Back from Business Trip

*dusts off blog*

Hello? *tap* *tap*

Anybody still around?

Seriously though, I can't believe I haven't updated in two weeks. I spent the second week of December in L.A. on a business trip, where the only workout I managed to get in was a 1.5 hour ride on a recumbent bike. (The only bike the hotel "gym" had.)

I've managed to get right back into the swing of things though, so yay! I've been missing the swim workouts because of the pool being closed, but am hitting all of the bike and run sessions.

Yesterday was an hour easy on the bike. The plan said to find rolling hills, so I simulated that on my trainer by putting it into a higher gear for a few minutes every so often.

Last night Dr. Z and I went out and helped with the children's class. It was SUPER easy - no one-on-one training at all. Spent most of the time just kinda standing around. We got a half hour of private training afterwords as our reward. Well worth it!

Today was one of the toughest run workouts I've ever done: 20 minutes easy at 8:57 pace, then seven sets of 3 minutes at an 8:00 pace followed by a two minute recovery at 9:05. Finish that off with another 20 minutes easy, this time at 9:05 because I was TIRED. Total workout: 8.54 miles in 1:15. WOW!

Tomorrow is a well-deserved day off. (There's supposed to be an easy swim workout, but...POOL CLOSED.) I'll do some walking to loosen up the legs but that's it.

Swim and Run

Yesterday's swim workout went fairly well. I did 3x400 for my main set and hit 10:03 in the middle one. ALMOST a 2:30 pace. I'm looking forward to taking another swim lesson when I get back from L.A. I don't expect to ever be a fish, but I do need to get my long-distance speed down to 2:00-2:15/100, which I think is a perfectly reasonable goal.

Today was long run day. I did seven miles again. It took me longer than last week on the treadmill, but there's some nasty hills, a strong headwind, AND my hamstrings were killing me. I did keep it at my goal 9:00 pace with a time of 1:02:42.

Anyway, tomorrow will be hitting the pool and a short stint on the bike trainer. Sunday is my day off, which works out well since I'll be spending most of it travelling.

Let's see if I get up early Monday morning to do a long bike before meeting my client. At least I have the time zone change working in my favor!

Officially Signed Up! AAAAHHH!!!

It's official. I'm signed up for the Tinman 70.6 in June. Bib number 67. I've added a countdown at the top of the blog. AAAAAHHH!!!

Anyway, been a few frustrations lately. I cut yesterday's long swim short after not being able to crack a 2:45 pace. Dr. Z. keeps going on about how at least I'm not exhausted at the end and can go forever, but I've been looking at even MOP people's paces and that just won't cut it. I was hoping to see much more improvement between all the time I'm putting in and the lesson I took, but no luck. I'll definitely be scheduling another lesson after next week's trip. That brings up another annoyance with swimming: The pool will be closed for the holidays when I return. It's a college and everything closes down for winter break. ARGH!

On top of that, I had to bring the bike to the shop today. Turns out that I had the trainer drum too close to the wheel and have prematurely worn out my tire - to the canvas in one part! Now I have to go online and try to find a trainer wheel in a 650 size - they only had 700s.

So anyway, much frustration. Many technical and form issues to work out before my swim and bike are on par with my running.

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.