Well I guess it's time to close out 2013 and get the year wrapped up. My Opening Day for the 2014 season starts next Monday, only 6 more days!
2014 is shaping up nicely. Just yesterday I found a spring marathon. About a week ago I found a gravel grinder. I'm already registered for two full iron triathlons, and I'm looking for a spring/summer prep half distance.
2013 was a new experience for me -- I went from 12 hr triathlons to 12 hr running events. The year started off with me and TH running LBL as a prep race, then Potawatomi as our first 50 miler. This was a huge accomplishment, and I think I can say that for both of us. I had doubts on top of doubts about whether I could finish a race like this. But if I knew I could do it, there'd be much less thrill. Apparently, not knowing is what keeps be going.
Once finished with the 50M, I shifted into a somewhat neutral, unmotivated state. (Originally 2013 was going to be a fun off year for me. That didn't happen! Well I was off triathlons and doing something new, so I guess maybe it did happen!). So imagine my surprise when I realized I wanted to try 50M again later that year at the Mark Twain.
TH sat this one out and focused on tri's and resting. So my new training partner became TV. It took some adjusting, his pace was faster and his approach more inter-competitive. He was out to win many of his races. TH and I had a more intra-competitive in that we only competed against ourselves, not others. (And that's not to say we competed or compared against each other.) So suddenly I'm not only going faster than I'm used to, I'm also talking strategies and higher goal setting. At first I didn't know if I liked it since I've been participating in these events mostly done this for fun and personal challenge. How would the experience change if suddenly I set goals of fortune and glory? Would finishing 2nd be a "loss" for me? Will I still feel embarrassed by admitting a goal of "I Wanna Win"? Could I be happy with an otherwise great race if I didn't podium?
I've been doing this since 2006, so this was my 8th year of racing. Sure, I've been podium-hunting at some events. But it wasn't my major overall goal. So maybe it's time I start setting bigger goals, start looking beyond the MOP finish, and start pushing myself much harder.
July's Rt 66 half iron came and went, leaving me with a 2nd AG finish and a 13.1M PR. This was my first taste of that fortune and glory -- I set my sights on a woman ahead of me in the last mile of the best half-mary I've ever run and went after her. No shame. And no dice, she beat me. But I enjoyed the thrill, congratulated her, and noted the lesson learned: I'm not only stronger than I think I am (learned in Redman 2009), I'm also faster than I think I am. (Though I'm still not terribly fast, if you take my meaning).
Next up is the Mark Twain 50M. I spend a majority of the race wondering about my position in the women's field, but don't find out until days later that I won 3rd! Although ultra running doesn't grant 3rd place podiums (it's First or Finish), I'm pretty damned proud of this.
But every time someone asked, how was your race?, I minimized my accomplishment by saying "I had a 2 hour PR and finished third, expect there's no 3rd in ultras". I just couldn't help myself, that's what I'd say. Was I still feeling ashamed about shooting for a podium? Why do I feel that way? Was I thinking I'd failed myself somehow? I've had years of thinking "it's not where you place or your time, but rather how well you executed your race plan" and I was happy with whatever place I finished in. Now I'm thinking "execute the race plan in order to podium". Is it really so different? No!
So one more race -- the McNotAgain 30M. I was doing this for "fun", I said. But deep down I wanted a redemption for the mess of a race I'd had at Potawatomi. (If I measure the success of a race by execution, that was a win/lose. I had a poor nutrition execution, but a winner of a fix for it in that I made myself walk it out). Prior to the race, I was scoping the other registered females online, looking at race times, ages, and experience to measure against my own. Things were looking good for a front finish, assuming my execution was as planned. And it was! I won first overall female and capped off my best year running ever.
But afterwards, I still felt awkward saying I'd won the race! My biggest win to date and I'm still hedging it.
Where does this leave me for 2014? I'm setting big goals. I'm thinking that spring marathon might be a good opportunity to really push for a marathon PR. And I Wanna Win at MiTi. Oh yes, there, I've said it. Not the first time I've said it, but now it's 'on paper' so to speak and I'm gonna dial it up for next year. It's leaving me somewhat apprehensive and nervous about starting the training.
But if I knew without a doubt that I could do it, then where's the thrill?
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Turkey Trot Times Two
RUN to race 1.0 miles :)
RUN 5K 27:05
RUN 10K ~57-58 mins, I heard the course was long at 6.7 miles
This was a highlight to Thanksgiving--a back-to-back Turkey Trot! This was new for me, but how hard can it be, right? A grand total of 9.3 miles of racing!
The time between McNot again and the Trots ... hmmm that sounds bad ... Turkey Runs ... so does that ... Turkey Races was spent taking seriously the needed downtime to recover from 2013 and to prepare for 2014. I have one month of rest before I start up again. I'm trying to ignore studying the plan and calendar, avoiding logging anything, and most certainly not pushing myself to do anything I really don't want to do.
So there's some easy runs, one or two swims, a few indoor spins to report. Or not report, as there's nothing to say about them.
One to share is a group run on the L&C trails--I showed up anxious about being late and translated that in to a relatively fast loop of the long trail. It was a good group that probably could have dropped me if they wanted to!
Back to the races. I'd been "off" since the Saturday trail run, mostly traveling and sitting. New York's forecast was low 20's and snow, certainly a change from what I'm used to! The Blerch was telling me it's too cold to run, so I had this nagging temptation to skip out. And my plan to run the 0.9-ish mile to and from the race was almost preempted by the rental car not wanting to move that morning. As I sat in the car waiting, The Blerch came back, pointing out that it's cold and it's not nice to leave the hubby alone with this problem. I wanted to run, but not be cold! Oh HFTU.
It was a short run to the race, but then just over an hour wait to the start. WU then CD almost. When the 5K did start, huge puffy flakes were falling, backlit by a partly cloudy sky. Migrating birds flew overhead in a V-formation. The wind was blunted in our little pre-gun penguin huddle. A few calm and pretty moments right then. :)
My 5K goal was just run, not race. The crowd of 2000 or so was full of walkers and all paces, and the streets were barely cleared of the 4-6 inches of snow. It wasn't long before the pretty snow turned into a chilly slush that filled my shoes. By mile 2 my toes were numbed, a tendon? was pained in my left foot, and The Blerch was considering skipping the 10K. Aside from a rude pink-cancer-shirt-wearing-runner, the race went great.
I had 12 minutes between races, which I spent with my cold bare feet over a heater. I slipped small sammich baggies over my socks to keep the wind off my toes. Why didn't I do this for the first race?
My initial goal for the 10K, made back in the snowless midwest, was to try for a PR. Not gonna happen here. Although the crowd was much smaller at 450, and overall the field was more competitive, the roads were still slushy and for 1 mile not even cleared. So I aimed for a solid run, good pace, and just enjoying the snow-covered trees, rural roads in the course, the cold air, and the common group-effect of a race like this :)
The day warmed up to 32F by the finish, my toes didn't suffer the 2nd race, and DH came to give me a ride home. I think I'll end 2013 here, with a few more days off and a month of fun running to end on.
RUN 5K 27:05
RUN 10K ~57-58 mins, I heard the course was long at 6.7 miles
This was a highlight to Thanksgiving--a back-to-back Turkey Trot! This was new for me, but how hard can it be, right? A grand total of 9.3 miles of racing!
The time between McNot again and the Trots ... hmmm that sounds bad ... Turkey Runs ... so does that ... Turkey Races was spent taking seriously the needed downtime to recover from 2013 and to prepare for 2014. I have one month of rest before I start up again. I'm trying to ignore studying the plan and calendar, avoiding logging anything, and most certainly not pushing myself to do anything I really don't want to do.
So there's some easy runs, one or two swims, a few indoor spins to report. Or not report, as there's nothing to say about them.
One to share is a group run on the L&C trails--I showed up anxious about being late and translated that in to a relatively fast loop of the long trail. It was a good group that probably could have dropped me if they wanted to!
Back to the races. I'd been "off" since the Saturday trail run, mostly traveling and sitting. New York's forecast was low 20's and snow, certainly a change from what I'm used to! The Blerch was telling me it's too cold to run, so I had this nagging temptation to skip out. And my plan to run the 0.9-ish mile to and from the race was almost preempted by the rental car not wanting to move that morning. As I sat in the car waiting, The Blerch came back, pointing out that it's cold and it's not nice to leave the hubby alone with this problem. I wanted to run, but not be cold! Oh HFTU.
It was a short run to the race, but then just over an hour wait to the start. WU then CD almost. When the 5K did start, huge puffy flakes were falling, backlit by a partly cloudy sky. Migrating birds flew overhead in a V-formation. The wind was blunted in our little pre-gun penguin huddle. A few calm and pretty moments right then. :)
My 5K goal was just run, not race. The crowd of 2000 or so was full of walkers and all paces, and the streets were barely cleared of the 4-6 inches of snow. It wasn't long before the pretty snow turned into a chilly slush that filled my shoes. By mile 2 my toes were numbed, a tendon? was pained in my left foot, and The Blerch was considering skipping the 10K. Aside from a rude pink-cancer-shirt-wearing-runner, the race went great.
I had 12 minutes between races, which I spent with my cold bare feet over a heater. I slipped small sammich baggies over my socks to keep the wind off my toes. Why didn't I do this for the first race?
My initial goal for the 10K, made back in the snowless midwest, was to try for a PR. Not gonna happen here. Although the crowd was much smaller at 450, and overall the field was more competitive, the roads were still slushy and for 1 mile not even cleared. So I aimed for a solid run, good pace, and just enjoying the snow-covered trees, rural roads in the course, the cold air, and the common group-effect of a race like this :)
The day warmed up to 32F by the finish, my toes didn't suffer the 2nd race, and DH came to give me a ride home. I think I'll end 2013 here, with a few more days off and a month of fun running to end on.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
McNotAgain 30 miler race report
RUN 30 miles in 5hrs 53 mins, 1st OVERALL!!
[A few weeks later I'm still waiting for official lap times and results. Athlinks has what looks like 11 womens in the run, but me as the 2nd overall and 14/14 from my AG...so ImaGonna quit waiting and post this]
Spoiler alert--I WON!! That feels awfully weird to say.
I had three goals coming into this race: don't get injured, get under 6 hrs, and win it. And I mean win it all.
For the days leading into the race, I kept having bad visions of injury. Breaking an ankle on the course, falling, something that would require rest and recovery and ice and maybe even worse. All mental tricks.
On top of that, I fully admit to scoping out my competitors (all 7-8 of them) to see what their history was. I was feeling good, things were looking good...
It was odd to be returning to the race without TH, but via email and mental replay I had contact with her. So imagine my SURPRISE when I sit up in the truck (where I was resting prior to the race, avoiding the crowds of friends milling around the site) and see a SLTC logo walking towards me!! She drove up to surprise me! This totally made my day, and changed my mood entirely. I went from having no one to share it with, to having someone to look forward too :)
It was the perfect day weatherwise: sunny, some winds, low 40's at the start. Leaves were on the trail, but not so much that I couldn't see the trail under it. Pre-race prep moved along (with TH keeping me on task) and it wasn't until we'd lined up that I realized the runners were facing backwards at the start line. We were running the course BACKWARDS! Well that changes my mental course movies.
The course is 3 10-mile loops, with an aid station at about mile 5. The first 5 miles are hilly but less so than the last 5 miles.
Lap 1: 1:58 (was closer to 1:55 but had to include wait at porta potty)
The first loop started off with some struggle to find a pace. I've learned this is normal for me. I have lots of energy, I'm anxious to go, but my energy flattens out after a few miles and I get a bit of "OMG I have a looong way to go..." unease. Moments of "I can't do this", "I'm too tired", and "What was I thinking?" start rolling through my head. I've learned to run through it.
So I settled in during these first miles, trying to remember the course in reverse. I was able to identify most landmarks and hills from April. The meadow loop near the end, the squeeze between the trees, the steep hills up from the creek, the graveyard. It went pretty fast and soon enough I was at the AS. After some confusion on my part on how to exit the AS and get back on trail, I entered the really hill portion of the run.
These hills were much easier to remember! They are hard to walk, let alone run. So I walked, as did everyone else around me. I was coming up on the 10 mile runners and enjoying their company, knowing that would be gone in the next loops. Difficult, but pretty--that's how I would describe these miles. The leaves were yellow, then brown, then orange, then yellow. Down to the flats, up the hill, around the bend, back to the flats, over a small creek, up Leafy Gulch (FeeLee today!!), over the major creek (stayed dry), over the sand, up to Totem. Around Totem and through the big, crunchy, papery leaves, and back to start after a few more minor creek crossings and hills. The meadow loop was much longer than I remembered, then TH was at the top of the last hill! She helped me move along through the lap and get back out the door.
Lap 2: 2:00
I had some stomach upset at the beginning of this lap, and I'm not sure why. It might be the HR excitement of seeing the lap go by; it might be the all soft foods I ate the past 24hrs; it might be too hard of a pace? But I'll be honest here, and admit that I suspect it was a bolus of adrenaline at TH's update that there were 2 women about 5 minutes ahead of me. My mind races--3rd place?! Can I make up 5 minutes?! Stress stress stress!!
Let it go. Re-adjust the goals. Run MY race, see what happens. Twenty miles to go, way to early to get my head worked up over that. But I was still disappointed in what I thought would be a non-first finish.
I let it go. I re-adjusted to focus on the sub 6 hr goal, and not getting injured.
Once I did this, I settled back in. For most of the first 5 miles I didn't see another runner so it was a boost to see people at the AS. I half-filled the Camelbak here, used the first hill to work out the air bubbles, then settled back in, cheered that I was half way done and feeling awesome.
It was around mile 17 that I thought I saw another woman ahead of me, not certain it was a woman but that was my guess. Realizing that I was catching her, I figured I'd go by her soon enough. But she disappeared from the trail after a minute or so. Bathroom break? Off course? Was I imagining things? There was some grumbling in the first lap about some areas of the course being hard to follow, and this course would be easy to cut if you knew how.
And suddenly I'm back in negative-head land, grumbling that if this woman beat me because she cut the course, I'd be pissed. I didn't even know if it was a woman, if she lost the course, or anything at all! Let it go!
Then near Totem I came across a pie-plate arrow backwards, meaning I run up behind the arrow. NUTS. Off course! Stop. Think. Look. (Maybe I should have Looked and Thought earlier before going off course). I knew where I was, I could see the horses and recognized the area. So I went backwards on the course to find Totem, walked around Totem to "make up the distance" I missed, then set back out on the course. Relieved, but feeling a little guilty about the cut. This really put my mind back right regarding the "other woman" I thought I saw earlier.
Back to the meadow, up the hill, forget to tell TH all the things I wanted to tell her, refill the Camelbak, back out for Lap 3. Her update: "a woman was 5 minutes ahead".
Lap 3: 1:50-ish
Wait, did TH mean ONE (1) woman was head of me. Or did she mean of the women ahead of me, the closest one was 5 minutes? Either way dammit, the same 5 minute lead, meaning we were on the same pace. For me to catch her, she'd have to make a mistake in pacing or nutrition. More mental stress. Let It Go.
By now, with only 10 miles to go, I was more willing to push my pace. I knew 10 miles was easy, but I held to my initial plan of holding on to a safe pace until mile 25. At that last AS, I got more water, another boost, and some peanut butter nutella rolls (sadly wrapped in flour tortillas, of which the squirrels became beneficiaries). Five more miles. Open it up, and go-go-go. I was feeling so good at mile 25 that I wondered if I was being too conservative. Through miles 25+ I was passing people, one after another. It's a boost to pass people who are walking as it makes me feel faster, and I always wonder what it took to reduce them to a walk late in the race. Poor pacing? Injury? Cramps? Whatever, it validated my conservative pacing early on.
I caught sight of the woman ahead of me coming up into Totem, which by the way was marked by pink tape and I just missed it before, and I could see that I didn't cut the course by much (if anything I probably added to it). How did I know it was a woman? Pink hat, green top, pink sports bra, pink compression socks, and a black/rainbow cheetah print tight. She was easy to see. And she was walking up hills.
Hills were a focus of my training for this race, and it was time to make use of it. I followed her through Totem and passed her shortly after we returned to the single track. It seemed odd that as I approached she didn't look back, even when I called up to her, and I found out why: loud music in headphones. I'm sorry to say I scared her! But that's not my problem now. My problem was to make solid my pass and leave her well enough behind me so I didn't have to worry about her coming up behind.
With 2.5 miles more to go, my HR elevated and mind racing, I set out to run the last miles fast. A few peeks over my shoulder showed the pass was solid, and now I was looking ahead for the other female. I had nothing to lose at this point by going too hard! So I did, watching the Garmin for my sub-6 goal and not seeing anyone but men ahead of me.
Around the meadow, up the hill (gotta love a race that ends with a hill like that), a "Yay For Sub 6" to TH, a joke about having enough time for a bathroom stop, then FINISH!
It wasn't until a race volunteer came up to me as I was coughing and leaning on my knees that I realized my placing. When he handed me a post with two signs nailed to it, I was initially confused. But he and TH explained -- I WON! OMG. I took the post and fell to my knees. I'm so HAPPY TH was there to see that, and there to share the morning with me. It would have felt so ...empty... otherwise.
Also if she wasn't there, I wouldn't have walked around, ate something, and rested. Haha, she jokes about Momming me, but I need it!
This was the best way to end my 2013 season--on top with all goals hammered down tight. Oh yeah, 2013 was ultra-cool.
[A few weeks later I'm still waiting for official lap times and results. Athlinks has what looks like 11 womens in the run, but me as the 2nd overall and 14/14 from my AG...so ImaGonna quit waiting and post this]
Spoiler alert--I WON!! That feels awfully weird to say.
I had three goals coming into this race: don't get injured, get under 6 hrs, and win it. And I mean win it all.
For the days leading into the race, I kept having bad visions of injury. Breaking an ankle on the course, falling, something that would require rest and recovery and ice and maybe even worse. All mental tricks.
On top of that, I fully admit to scoping out my competitors (all 7-8 of them) to see what their history was. I was feeling good, things were looking good...
It was odd to be returning to the race without TH, but via email and mental replay I had contact with her. So imagine my SURPRISE when I sit up in the truck (where I was resting prior to the race, avoiding the crowds of friends milling around the site) and see a SLTC logo walking towards me!! She drove up to surprise me! This totally made my day, and changed my mood entirely. I went from having no one to share it with, to having someone to look forward too :)
It was the perfect day weatherwise: sunny, some winds, low 40's at the start. Leaves were on the trail, but not so much that I couldn't see the trail under it. Pre-race prep moved along (with TH keeping me on task) and it wasn't until we'd lined up that I realized the runners were facing backwards at the start line. We were running the course BACKWARDS! Well that changes my mental course movies.
The course is 3 10-mile loops, with an aid station at about mile 5. The first 5 miles are hilly but less so than the last 5 miles.
Lap 1: 1:58 (was closer to 1:55 but had to include wait at porta potty)
The first loop started off with some struggle to find a pace. I've learned this is normal for me. I have lots of energy, I'm anxious to go, but my energy flattens out after a few miles and I get a bit of "OMG I have a looong way to go..." unease. Moments of "I can't do this", "I'm too tired", and "What was I thinking?" start rolling through my head. I've learned to run through it.
So I settled in during these first miles, trying to remember the course in reverse. I was able to identify most landmarks and hills from April. The meadow loop near the end, the squeeze between the trees, the steep hills up from the creek, the graveyard. It went pretty fast and soon enough I was at the AS. After some confusion on my part on how to exit the AS and get back on trail, I entered the really hill portion of the run.
These hills were much easier to remember! They are hard to walk, let alone run. So I walked, as did everyone else around me. I was coming up on the 10 mile runners and enjoying their company, knowing that would be gone in the next loops. Difficult, but pretty--that's how I would describe these miles. The leaves were yellow, then brown, then orange, then yellow. Down to the flats, up the hill, around the bend, back to the flats, over a small creek, up Leafy Gulch (FeeLee today!!), over the major creek (stayed dry), over the sand, up to Totem. Around Totem and through the big, crunchy, papery leaves, and back to start after a few more minor creek crossings and hills. The meadow loop was much longer than I remembered, then TH was at the top of the last hill! She helped me move along through the lap and get back out the door.
Lap 2: 2:00
I had some stomach upset at the beginning of this lap, and I'm not sure why. It might be the HR excitement of seeing the lap go by; it might be the all soft foods I ate the past 24hrs; it might be too hard of a pace? But I'll be honest here, and admit that I suspect it was a bolus of adrenaline at TH's update that there were 2 women about 5 minutes ahead of me. My mind races--3rd place?! Can I make up 5 minutes?! Stress stress stress!!
Let it go. Re-adjust the goals. Run MY race, see what happens. Twenty miles to go, way to early to get my head worked up over that. But I was still disappointed in what I thought would be a non-first finish.
I let it go. I re-adjusted to focus on the sub 6 hr goal, and not getting injured.
Once I did this, I settled back in. For most of the first 5 miles I didn't see another runner so it was a boost to see people at the AS. I half-filled the Camelbak here, used the first hill to work out the air bubbles, then settled back in, cheered that I was half way done and feeling awesome.
It was around mile 17 that I thought I saw another woman ahead of me, not certain it was a woman but that was my guess. Realizing that I was catching her, I figured I'd go by her soon enough. But she disappeared from the trail after a minute or so. Bathroom break? Off course? Was I imagining things? There was some grumbling in the first lap about some areas of the course being hard to follow, and this course would be easy to cut if you knew how.
And suddenly I'm back in negative-head land, grumbling that if this woman beat me because she cut the course, I'd be pissed. I didn't even know if it was a woman, if she lost the course, or anything at all! Let it go!
Then near Totem I came across a pie-plate arrow backwards, meaning I run up behind the arrow. NUTS. Off course! Stop. Think. Look. (Maybe I should have Looked and Thought earlier before going off course). I knew where I was, I could see the horses and recognized the area. So I went backwards on the course to find Totem, walked around Totem to "make up the distance" I missed, then set back out on the course. Relieved, but feeling a little guilty about the cut. This really put my mind back right regarding the "other woman" I thought I saw earlier.
Back to the meadow, up the hill, forget to tell TH all the things I wanted to tell her, refill the Camelbak, back out for Lap 3. Her update: "a woman was 5 minutes ahead".
Lap 3: 1:50-ish
Wait, did TH mean ONE (1) woman was head of me. Or did she mean of the women ahead of me, the closest one was 5 minutes? Either way dammit, the same 5 minute lead, meaning we were on the same pace. For me to catch her, she'd have to make a mistake in pacing or nutrition. More mental stress. Let It Go.
By now, with only 10 miles to go, I was more willing to push my pace. I knew 10 miles was easy, but I held to my initial plan of holding on to a safe pace until mile 25. At that last AS, I got more water, another boost, and some peanut butter nutella rolls (sadly wrapped in flour tortillas, of which the squirrels became beneficiaries). Five more miles. Open it up, and go-go-go. I was feeling so good at mile 25 that I wondered if I was being too conservative. Through miles 25+ I was passing people, one after another. It's a boost to pass people who are walking as it makes me feel faster, and I always wonder what it took to reduce them to a walk late in the race. Poor pacing? Injury? Cramps? Whatever, it validated my conservative pacing early on.
I caught sight of the woman ahead of me coming up into Totem, which by the way was marked by pink tape and I just missed it before, and I could see that I didn't cut the course by much (if anything I probably added to it). How did I know it was a woman? Pink hat, green top, pink sports bra, pink compression socks, and a black/rainbow cheetah print tight. She was easy to see. And she was walking up hills.
Hills were a focus of my training for this race, and it was time to make use of it. I followed her through Totem and passed her shortly after we returned to the single track. It seemed odd that as I approached she didn't look back, even when I called up to her, and I found out why: loud music in headphones. I'm sorry to say I scared her! But that's not my problem now. My problem was to make solid my pass and leave her well enough behind me so I didn't have to worry about her coming up behind.
With 2.5 miles more to go, my HR elevated and mind racing, I set out to run the last miles fast. A few peeks over my shoulder showed the pass was solid, and now I was looking ahead for the other female. I had nothing to lose at this point by going too hard! So I did, watching the Garmin for my sub-6 goal and not seeing anyone but men ahead of me.
Around the meadow, up the hill (gotta love a race that ends with a hill like that), a "Yay For Sub 6" to TH, a joke about having enough time for a bathroom stop, then FINISH!
It wasn't until a race volunteer came up to me as I was coughing and leaning on my knees that I realized my placing. When he handed me a post with two signs nailed to it, I was initially confused. But he and TH explained -- I WON! OMG. I took the post and fell to my knees. I'm so HAPPY TH was there to see that, and there to share the morning with me. It would have felt so ...empty... otherwise.
Also if she wasn't there, I wouldn't have walked around, ate something, and rested. Haha, she jokes about Momming me, but I need it!
This was the best way to end my 2013 season--on top with all goals hammered down tight. Oh yeah, 2013 was ultra-cool.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Taper Dammit!
RUN 4.25 miles in 39 mins
More rain! A very light rain this time, almost not there, with more gray skies and fading fall colors.
The run started out good but around mile 3 I felt it fading. My legs were heavy and I was tired. Here I am days away from my race and I'm tired?!?!
More rain! A very light rain this time, almost not there, with more gray skies and fading fall colors.
The run started out good but around mile 3 I felt it fading. My legs were heavy and I was tired. Here I am days away from my race and I'm tired?!?!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Hit hard by the time change
SWIM 2500y in just over an hour
RUN about 38 mins and 3.6 miles
While most clocks were updated to the new fall/winter time, someone didn't tell the doggie. So she woke me up at 3:53 this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep. I was meeting RM at 8am at the pool, so this was early! But I'm always finding things to do, I didn't see it as a total loss just yet.
But then a weird brekkie that included 3 big mugs of coffee happened, soon enough I was wide awake and sleepy at the same time. I tried to fall back asleep but it didn't happen. I had a buzzing, disconnected, sick, blah feeling. Driving out to the pool, I was unfocused and thinking this training would be a bad idea.
But I'm a sucker for peer pressure, and just thinking about having to "call in sick" didn't appeal to me. So off to the pool!
Once at the pool I forgot to bring in my swim plan, so on the fly I made up a 2x [300 swim, 300 pull, 6x50 drill, 100 paddle] then 500 whatever plan with kicking. I worked through it, trying to slow the heck down and find good stroke technique. I'm not very good at that!
Then the run was a bit later with RM and Daisy. We ran from his home to a favorite park, and in doing so I realized that a group run that rotated through friends' neighborhoods and favorite parks would be a fun series to do. For me anyway.
I was very tired yesterday after all that RBRB, and then with this morning on top of that (or more likely because of it!) I'm worn out. I need to rest!
RUN about 38 mins and 3.6 miles
While most clocks were updated to the new fall/winter time, someone didn't tell the doggie. So she woke me up at 3:53 this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep. I was meeting RM at 8am at the pool, so this was early! But I'm always finding things to do, I didn't see it as a total loss just yet.
But then a weird brekkie that included 3 big mugs of coffee happened, soon enough I was wide awake and sleepy at the same time. I tried to fall back asleep but it didn't happen. I had a buzzing, disconnected, sick, blah feeling. Driving out to the pool, I was unfocused and thinking this training would be a bad idea.
But I'm a sucker for peer pressure, and just thinking about having to "call in sick" didn't appeal to me. So off to the pool!
Once at the pool I forgot to bring in my swim plan, so on the fly I made up a 2x [300 swim, 300 pull, 6x50 drill, 100 paddle] then 500 whatever plan with kicking. I worked through it, trying to slow the heck down and find good stroke technique. I'm not very good at that!
Then the run was a bit later with RM and Daisy. We ran from his home to a favorite park, and in doing so I realized that a group run that rotated through friends' neighborhoods and favorite parks would be a fun series to do. For me anyway.
I was very tired yesterday after all that RBRB, and then with this morning on top of that (or more likely because of it!) I'm worn out. I need to rest!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Sammich!
RUN 29 mins and 2.8 miles
BIKE 2hrs and 28 miles
RUN 60 mins and 5.5 miles
BIKE 75 mins and 23 miles (indoors)
Why am I doing all this training? Cuz it's FUN!
RM is two weeks out from IMAZ so this was his last big weekend. I'm one week out from McNot Again, so it's my last big weekend too. But did it need to be this big?
I was excited to just spend a majority of the day being outside and doing something. I admit to moments at the start where I wanted to chicken out and not bike. It wasn't COLD, but it was cold--mid 40's. And windy! Maybe the wind was the part scaring me off?
I'm happy to say I didn't scare off :) The original plan of doing a 2nd 2hr bike outdoors didn't pan out for any of us, but it's even better because after RM and I got home we kept going (but didn't know what each other was doing!) on the trainers indoors.
Now that I'm signed up for B2B, this was a great way to start the year leading into it--on a ride that might just mimic the windy and cool conditions for that race.
BIKE 2hrs and 28 miles
RUN 60 mins and 5.5 miles
BIKE 75 mins and 23 miles (indoors)
RM is two weeks out from IMAZ so this was his last big weekend. I'm one week out from McNot Again, so it's my last big weekend too. But did it need to be this big?
I was excited to just spend a majority of the day being outside and doing something. I admit to moments at the start where I wanted to chicken out and not bike. It wasn't COLD, but it was cold--mid 40's. And windy! Maybe the wind was the part scaring me off?
I'm happy to say I didn't scare off :) The original plan of doing a 2nd 2hr bike outdoors didn't pan out for any of us, but it's even better because after RM and I got home we kept going (but didn't know what each other was doing!) on the trainers indoors.
Now that I'm signed up for B2B, this was a great way to start the year leading into it--on a ride that might just mimic the windy and cool conditions for that race.
Friday, November 1, 2013
2014 B2B
I'm signed up! On the first day of registration too. You'd think I was excited or something.
WHOOP!
WHOOP!
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