RUN RACE 12.8 miles 1:55
Today's race was fantabulous. I started out fast (8-830's) then settled in to a 9-915 average. Unlike most races in which I back off the pace, thinking I need to reserve something, I went all out for it. I ran smart, but as fast as I thought I could maintain. Crossing the finish line strong felt like I gained some redemption. Garmin said 9:03 pace for both laps.
And, I ate PB for the race! Breakfast was canned pumkin, banana, some cashew butter. Race fuel was homemade energy gel. Recovery was banana, blueberries, milk, protein powder and SF. I ate part of a hotdog--ick. Meal at home was sweet potato, nuts, peanut butter, dates. Usually I would have eaten oatmeal, banana, homemade gels, pretzels, hot dog bun, homemade bread, fig bar. Yikes, what a difference, and I feel FINE. I feared a lag of energy, a low of glycogen, but never felt it. Granted, it's early, so the low could still hit. Regardless, I'm eating new foods and thinking about what I'm eating.
Numerics update! I skipped a week so a weird format here:
2 weeks ago/This week/Since I started counting Sept 14th
Resting HR still high 40's
Swim: 1000/1000/7712
Bike: 0/13.3/ 67.3
Run: 14.4/13.3/59.1
$$: 0/18/965 Race fee for today's race was 17.5, but I won a $10 GC, should I substract that?
Oh, I forgot to mention I placed third in my AG!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
I'm diggin' these off weekends
BIKE 13.3miles 53 minutes on The Bird
The Bird doesn't get out much, so I was happy to have a ride on that bike today. That bike is more fitted for sitting up in traffic, and my bike skills are a little stronger on that bike.
I had a huge mental low yesterday, the whole Worlds thing was really eating at me. Some days are better than others. Right now, it bothers me, but I'm not dwelling. Yesterday, I dwelled. I need to get over that. An email to JM and to Dr T were fired off. JM's email was the best thing I could have heard from anyone. He basically told me to accept it, but not in a blunt accept-or-die type of way. I owe him a huge virtual hug type of email.
As I'm reviewing my nutrition plans, this PB diet keeps coming up. I've been reading about the Paleo one for months and now I've found the PB. Not so much a diet, more of a lifestyle. Hopefully not a fad, though. No grains (!) is the basic idea. I don't have my hands on the book, but the MDA website is a big resource. For the most part, it makes sense, but while at the grocery store today I had very few ideas on what to buy--all of my usuals are grain based! Not that I'm going to go 100% on this, but I'd like to try new food ideas and incorporate some of the thoughts of PB. I've asked myself, do I have highs and lows from eating carbs? I have energy crashes after breakfast and lunch, I'm sluggish in the afternoon, and I'm rarely satisfied after dinner. So I'd like to try something to see if I can fix it. Today I bought squashes, nuts, coconut flakes, almond meal, cashew butter--all food I normally wouldn't buy. But I need more ideas, hence more research. I can also imagine family dinners being awkward, turning away bread and grains after eating so much of them previously.
One final bit of news that is worth mentioning, I've learned that I'm nominated for Prez-E in the club. Say what? Me? I'm mentioning it so I can keep track of the thoughts around it, and look back in a few month or year and ask myself why I thought it was a good or bad idea. I'm terribly interested in seeing the club succeed and would like to be involved in its growth. The Prez position is a 3 year term, so I would be involved! But, I'm not much of a leader as I tend to decide by consensus, I'm not much of a negotiator as I tend to try to make everyone happy, and I'm not sure I want to make big decisions. I'm more of a do-er, not a leader. Also, I'm already over involved with the newsletter, group events, FBR, and secretary position. I wouldn't think it a good idea to have so many eggs in one basketcase. But the elections are coming right up, I need to decide!!!
The Bird doesn't get out much, so I was happy to have a ride on that bike today. That bike is more fitted for sitting up in traffic, and my bike skills are a little stronger on that bike.
I had a huge mental low yesterday, the whole Worlds thing was really eating at me. Some days are better than others. Right now, it bothers me, but I'm not dwelling. Yesterday, I dwelled. I need to get over that. An email to JM and to Dr T were fired off. JM's email was the best thing I could have heard from anyone. He basically told me to accept it, but not in a blunt accept-or-die type of way. I owe him a huge virtual hug type of email.
As I'm reviewing my nutrition plans, this PB diet keeps coming up. I've been reading about the Paleo one for months and now I've found the PB. Not so much a diet, more of a lifestyle. Hopefully not a fad, though. No grains (!) is the basic idea. I don't have my hands on the book, but the MDA website is a big resource. For the most part, it makes sense, but while at the grocery store today I had very few ideas on what to buy--all of my usuals are grain based! Not that I'm going to go 100% on this, but I'd like to try new food ideas and incorporate some of the thoughts of PB. I've asked myself, do I have highs and lows from eating carbs? I have energy crashes after breakfast and lunch, I'm sluggish in the afternoon, and I'm rarely satisfied after dinner. So I'd like to try something to see if I can fix it. Today I bought squashes, nuts, coconut flakes, almond meal, cashew butter--all food I normally wouldn't buy. But I need more ideas, hence more research. I can also imagine family dinners being awkward, turning away bread and grains after eating so much of them previously.
One final bit of news that is worth mentioning, I've learned that I'm nominated for Prez-E in the club. Say what? Me? I'm mentioning it so I can keep track of the thoughts around it, and look back in a few month or year and ask myself why I thought it was a good or bad idea. I'm terribly interested in seeing the club succeed and would like to be involved in its growth. The Prez position is a 3 year term, so I would be involved! But, I'm not much of a leader as I tend to decide by consensus, I'm not much of a negotiator as I tend to try to make everyone happy, and I'm not sure I want to make big decisions. I'm more of a do-er, not a leader. Also, I'm already over involved with the newsletter, group events, FBR, and secretary position. I wouldn't think it a good idea to have so many eggs in one basketcase. But the elections are coming right up, I need to decide!!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wet in or out of the pool today
SWIM 1000y 30 mins (yesterday pm)
RUN 6.5 60 mins (today)
First the swim. I went back to the Y after work. I was rewarded by having what might have been my best swim in months if not all year. I finally felt the propulsion on both sides, lost some of that fishtail, and passed other people swimming with me. The distance and time are still slow (usually can do 1000y in 20mins if steady) because I still paused at each lap to refocus and pick another drill to work on. I keep waiting for my lats to hurt, another sign that I've remedied some form problems.
The run was 52F and raining. My new Sauc's are wet, but at least they're clean. Mark this as the first run this fall in longer pants (knickers)!
RUN 6.5 60 mins (today)
First the swim. I went back to the Y after work. I was rewarded by having what might have been my best swim in months if not all year. I finally felt the propulsion on both sides, lost some of that fishtail, and passed other people swimming with me. The distance and time are still slow (usually can do 1000y in 20mins if steady) because I still paused at each lap to refocus and pick another drill to work on. I keep waiting for my lats to hurt, another sign that I've remedied some form problems.
The run was 52F and raining. My new Sauc's are wet, but at least they're clean. Mark this as the first run this fall in longer pants (knickers)!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Focus on the swim
SWIM lesson 250-ish yards hahaha
I'm not really going to count that am I? The plan is to swim again this afternoon and reinforce what we worked on this morning. The good: my body is riding higher in the water. The bad: I'll probably need a season pass for swim instruction! The goals: work on hands entering the water earlier to avoid crossing my centerline in front of my head; focus on the left side, wait a moment for the weight to shift before catching the water; focus on the body weight shifting, not so much on the act of rotating but on where the weight is; more focus on the left arm as it exits the water, don't sweep it back so far past the hips. That last point might help with my bilateral breathing problem.
Patience! One of my focus words. Patience will be needed here because these changes won't happen overnight and I'll need to work at them with more frequency and positive attitude. While working this morning, I could feel the differences, I could feel more propulsion in the water. Remember, these differences will need time and patience, so don't expect to Phelpsing next week!
I'm not really going to count that am I? The plan is to swim again this afternoon and reinforce what we worked on this morning. The good: my body is riding higher in the water. The bad: I'll probably need a season pass for swim instruction! The goals: work on hands entering the water earlier to avoid crossing my centerline in front of my head; focus on the left side, wait a moment for the weight to shift before catching the water; focus on the body weight shifting, not so much on the act of rotating but on where the weight is; more focus on the left arm as it exits the water, don't sweep it back so far past the hips. That last point might help with my bilateral breathing problem.
Patience! One of my focus words. Patience will be needed here because these changes won't happen overnight and I'll need to work at them with more frequency and positive attitude. While working this morning, I could feel the differences, I could feel more propulsion in the water. Remember, these differences will need time and patience, so don't expect to Phelpsing next week!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Mental Game begins
RUN 7 miles 1:03 9:17-ish pace BRR group run
I'm full of energy lately. So full in fact I feel like I could burst at times. Legs bounce, brain buzzes along, mouth rambles. Other times I hit a low of focus and energy that leaves me thinking I need another month or two of rest. I cycle between the two states, but a pattern is emerging. I feel like I could run forever after a training session, even a bad one. Normal for me is an hour on the run or swim drills, my body and mind have come to expect it. Whether it's the adrenaline rush, the obsessive compulsive satisfaction, or the fresh air I can't say. This paragraph will be fun to read next summer when I'm out of energy, hate my bike, and have pool water permanently lodged in my ears.
I've heard that nutrition is the 4th segment of an Ironman. I nominate the mental game to be the fifth. The past month has seen serious changes in perspective. And I'm not talking about a long run going from 12 miles to 20, I mean in attitude and outlook. At first I saw Redman as a fail, a morning of suckage. Then I was reminded (by a IM BB no less) that it was just a bad day. At first I was embarassed, then surprised to see that no one viewed me any differently. At first I thought my Worlds qualification was a lucky break, and well, I still think that. I still feel like I got away with stealing, and that I didn't earn the slot. But I'm realizing that a qualification is a qualification, regardless of how I thought my day went. I need to learn to just accept the congratulations I'm getting, and not override them with excuses and such. Just accept it! It's Team USA dammit!
I signed up for 20K of trails in Castlewood. The plan is to just enjoy it and use it as a long run. I might also do the track club 13.1, again just to enjoy it. While I joke with myself about a 13.1 PR (I still haven't broken 1:57) the reality is that I need a few races in which I don't exact pressure on myself. This is another attitude shift, one I'm starting to learn from BN, that not every race has to be a PR-breaking winner of a race. Since I do so few races I tend to put too much emphasis on each one. Maybe I'll look into a few more 5K/10K type races this winter as a way to keep moving and keep learning.
I'm full of energy lately. So full in fact I feel like I could burst at times. Legs bounce, brain buzzes along, mouth rambles. Other times I hit a low of focus and energy that leaves me thinking I need another month or two of rest. I cycle between the two states, but a pattern is emerging. I feel like I could run forever after a training session, even a bad one. Normal for me is an hour on the run or swim drills, my body and mind have come to expect it. Whether it's the adrenaline rush, the obsessive compulsive satisfaction, or the fresh air I can't say. This paragraph will be fun to read next summer when I'm out of energy, hate my bike, and have pool water permanently lodged in my ears.
I've heard that nutrition is the 4th segment of an Ironman. I nominate the mental game to be the fifth. The past month has seen serious changes in perspective. And I'm not talking about a long run going from 12 miles to 20, I mean in attitude and outlook. At first I saw Redman as a fail, a morning of suckage. Then I was reminded (by a IM BB no less) that it was just a bad day. At first I was embarassed, then surprised to see that no one viewed me any differently. At first I thought my Worlds qualification was a lucky break, and well, I still think that. I still feel like I got away with stealing, and that I didn't earn the slot. But I'm realizing that a qualification is a qualification, regardless of how I thought my day went. I need to learn to just accept the congratulations I'm getting, and not override them with excuses and such. Just accept it! It's Team USA dammit!
I signed up for 20K of trails in Castlewood. The plan is to just enjoy it and use it as a long run. I might also do the track club 13.1, again just to enjoy it. While I joke with myself about a 13.1 PR (I still haven't broken 1:57) the reality is that I need a few races in which I don't exact pressure on myself. This is another attitude shift, one I'm starting to learn from BN, that not every race has to be a PR-breaking winner of a race. Since I do so few races I tend to put too much emphasis on each one. Maybe I'll look into a few more 5K/10K type races this winter as a way to keep moving and keep learning.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
OMG! But I SUCKED!!
Well here was a shocker when I opened the email this morning:
I'm excited and just as surprised. When I registered to hold the slot, the form asked for expected finish time. Well, let's see, I've finished 3 70.3 races. Sept 2008 in 5:59. July 2009 in 5:27. Sept 2009 6:07. Should I take an average? I just typed in my favorite number, 5:38. Hopefully I can beat that, maybe my other favorite number 5:23 :-)
This after an awful swim yesterday. I managed 30 minutes and 1000y before quitting. It just feels all wrong. Then today I did nothing training-wise. Tomorrow I plan to run. I know I need the down time, but I'm anxious to start training for all these great races!
So I just had my celebratory spoonful of peanut butter and honey. I read the email on the 3rd of my birthday month. And it's a full moon tonight! All the omens going my way, 2010 is gonna rock!
Here I had this awful race that I completely screwed up, and now I'm invited to Team USA (OMG!). What an awesome Tshirt that is going to be. Oh, and a jacket, and a hat, and a finisher's medal, and... LOL. I don't even know if I'm going, I'm just excited to think I could.Congratulations! You are being contacted because you have earned a spot on Team USA for the 2010 Long Course Triathlon World Championships because of your outstanding performance at the 2009 USAT Long Course Half Max National Championship. The 2010 World Championships are set to take place July 31-August 1, 2010 in Immenstadt, Germany.
I'm excited and just as surprised. When I registered to hold the slot, the form asked for expected finish time. Well, let's see, I've finished 3 70.3 races. Sept 2008 in 5:59. July 2009 in 5:27. Sept 2009 6:07. Should I take an average? I just typed in my favorite number, 5:38. Hopefully I can beat that, maybe my other favorite number 5:23 :-)
This after an awful swim yesterday. I managed 30 minutes and 1000y before quitting. It just feels all wrong. Then today I did nothing training-wise. Tomorrow I plan to run. I know I need the down time, but I'm anxious to start training for all these great races!
So I just had my celebratory spoonful of peanut butter and honey. I read the email on the 3rd of my birthday month. And it's a full moon tonight! All the omens going my way, 2010 is gonna rock!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A good long run to clear the brain
RUN 1hr 38 mins 10.8 miles
The distance is a guess, I wasn't Garmined. The first loop 6.5 miles was 56 mins (8:36 pace) and felt great although it felt more like a race pace or tempo run, especially at the end. The second loop was 4.3 miles in 42 mins (9:46 pace) and was a struggle. I didn't bring fuel for a long run, so while I would have loved to continue the whole park I could feel the dehydration and lack of fuel. Should have remembered that gel I keep in the truck.
What is notable is that on the mornings I do run, I feel so much better than on the mornings I don't. My mind is crisp, fast, and alert after a run. The manuscript is easier to write, my focus stays on topic, and I get things done faster. This isn't a surprise, more of an affirmation to continue training at least a little bit for the next few weeks!
I came across a short blog today for a local woman who, if I read it correctly, ran 7o+ miles in her rest week!!! That would take me 11-some hours to do, assuming I could maintain a 9:00 pace. OK, granted, I can SBR for 11+ hours/week all summer, but at least I get some variety! And I guess I should keep in mind that she's not running 9's, probably 7-8's. So maybe only 9 hours of running for her. Only 9 hours...
The distance is a guess, I wasn't Garmined. The first loop 6.5 miles was 56 mins (8:36 pace) and felt great although it felt more like a race pace or tempo run, especially at the end. The second loop was 4.3 miles in 42 mins (9:46 pace) and was a struggle. I didn't bring fuel for a long run, so while I would have loved to continue the whole park I could feel the dehydration and lack of fuel. Should have remembered that gel I keep in the truck.
What is notable is that on the mornings I do run, I feel so much better than on the mornings I don't. My mind is crisp, fast, and alert after a run. The manuscript is easier to write, my focus stays on topic, and I get things done faster. This isn't a surprise, more of an affirmation to continue training at least a little bit for the next few weeks!
I came across a short blog today for a local woman who, if I read it correctly, ran 7o+ miles in her rest week!!! That would take me 11-some hours to do, assuming I could maintain a 9:00 pace. OK, granted, I can SBR for 11+ hours/week all summer, but at least I get some variety! And I guess I should keep in mind that she's not running 9's, probably 7-8's. So maybe only 9 hours of running for her. Only 9 hours...
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