Hey All,
Spent yesterday sick. Blech. Stomach was hurting so bad I didn't even work. (And that takes a lot when one works from home.) Needless to say, no training was done.
Finally felt better today. Skipped the morning swim, but got out there for the Fun Run. The course of the week was "No Name," a course that has always boded bad luck for me. I finally did decent on it - no GI issues, no bonking, nothing. I finished the 4.28 miles in 35.37. Not a speed record by any means, but not bad. I really want to get back to doing sub-8's though. I hate having lost my speed. I just have to keep telling myself that I've made huge improvements in my endurance.
In other news, Lake Placid is absolutely crawling with Ironman competitors. Awesome!
Anyway, tomorrow will be a 20 mile bike and swimming the Ironman course. First 1.2 mile open water swim ever! I'm nervous, but I know I can do this. (Actually, physically, I can. Put me in a pool and it'd be no problem. It's totally the mental aspect of being out in the middle of the lake that gets to me.)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
...and back!
I've been up since 5:30 and Dr. Z. took his camera home anyway, so I'll make this short for now. I did indeed get my sorry ass out the door yesterday and run 10 miles in a surprising 1:32:30. Pretty freakin' sweet! Now I just need to get back on my damn bike. I haven't ridden in over a WEEK! (I was hoping to get out there this afternoon but was just WAY too tired between the lack of sleep and the three hour drive home.)
Anyway, Dr. Z's XTerra sprint tri started off strongly - he survived the swim. He was back of the back, but putting in pretty damn good times for him and was far from the last one out of the water.
He looked good leaving T1, but unfortunately completely twisted and wrecked his chain about halfway through the bike. Frustrating because he had just finished the real technical part of the course. He was understandably upset and not just DNFing, but also having to throw yet more money into his hybrid.
Anyway, more details to come with pictures, but now I must SLEEP.
Anyway, Dr. Z's XTerra sprint tri started off strongly - he survived the swim. He was back of the back, but putting in pretty damn good times for him and was far from the last one out of the water.
He looked good leaving T1, but unfortunately completely twisted and wrecked his chain about halfway through the bike. Frustrating because he had just finished the real technical part of the course. He was understandably upset and not just DNFing, but also having to throw yet more money into his hybrid.
Anyway, more details to come with pictures, but now I must SLEEP.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Quick Note
Going out of town soon to sherpa Dr. Z through his first official triathlon - the Sky High XTerra down outside of Albany. It's a sprint-distance offroad triathlon - a bit too crazy for my tastes. (My bike handling skills are Teh Suck - no way I'd survive.)
Anyway, I'll be back Sunday night or Monday morning with pictures. In the meantime, I'm hoping to get in a quick ten miles before we leave today and fifty miles on the bike tomorrow after we get back. (That's the plan anyway. We'll see if it actually happens.)
Anyway, I'll be back Sunday night or Monday morning with pictures. In the meantime, I'm hoping to get in a quick ten miles before we leave today and fifty miles on the bike tomorrow after we get back. (That's the plan anyway. We'll see if it actually happens.)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Evening Swim
Had to cancel my bike ride today thanks to torrential rains all day long. I think I'm going to remove the slicks from my mountain bike Beast, put the knobbies back on, and use him for bad weather. I haven't ridden in a week and I'm NOT happy about it. (Admittedly the other missed workouts were my fault - I've been dealing with insomnia all week and it's affected my training.)
Anyway, had a nice evening swim with Dr. Z after work. Went out to the first orange buoy after the yellow ones in ten minutes. Had a panic attack when I went to cross over to the other lane to head back and ended up fighting the wind-driven current. I switched to breaststroke and managed to get to the other line without completely losing it. Once I was on the line again, I was fine. Something about the buoys soothes me even though I'm not tall enough to stand on the line. It's like I feel connected to land and civilization as long as I can just watch the line under me. Got back REAL fast though - 18:30 when I hit the last buoy. Since it was so early in the workout, I went back out four buoys and this time DIDN'T freak out crossing over. Still finished early at 28:00, but just wasn't feeling it today. Will hit it again on Tuesday. I do get nervous heading out much further without an escort boat though. Don't know how other triathletes do it.
Anyway, had a nice evening swim with Dr. Z after work. Went out to the first orange buoy after the yellow ones in ten minutes. Had a panic attack when I went to cross over to the other lane to head back and ended up fighting the wind-driven current. I switched to breaststroke and managed to get to the other line without completely losing it. Once I was on the line again, I was fine. Something about the buoys soothes me even though I'm not tall enough to stand on the line. It's like I feel connected to land and civilization as long as I can just watch the line under me. Got back REAL fast though - 18:30 when I hit the last buoy. Since it was so early in the workout, I went back out four buoys and this time DIDN'T freak out crossing over. Still finished early at 28:00, but just wasn't feeling it today. Will hit it again on Tuesday. I do get nervous heading out much further without an escort boat though. Don't know how other triathletes do it.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Fun Run #2 and When to Throw Out Your Shorts
Well, I just got back from Fun Run #2 of the year. It was hot...AGAIN. I bonked and ended up walking parts of it...AGAIN. I finished in 34 minutes even, which is 4 minutes off my PR for the Hillyman course. Sigh. I was hoping the extra Gatorade and adding salt to it would help. I'm starting to run out of ideas.
On a positive note, my pace was almost 15 seconds faster than last week (8:57 vs. 9:09) despite it being a MUCH tougher course, so I guess that's something. (Last week was Flatlander.) I know it wasn't totally the heat - I haven't been doing my hill work.
Oh, and I guess it's time to retire these shorts. It looks like my ass has been attacked by a wildcat.
On a positive note, my pace was almost 15 seconds faster than last week (8:57 vs. 9:09) despite it being a MUCH tougher course, so I guess that's something. (Last week was Flatlander.) I know it wasn't totally the heat - I haven't been doing my hill work.
Oh, and I guess it's time to retire these shorts. It looks like my ass has been attacked by a wildcat.
New Record For Me
Yes indeed. No posts since freakin' FEBRUARY? Sheesh. So much has happened that I'm not even going to try to catch up. I'm just going to post today's workout as if nothing's happened.
Went for a swim in Mirror Lake this morning. I'm really starting to love the early morning swims. I just wish I could zip myself into my wetsuit - it's always a pain to find someone to do it for me. The downside of liking a tight fit.
I swam out to the second yellow buoy. I had been hoping to go further but started feeling wheezy and the water is NO place to mess with an oncoming asthma attack, so I turned around. Luckily, by the time I got back to the start buoy it had passed so I went back out and swam the first four buoys again. I'm really hoping to finally do the whole line tomorrow night and prove to myself that I can swim 1.2 in open water. In the meantime, I'm upping my Pulmicort (steroid inhaler) back to twice a day instead of just once. My doctor told me to try bringing it down to just once a day but it's not working, at least in this heat. I'll also use my rescue inhaler before going in.
Tonight will be another hot Fun Run. Argh. Plan for not bonking like last week is full Gatorade (already slurped down half a liter) instead of diluted, the Heed Endurolytes I got at the criterium, and tucking in behind IronDad for the first three miles. He's SO much better at pacing than I! (I should have known not to pass him in the first half mile last week, but the pace felt too easy - needless to say, I blew up and he ended up passing and finishing way before me.)
Let's see if we can iron out these issues!
Went for a swim in Mirror Lake this morning. I'm really starting to love the early morning swims. I just wish I could zip myself into my wetsuit - it's always a pain to find someone to do it for me. The downside of liking a tight fit.
I swam out to the second yellow buoy. I had been hoping to go further but started feeling wheezy and the water is NO place to mess with an oncoming asthma attack, so I turned around. Luckily, by the time I got back to the start buoy it had passed so I went back out and swam the first four buoys again. I'm really hoping to finally do the whole line tomorrow night and prove to myself that I can swim 1.2 in open water. In the meantime, I'm upping my Pulmicort (steroid inhaler) back to twice a day instead of just once. My doctor told me to try bringing it down to just once a day but it's not working, at least in this heat. I'll also use my rescue inhaler before going in.
Tonight will be another hot Fun Run. Argh. Plan for not bonking like last week is full Gatorade (already slurped down half a liter) instead of diluted, the Heed Endurolytes I got at the criterium, and tucking in behind IronDad for the first three miles. He's SO much better at pacing than I! (I should have known not to pass him in the first half mile last week, but the pace felt too easy - needless to say, I blew up and he ended up passing and finishing way before me.)
Let's see if we can iron out these issues!
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