my swimming, and the pool I use is going to be closed for the next two weeks, so that kind of sucks. But, we are going to Louisiana in two weeks for a week long vacation at Chad's parents house and I plan to swim in their pool every day. Here is my workout log for the past few weeks:
6/15 Mon: 2. 0 mile run in 19:47
6/16 Tues: 3.0 mile run in 28:38
6/17 Wed: 25 minute swim
6/18 Thurs: AM- 2.0 mile run in 18:57; PM- 22.2 mile ride in 1:39:06 (experienced my 1st flat!)
6/19 Fri: Rest
6/20 Sat: Brick - 7.12 mile run in 1:14:05; 650 yard swim in 15:55
6/21 Sun: Brick - 9.5 mile bike in 38:55; 2.0 mile run in 19:00 (2 minutes in transition)
6/22 Mon: Rest
6/23 Tues: Rest (overslept for a.m. run, too stormy for p.m. ride)
6/24 Wed: Rest (overslept for a.m. run)
6/25 Thurs: 2 mile run in 20:23
6/26 Fri: 12 mile ride in 47:21 with a 15.5 average mph
6/27 Sat: 5k road race in 26:12
6/28 Sun: Brick - 9.5 mile bike in 37:33; 2 mile run in 19:00 (1.5 minutes in transition)
6/29 Mon: 900 yd swim in 21:00
6/30 Tues: AM- 3.0 mile run in 30:02; PM- 16.5 mile ride in 1:05:29
7/1 Wed: Rest
7/2 Thurs: 26 mile ride in 1:5o:37
7/3 Fri: Rest
7/4 Sat: 10k road race (time TBD)
7/5 Sun: Brick - 12 mile bike, 4 mile run (times TBD)
I feel like I still have a lot of work to do in each area, but for my first tri in August my goal is just to finish and have fun. I've really enjoyed my brick workouts, and I feel like they really give me an idea of how race day might go. Two things I really would like to work on are increasing my average miles per hour on my rides, and improving on my running times.
I ran the RJ Corman 5k in Wilmore last Saturday in 26:12, which was good enough for me to take 1st place in the women's 24-29 age group. While I would have like to have finished in 25:30 or so, I was happy with the 26:12 time because it was HOT. My favorite part of this race is that they have iced down watermelon at the finish line. I practically dunked my head in the big ice bucket. That watermelon was so good. I didn't think I would place, so I was happy to learn that I had taken 1st place in my age group. Like I've said before, it's all about the size of the field folks!
Tomorrow morning I am running the Bluegrass 10k. I ran this race year before last, and I remember it as a fast, flat course. There are normally about 3,000 or so participants, so that will be fun to participate in a larger race. Readers who have been with me for awhile may remember that I was verbally assaulted by a homeless woman the last time I ran this race!
Well, I am going to get back to preparing the house for an afternoon with one groggy miniature dachshund.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Meredith takes to the Streets!
Week 1 of my 14-week triathlon training program is off to a good start.
Last night I did my first serious 12 mile training ride - out on real roads, with real cars and real hills. I have been "riding" my bike once a week for the past month or so, but I quickly realized on the ride last night that I know nothing about cycling. Lucky for me, one of our friends, Cody, is a very good cyclist and he has taken me under his wing. He's been cycling seriously for about 5 years, and he is a wealth of information. After a one hour ride last night, I am much more comfortable with my clipless pedals and I'm even starting to understand the why, what and when of gear changing.
Before the ride last night, I was terrified to change gears because I was convinced I would throw the chain. But Cody explained that not changing gears really isn't option - so I started changing gears, and then I kind of got the hang of it. We rode in a few trafficky areas, but Cody taught me the etiquettes of riding on the road and which hand signals to use. I had to leave the signaling up to him, as my hands were clutching the handlebars for dear life most of the time. But overall, my confidence was boosted. I feel like knowing what I am doing on the bike will make me a better rider, and more importantly, a safer rider!
This morning I swam 1000 yards. This is the furthest I have ever swam - on purpose at least. It took me 25 minutes and 13 seconds, but I have no idea if that is a decent time for swimming 1000 yards. I was worried about losing track of my laps, so I set 20 pennies on a kickboard at the end of my lane, next to my water bottle. After every down and back (50 yards) I moved one penny to the right. After going down and back 20 times, I was done! I alternated every 50 yards between the crawl and the breast stroke. As I get stronger in the crawl, I will try to alternate between 100 yards crawl, 50 yards breast stroke, 100 yards crawl, etc. Eventually, I will be able to do 1000 yards crawl.
My workouts so far this week:
Tuesday am: Run 2 miles (19:05 min)
Tuesday pm: Ride 12 miles (roughly 60 minutes...definitley want to get faster on the bike!)
Wednesday am: 1000 yard swim (25:13)
And my scheduled workouts for the rest of the week:
Thursday am: 3 mile run
Thursday pm: 12 mile ride
Saturday am: 5 mile run
Sunday pm: 15 mile ride, 2 mile run (brick workout)
Some miscellaneous pictures from the weekend:
Sunday was a cool, rainy day and Emma took the opportunity to snooze on the couch.
She was not happy when I woke her up with the flash from the camera!
Mother's Day (yes, Emma counts) came a week early when Chad surprised me by cutting off all of his hair! I have been pestering him to cut it for months, and he finally decided that it was time to get a cut. After going to my favorite place for lunch on Sunday (Chipotle), Chad took me to the mall for a "surprise" - I had a feeling we were headed to the salon, but I wasn't 100% sure. When we stopped right outside of "Max and Mia's" my heart jumped. He got probably 7-8 inches cut off - I was afraid the stylist would slip on all the hair! I took the picture above on the way home after the shearing...what a hunk!
I had some leftover pico de gallo from Chipotle, so on Monday evening I decided to make a black bean burrito for dinner. I only used 5 ingredients: tortilla, brown rice, black beans, reduced fat mozzarella cheese and pico de gallo. It was delicious, filling, and pretty healthy! I scooped up the burrito "droppings" with Lays Baked Scoops tortilla chips. I will probably start eating this quick and easy meal at least once a week. I just noticed that you can see Tiger Wood's eyes peering out at you in the top right hand corner of the photo...that is my Gatorade bottle!
Last night I did my first serious 12 mile training ride - out on real roads, with real cars and real hills. I have been "riding" my bike once a week for the past month or so, but I quickly realized on the ride last night that I know nothing about cycling. Lucky for me, one of our friends, Cody, is a very good cyclist and he has taken me under his wing. He's been cycling seriously for about 5 years, and he is a wealth of information. After a one hour ride last night, I am much more comfortable with my clipless pedals and I'm even starting to understand the why, what and when of gear changing.
Before the ride last night, I was terrified to change gears because I was convinced I would throw the chain. But Cody explained that not changing gears really isn't option - so I started changing gears, and then I kind of got the hang of it. We rode in a few trafficky areas, but Cody taught me the etiquettes of riding on the road and which hand signals to use. I had to leave the signaling up to him, as my hands were clutching the handlebars for dear life most of the time. But overall, my confidence was boosted. I feel like knowing what I am doing on the bike will make me a better rider, and more importantly, a safer rider!
This morning I swam 1000 yards. This is the furthest I have ever swam - on purpose at least. It took me 25 minutes and 13 seconds, but I have no idea if that is a decent time for swimming 1000 yards. I was worried about losing track of my laps, so I set 20 pennies on a kickboard at the end of my lane, next to my water bottle. After every down and back (50 yards) I moved one penny to the right. After going down and back 20 times, I was done! I alternated every 50 yards between the crawl and the breast stroke. As I get stronger in the crawl, I will try to alternate between 100 yards crawl, 50 yards breast stroke, 100 yards crawl, etc. Eventually, I will be able to do 1000 yards crawl.
My workouts so far this week:
Tuesday am: Run 2 miles (19:05 min)
Tuesday pm: Ride 12 miles (roughly 60 minutes...definitley want to get faster on the bike!)
Wednesday am: 1000 yard swim (25:13)
And my scheduled workouts for the rest of the week:
Thursday am: 3 mile run
Thursday pm: 12 mile ride
Saturday am: 5 mile run
Sunday pm: 15 mile ride, 2 mile run (brick workout)
Some miscellaneous pictures from the weekend:
Sunday was a cool, rainy day and Emma took the opportunity to snooze on the couch.
She was not happy when I woke her up with the flash from the camera!
Mother's Day (yes, Emma counts) came a week early when Chad surprised me by cutting off all of his hair! I have been pestering him to cut it for months, and he finally decided that it was time to get a cut. After going to my favorite place for lunch on Sunday (Chipotle), Chad took me to the mall for a "surprise" - I had a feeling we were headed to the salon, but I wasn't 100% sure. When we stopped right outside of "Max and Mia's" my heart jumped. He got probably 7-8 inches cut off - I was afraid the stylist would slip on all the hair! I took the picture above on the way home after the shearing...what a hunk!
I had some leftover pico de gallo from Chipotle, so on Monday evening I decided to make a black bean burrito for dinner. I only used 5 ingredients: tortilla, brown rice, black beans, reduced fat mozzarella cheese and pico de gallo. It was delicious, filling, and pretty healthy! I scooped up the burrito "droppings" with Lays Baked Scoops tortilla chips. I will probably start eating this quick and easy meal at least once a week. I just noticed that you can see Tiger Wood's eyes peering out at you in the top right hand corner of the photo...that is my Gatorade bottle!Sunday, December 9, 2007
2008 Race Calendar
I love the end of the year because it means I can start planning for the next one. My race schedule is filling up, and I'm hoping for a year of PR's. I'm also going to try and do some multi-sport events, and maybe even some triathalons. After watching the Hawaii Ironman championships, I've been bit by the tri-bug. My next big endeavor is going to be training and getting ready for Ironman Louisville 2009. Here's what I've got so far:
January
January 1 - Hangover Classic 10 Miler, Louisville KY
February
February 9 - Heart, Sole & Glove 5K, Lexington KY
March
March 29 - Papa John's 10 Miler, Louisville KY
March ?? - YMCA Splash and Dash, Lexington KY (500 yard swim, 5k run)
April
April 20 - Heart & Sole Duathalon (5k run, 15 mile bike, 5k run), Versailles KY
April 26 - Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon, Louisville KY
May
May 4 - Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati OH
June
TBD
July
July 4 - Bluegrass 10K, Lexington KY
August
August 31 - Louisville IronMan (just a spectator this year...!)
September
TBD
October
TBD
November
November 2 - Huntington Marathon, Huntington WV
These are all of the available races available around Lexington at the moment. While I most likely won't do all of these, it's nice to see that there are so many event opportunities around here. I am going to try and get an entry level road bike in January, and I'm trying to figure out how I can gain access to a pool. I'm really excited about this upcoming year and all of the events - I know that multi-sport training is going to help me reach my marathon goal of 4:30 at the Flying Pig marathon in May.
January
January 1 - Hangover Classic 10 Miler, Louisville KY
February
February 9 - Heart, Sole & Glove 5K, Lexington KY
March
March 29 - Papa John's 10 Miler, Louisville KY
March ?? - YMCA Splash and Dash, Lexington KY (500 yard swim, 5k run)
April
April 20 - Heart & Sole Duathalon (5k run, 15 mile bike, 5k run), Versailles KY
April 26 - Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon, Louisville KY
May
May 4 - Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati OH
June
TBD
July
July 4 - Bluegrass 10K, Lexington KY
August
August 31 - Louisville IronMan (just a spectator this year...!)
September
TBD
October
TBD
November
November 2 - Huntington Marathon, Huntington WV
These are all of the available races available around Lexington at the moment. While I most likely won't do all of these, it's nice to see that there are so many event opportunities around here. I am going to try and get an entry level road bike in January, and I'm trying to figure out how I can gain access to a pool. I'm really excited about this upcoming year and all of the events - I know that multi-sport training is going to help me reach my marathon goal of 4:30 at the Flying Pig marathon in May.
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