Swam over a MILE!

You read that right. After an awesome 4.5 mile run this morning, I swam 2000 meters in 55:12. That's 1.14 MILES. How cool is that?

TrainerChick was there after teaching a water aerobics class, and unbidden gave me a tip on how to rotate to breathe without using my kick, so yet another form issue solved.

My average was 2:46/100, which sound pathetic, but I was still working out form issues in the first 500, hit my peak of 13:16 in the second 500, did the third 500 in 13:51 and had to fight both fatigue and a nasty foot cramp in the last 500, coming in at 14:05. So, I know I can do even better next time. I'll start with hitting under 55:00 and go from there.

YAY!

Training Back on Track

Training for the Tinman is finally back on track...for now. A second business trip, this time to L.A., may very well derail it, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

Saturday I swam for 1250 yards, doing a 200 yard warmup, 10x100, and then 50 yards to cool down. I left my watch home again, but stayed ahead of the woman next to me, which made me feel good.

That evening I did another speed workout, this timeon the trainer. 45 minutes of awesome pain.

Sunday was a much-needed day off.

Today I did my long bike - 90 minutes at a heartrate of around 140. My legs were all wobbly when I got off!

Tomorrow is a long swim (2000 YARDS!) and a run. After that, failure may come again as the stupid pool is closed Wednesday - Sunday for the holiday. Suckage.

First Swim Lesson, Great Long Run

Tuesday's swim lesson went really well. It was held in the endless pool, so TrainerChick was able to stand next to me and correct my form as I swam. Turns out I have good body position, but it goes to hell when I breathe, so I worked on rolling my entire body and tucking my chin in to breathe. Also, I was forcing the kick, so I worked on that as well. (TrainerChick: "Think mermaid!")

I ran on the treadmill right after since I was at the gym and boy was that a mistake. Had a terrible run. I do seem to remember that the treadmill I used is set a bit fast, so that might have been the issue.

Wednesday I got on the trainer for an hour easy. Kept the heart rate in the 130s. I find the monitor keeps me honest on the trainer since I can't measure distance. I was supposed to run after, but was SO exhausted from staying up late the night before that I bagged both that and Karate.

Yesterday was back to the pool to put what I had learned on Tuesday to practice. Unfortunately I was actually SLOWER than before. I know that I have to slow down to make corrections, but it was still very frustrating. Dr. Z suggested that I leave the watch at home for now and I'm going to use that advice. My plan goes by distance for swimming anyway. I'll start timing myself when the changes have been incorporated smoothly.

Today's long run went much better, which was nice. (Hey, I may not be much on the bike or swim yet, but dammit I can run.) I ran 6:75 miles in an hour despite a cold rain and a nasty headwind on the way back. It was definitely a "mental toughness" day, but I was rewarded by my fastest hour-long run in ages.

Tomorrow is a speed session at the pool and 45 minutes of intervals on the bike trainer. Sunday will be a much-deserved rest day with much watching of the football.

Back to Work(ing Out)

Lost of last week due to illness WHILE being at a work conference. Blech!

Anyway, finally getting back into it. I did 45 minutes easy on the trainer last night, which went well. Followed that up with 3.5 miles at an 8:43 pace this morning. I'm hoping to do another hour easy on the trainer after work, but am losing steam fast.

Tomorrow is my first swim lesson. I am so excited! Hopefully I can start to fix all my form issues and because if not fast, at least efficient in the water. Yay! Also will be running 3.5 miles easy again.

Great Wintery Run

Yesterday Dr. Z and I hit the pool again. I did 3x400 and came up with my usual ten minute-ish times. At the end, one of the local trainers who was leading a water aerobics class said, "You guys were working hard. I could make you so much more efficient. I'll bring a card to Karate." (Her kid takes classes.) It was like we were painful for her to watch, LOL. Dr. Z got there too late to grab her before the end of the kid's class, but I'm hoping to stop by the gym and pick up a card - I'd love to take lessons from her.

Last night's Karate class was pretty good. It was a TINY class - the flu is just rampaging through town right now. Half the people there were black belts. We worked sai for a while, then did conditioning drills, tae sabak drills, and a little bunkai. No sparring, but I think it was because the class was too small.

Today was my long run. It was AWESOME! 35 and no wind - perfect running weather for me. I covered almost 6.75 miles in an hour. Yay! I don't even feel wiped from it.

It's weird only doing one workout today, but no teaching Kid's Class because of Business After Hours. Must network!

Tomorrow is swimming, biking, and Karate.

New Tri Plan

My new Half-Ironman training program is going well so far. Did a long swim yesterday. I'm still slow, but getting better.

Last night's Karate class was wonderfully low-key, which I needed after a hard run and a hard swim. We did some sai, conditioning drills, and self-defense.

Ran again this morning - First time I've run two days in a row in a long time. It was a slow, easy run though - 3.2 miles in 30 minutes. Will be doing 45 minutes easy on the bike later today.

Tomorrow is a swim and Karate class. Easy!

Good Run

Did a 40 minute Z3 run this morning. Zone 3 unfortunately is just under a 9:00 pace nowadays, but I know that I'll get my speed back now that I'm running regularly again. I went about 4.53 miles. It felt great - I love running in the cold!

Looking forward to swimming during lunch. Have a 1500 yd set scheduled. It'll be the first time I've ever swam anywhere near that far without stopping, so it should be interesting.

Tonight is Karate. Really looking forward to that as well after missing last week completely.

Yep, that's three workouts today. Phew!

Unscheduled Day Off and New Plan

Ended up taking yesterday off, not even going to Karate. The car was in the shop all day and my period had just started, leaving me wiped. Thanks Mother Nature! (NOT!)

On a positive note, I'm starting a new training plan that's geared for Half Ironman. That's right, I'm doing Tinman in June! Haven't signed up yet because of money, but will soon. It's actually slightly more than a half IM, at 70.7 miles instead of 70.3. (The run is long, according to the website.) I think I'll be truly excited and nervous once I actually sign up...yikes!

Hitting the pool after work...can't wait! (Assuming it's not crowded...downside of going after work instead of during lunch.)

Tri Training Goes On

Not much new...been swimming and biking. Finally started to ease back into running on the treadmill, which my foot hasn't complained about so far. Getting a new pair of trainers didn't hurt.

Pool is going well. I can do 50 yards in 1:06, which is an improvement but I can't hold the pace for long. I've been going with Dr. Z., who can speed right by me in the next lane. My only solace is the fact that he burns out fast.

Biking is still about the same. I keep forgetting to pump up my tire a bit. It's way too soft - to the point where the resistance on the trainer is being affected.

Hoping to hit the gym today for a short run on the treadmill and some weight work. That is, if I can get my car back from the garage. (If only it were a bit warmer - I'd just bike over.)

Splashing Around in the Pool

Yesterday's pool workout went great! No wait for a lane; in fact, at one point I had the entire pool to myself.

The main part of my workout was 10x100 @3:00. I shocked myself and hit a couple 2:35'a. INSANE! (At least for me. I know a decent triathlete goes at sub-1:45 or at least sub-2:00) I had to stop at eight, but still. Between that, warmup, and cooldown I swam a total of 1600 yards. That's right - a mile! Sweet!

Did 75 minutes on the trainer this morning. Kept it fairly light since it was an endurance workout. It felt good, although that long on a trainer is mind-numbing, even with HGTV on.

Hoping to hit the gym later for weights and core.

Tomorrow: MORE swimming! And Karate!

No Running (For Now)

Went hiking up Big Slide on Saturday with Dr. Z. It ended up KILLING my foot, especially when I had to supinate to stay on the rocks. After the hike, my foot was really swollen and discolored and hurt like a sonofabitch.

I decided to ice it and give it overnight to feel better before going to Urgent Care. It hurt just as much in the morning, so it was off to the doctor's. The good news is that it's a pulled ligament, not a broken metatarsal. The bad news is that running is out, and as I found out at last night's class, is Karate. Sigh.

Biking doesn't seem to bother it - I did an hour on the trainer yesterday without problem. I even did a weight circuit.

I'm off to the pool shortly - we'll see how the foot handles swimming.

First Swim in Weeks

Got my shiny new gym membership yesterday, which...yay! That meant today I could hit the pool for the first time ever.

Although it's out in Saranac Lake, it took me less than fifteen minutes to get there, which, can't complain. I was worried about it being crowded, which seemed a well-founded concern at first with all the lanes full, but then a.) The lifeguard said it's "never this busy" and b.) a lane (occupied by none other than the awesome P.) opened up within 30 seconds. Sweet!

The 2000 meter workout my plan called for DID seem a stretch after not swimming for a month, and it was. I did a 300 meter warmup, 6x50 meters, then 7x100 meters at a 3:00 pace. Cooled down with 100 meters. So, not as ambitious as I hoped, but my arms were tired and I was running out of time anyway. (Whoever gave the time estimates for these swims were evidently using Phelp's pace.)

It just felt SO GREAT to be back in the water. If I have to be in a pool, at least it's a clean, close, and empty one. Can't wait to go again!

First Race Win EVER! YAY!

Saturday's Pumpkin Run 5K went better than I could ever imagine.

At first I wasn't confident of a decent time because it was FREEZING cold, gray and windy. Even during my warmup, I just wasn't "feeling fast." I started thinking, well what the hell, it's a nice little local race for charity. After Stride for Pride's great time, I can't get to upset at a slow time.

We all lined up. It was a small race - about two dozen people or so, a lot of teenagers. The gun went off and although my legs weren't tired per se, they did not feel speedy at all.

Somehow I still managed to find myself in third place overall, with one girl and one guy ahead of me. The guy was the same kid who dropped me in the last mile at Stride for Pride, but more on that later.

I didn't see any mile markers, so didn't check my watch the entire time. The first half was down Mt. Pisgah and all I kept thinking was, "Oh man, the second half back up the mountain is going to SUCK."

Hit the turnaround and the lead girl started flagging the minute we hit the uphills. I managed to catch her around mile 2.5 or so. There was an extra loop on the way back to make it a 5K, so I lost my feel for where I was on the course, and didn't realize I was near the finish line until I was on top of it. I only had 200 meters or so to open up and sprint. If I had known the course better I might have been able to shave a few seconds off my time AND catch the lead guy.

Anyway, I finished first woman, second runner in. Usually not a big deal since it was such a small race. The important number is my time, which was a season best 23:17.

It was a great way to end the season - a season best AND my first win.

Now, back to triathlon training and hopefully getting my endurance up in time to do Tinman next season. Getting my pool/gym membership today.

Last Taper Before Last Race

Did two miles easy this morning - 17:53 total. Tomorrow is the Pumpkin Run (I'm doing the 5K) and the last race of the season.

Last year at this time I was feeling beat up and actually cancelled my last race, but I've recovered from the 90-Miler and am kind of sad at the season ending. I guess I just have to look at it as time to build a decent endurance base and get ready for next season.

Anyway, hopefully I will do as surprisingly well as I did at the Stride for Pride, but we'll see. It'll be fun just getting out there and racing.

Long Run

Did an hour of running this morning in the snow. Made it even further than last week - 6.7 miles and stayed just under a nine minute pace. Yay! Once my running muscles come back I'll be able to go even longer.

Last night's Karate class was pretty much as expected - taught kata and bo, but did get some work with kama with Sensei.

Yawn...the constant cold, overcast weather is really zapping my energy. Hard to think about tomorrow, but will try to get on the bike, either outdoors or by finally getting the new trainer set up. (Need to bring the bike in for a tuneup and a trainer tire first.)

Rest Day...Mostly

Today would usually be a bike day for me, but seeing as it's 37 and alternating between rain, sleet, and snow, I'm thinking I'll take my first rest day in ages. Afraid once the front wheel wedge for my bike arrives, it's time to take her to the shop for one final tuneup, buy a trainer wheel, and put her in the living room for the winter. I can always take out Beast for a spin if it's nice.

Of course, I DO have Karate tonight, but it should be pretty low-key since they had sparring on Monday. Hope we get to work sai some more! (Or actually bo - I'm starting to get a little rusty!)

Tomorrow will be a long run, hopefully in better weather. Also helping to teach Thursday kid's class.

Wet Run

Headed out for some VERY soggy speedwork today. It was pouring and 50 degrees. Yuck! Got 'er done though. Ten minute warmup at 9:00 pace followed by 4x30 second strides for a total of fifteen minutes. Blah! It was great to get back inside and dry off.

Stride for Pride 5K

First off, I just looked at the lack of posts over the summer and apologize. I definitely need to get back to updating more often. Hopefully now that summer's winding down I'll be better about it.

Yesterday was the Stride for Pride, a local 5K for charity. Last year I took second overall, but was just going to do it as a fun run this year since I haven't been logging many miles on my feet.

It was rainy, cold and overcast. I was actually happy about it because 50 and drizzly is what I run the 5K distance best in. I did my usual warmup - about ten minutes of jogging with striders.

The gun went off and I was careful to pace myself - I have a long history of going out too fast and burning out around mile 2.5. I felt good and in control, so was very surprised when I hit mile 1 at 7:30. My first thought was "Oh crap! I'm going to pay for this in a mile!" I eased off the gas a bit and was actually talking a bit with the guy next to me.

I got close to the turnaround and realized (this is the great thing about a race that's out and back) that I was the second female runner. Crap. Now I was going to have to get serious.

I hit mile two at 14:50 and was incredulous. A negative split going 30 seconds/mile faster than I planned or hoped! I knew that all I had to do was hold on for another 1.1 or so and I would not only come in second, but run a close-to-PR race.

I did start running out of gas, but just kept commanding my legs to go. In the end, it was a good thing because as it turns out IronKid's younger sister was right behind me the entire time.

I crossed the finish line at 23:20. Unbelievable. A 7:30 pace on the dot, assuming a true 5K. (And I've heard rumor it may be closer to 3.2) The other great thing is that I paced almost perfectly the entire time, which has always been an issue for me.

So I was second female overall, first in my age group, beating by only, as in last year, IronKid. (She was hoping to break 20 and was disappointed with this year's 20:55. Poor baby! :-D )

So, I almost PRed after months of running less than ten miles a week. Amazing! Guess all that bike training paid off in ways I didn't see.

On the agenda for today is a nice, easy bike ride during lunch to shake out the legs.

Back to Tri

Now that the 90-Miler is over, I've been able to refocus on triathlon training.

I've actually been mostly biking and just getting more comfortable being clipped in. I'm getting much better, really. I had the seat adjusted, which made all the difference. Mr. Z got me a mirror, which is great to have. I actually hit 30.4 MPH going down the hill to River Road, which is cool.

Went running today and did a ten minute warmup run followed by 4x30 second strides. It went pretty well, although it was very short. I have an hour-long run scheduled on Thursday, so I should finally get some time on my feet then.

Found out today that Dr. Z. got me a trainer for my birthday. Yay! The bikes at the gym are very nice, but don't adjust for me well. Plus there's nothing like being on one's own bike. (Not to mention the convenience factor.)

Tomorrow will be a 75 minute bike ride and Karate if I have time to bike during the day.

THIRD PLACE! HOLY CRAP!

So much for burying the lead, right? Seriously though, Dr. Z. and I smashed all expectations, starting with finishing 1.5 hours under our time goal of 18:00 (16:31 finish) and ending with not only JOGGING one of the portages, but TAKING THIRD PLACE.

Day One we were both a bundle of nerves. It was FREEZING COLD that morning and we were shivering while waiting for the paddler's meeting and then the seven waves before us to go off. However, once the gun went off for us we settled into our long-distance pace and ended up surprisingly close to the front of the pack. We knew this would be our toughest day because of all the portaging, but we followed our game plan of alternating between yoking and shoulder carrying the boat. JewishMom rocked the hizzouse as Pit Crew, meeting us at every portage and handing us food that we ate while walking. We finished the day in 7:10 and were quite happy with that.

The morning of Day Two we checked the results and found out we were TWENTY TWO SECONDS away from third place after our worst day (i.e. the one that played against our weakness in the portaging). That's when we realized we had a VERY good chance of placing. Holy crap! Problem was, there was another boat only 2:30 behind us, making it a three-way dogfight for third. CRAP! We stuck to our game plan and just mowed people down on the open water. With only one portage the entire day, we finished the 31 miles in 5:35 and felt sure we had improved our position. Unfortunately we had neglected to note the numbers of the other two boats so we weren't sure.

Day three we were practically frantic to look at the results. We were in third place. Once again, HOLY CRAP! The other two boats were five and seven minutes behind us. Still a dogfight. We all got each other's number during warmup and everyone was going to be bringing their A-game, you could tell. The gun went off and as we expected, the other two boats went flying off in the distance. We planned to do what we had been doing and just wear them down. Unfortunately, they weren't slowing down, so we had to stay at the top end of our speed. We caught one boat before the first portage, but although we ran the portage they still passed us. For the rest of the day, we were chasing the other two boats. We FINALLY passed one of them with only a couple miles left to go, but we didn't know if they were the boat that was 5 or 7 minutes ahead, so we had to keep chasing the other boat hard. Despite a sprint finish, they came in 38 seconds before us. However, it was not enough to beat our cumulative time. (As it turns out, they were the ones that were seven minutes behind us.) I gave a paddle-five to the other woman, and complemented her on their speed that day. She replied that she "felt good [that day]".

So, I am now not only a 90-Miler, I placed third! WOW! And...OW. For anyone who runs, it was basically like doing a marathon two days in a row and then running a half-marathon at your 5K pace.