or maybe not.
After getting the kids off to school, I headed out for my weekly "long" run. Today I had 6-miles on the agenda and I was excited to get it done in the cooler morning hours. And, instead of sticking to my usual neighborhood loops, I was going to check out the neighborhood nature trails. I have been really wanting to check them out since we move to the neighborhood last year...so today was the day!
Yeah. Nature girl I am not. Within a 1/2 mile I managed to roll my ankle. It only took a few minutes to recover and be on my way, but then I ran through about 5 spider webs....after that I was sure that I had a huge spider on the back of my head, lol! The last straw was the freaking horse flies! OMG, they were everywhere! And heaven forbid if you slow down or stop...once I looked down and there were 3 on my leg. Ouch!
So yeah, after that I turned around and hauled ass out of the woods! Sorry to anyone within earshot who heard me yelling obscenities. :-)
I ended up heading back to the pavement, finished up 5 miles, then called it a day. Honestly, after the trail incident, I never really got into my groove. My pace was all over the place and it was warmer than I expected. I didn't get in the 6 I originally had planned, but it will have to do. I had a date with my Mom to see The Soloist...great movie! Sad, but inspiring nonetheless.
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Nat
My morning run with a friend fell through, so I decided to head to the Y for a swim. Funny, because I called my friend Jenn as I was heading to the Y and she was heading to the CISD Natatorium. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey Jenn, it's Christy...my run fell through so I thought I'd see if you wanted to meet up at the Y for a swim.
Jenn: Do you have $5?
Me: Ummm, Yeah. Uh, Huh?
Jenn: I am on my way to the natatorium, I'm not far from you and can pick you up
Me: Actually, I am not far from there already.
So, I turned my car around and decided to meet her there. Let me tell you...after this experience, I may never want to set foot in the Y pool ever again. The pool is absolutely awesome! They had the lanes set up for 50 yds, so that was awesome in itself. No stopping at the wall every 25 yds...fanfreakingtastic!! The yards seemed to go by so quickly. And, it's so nice and clean. Spotless. No hairball jellyfish, no weird crap at the bottom of the pool...ahhhhh! All I can say is that I'll be back!!!
Oh and the swim went well too. I am getting better at breathing on the freestyle, but still have to switch to sidestroke pretty often. No worries though...it was a fun time and a great workout. Oh and of course hanging out with Jenn for the 1st time in awhile was great too!
The only downside is that I got in my car to find that it was already 10 am! Oh crap, I had a hair appt at 10:45 and still had to shower, get dressed, etc. It was a bit crazy but I made it!
Me: Hey Jenn, it's Christy...my run fell through so I thought I'd see if you wanted to meet up at the Y for a swim.
Jenn: Do you have $5?
Me: Ummm, Yeah. Uh, Huh?
Jenn: I am on my way to the natatorium, I'm not far from you and can pick you up
Me: Actually, I am not far from there already.
So, I turned my car around and decided to meet her there. Let me tell you...after this experience, I may never want to set foot in the Y pool ever again. The pool is absolutely awesome! They had the lanes set up for 50 yds, so that was awesome in itself. No stopping at the wall every 25 yds...fanfreakingtastic!! The yards seemed to go by so quickly. And, it's so nice and clean. Spotless. No hairball jellyfish, no weird crap at the bottom of the pool...ahhhhh! All I can say is that I'll be back!!!
Oh and the swim went well too. I am getting better at breathing on the freestyle, but still have to switch to sidestroke pretty often. No worries though...it was a fun time and a great workout. Oh and of course hanging out with Jenn for the 1st time in awhile was great too!
The only downside is that I got in my car to find that it was already 10 am! Oh crap, I had a hair appt at 10:45 and still had to shower, get dressed, etc. It was a bit crazy but I made it!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Ride, ride, ride
Ride - 26.12 miles, 1:40, 15.7 pace
I was soooo looking forward to getting in a good quality ride this week. When I squeeze in a ride on the weekends, it's always after the hubby gets home in the afternoon and it always cuts into our family time together. So, I can only pull off 30 minutes to an hour....not exactly what I'd call a "long ride". In fact, I think my longest ride since I started tri training has been 15 miles.
I took the kids to school and then couldn't decide if I should ride near home, or go to the far regions of The Woodlands where I rode with my running/tri peeps last year. In the end, not having to drive for 20 minutes won!
I started with my usual loop of the neighborhood. Remember all those nice roads with no homes yet? The roads with no traffic whatsoever? I had noticed the builder's "Available" signs on the lots about a month ago. Well, a couple of weeks ago I noticed three of the available signs replaced with "Sold" signs. This week I saw the wood frame of a new home....pretty soon there will be no unpopulated streets in the 'hood, sigh. It had to happen sometime!
Next, I got daring and rode outside the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the road is a busy one and I'm not sure how I like riding with card going 50+ mph as they pass me. Luckily, this road does have a wide shoulder...well, for awhile anyway. I turned into the subdivision next to ours...this is also where there are lots of unpopulated roads for the subdivision. I don't think I have to worry about houses being built here...the development opened a year ago and according to the newspaper, only one house has closed.
I headed back out to the busy street again and decided to head to the acreage community down the road. Oh crap...the shoulder ended and the 4-lane road turned into a 2-lane road! Scary! Luckily, I only had about a 1/4 mile to go. Once I was in this neighborhood I was good to go! There was a 6-7 mile loop with not much traffic and I also went down several other streets that went on for a couple of miles. I think I've found my new riding route!!! And, I passed great views of the neighborhood lake and there were tons of amazing homes to gawk at, lol!
I was going to go for a 2nd loop of that neighborhood when I suddenly realized the sky had that "it's about to pour any second" look to it. Instead, I decided to head toward my hood again...just in case there was lightening coming with that rain. Turns out that it didn't rain at all, so I finished up my ride with a few laps around the 'hood. Oh well.
So now I have a 26-miler under my belt. It was fun, but I definitely want to work on my speed. It's hard to do when there are stop signs, turns, etc, but I know I can do better. Oh, I did manage to drink from my water bottle while riding. And the legs felt like complete jello afterwards! Props to the folks who do twice that distance and run a 1/2 marathon afterwards...I don't know how you do it!
I was soooo looking forward to getting in a good quality ride this week. When I squeeze in a ride on the weekends, it's always after the hubby gets home in the afternoon and it always cuts into our family time together. So, I can only pull off 30 minutes to an hour....not exactly what I'd call a "long ride". In fact, I think my longest ride since I started tri training has been 15 miles.
I took the kids to school and then couldn't decide if I should ride near home, or go to the far regions of The Woodlands where I rode with my running/tri peeps last year. In the end, not having to drive for 20 minutes won!
I started with my usual loop of the neighborhood. Remember all those nice roads with no homes yet? The roads with no traffic whatsoever? I had noticed the builder's "Available" signs on the lots about a month ago. Well, a couple of weeks ago I noticed three of the available signs replaced with "Sold" signs. This week I saw the wood frame of a new home....pretty soon there will be no unpopulated streets in the 'hood, sigh. It had to happen sometime!
Next, I got daring and rode outside the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the road is a busy one and I'm not sure how I like riding with card going 50+ mph as they pass me. Luckily, this road does have a wide shoulder...well, for awhile anyway. I turned into the subdivision next to ours...this is also where there are lots of unpopulated roads for the subdivision. I don't think I have to worry about houses being built here...the development opened a year ago and according to the newspaper, only one house has closed.
I headed back out to the busy street again and decided to head to the acreage community down the road. Oh crap...the shoulder ended and the 4-lane road turned into a 2-lane road! Scary! Luckily, I only had about a 1/4 mile to go. Once I was in this neighborhood I was good to go! There was a 6-7 mile loop with not much traffic and I also went down several other streets that went on for a couple of miles. I think I've found my new riding route!!! And, I passed great views of the neighborhood lake and there were tons of amazing homes to gawk at, lol!
I was going to go for a 2nd loop of that neighborhood when I suddenly realized the sky had that "it's about to pour any second" look to it. Instead, I decided to head toward my hood again...just in case there was lightening coming with that rain. Turns out that it didn't rain at all, so I finished up my ride with a few laps around the 'hood. Oh well.
So now I have a 26-miler under my belt. It was fun, but I definitely want to work on my speed. It's hard to do when there are stop signs, turns, etc, but I know I can do better. Oh, I did manage to drink from my water bottle while riding. And the legs felt like complete jello afterwards! Props to the folks who do twice that distance and run a 1/2 marathon afterwards...I don't know how you do it!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Girly Stuff
I took Tuesday off. No workouts, so I could spend the entire day with the kiddo doing girly stuff. She got her hair cut, we had cookies at the mall (well she did), we saw Night at the Museum 2, did mani/pedis, etc. We tried to go to the pool, but found out that it was closed because some kids vandalized the gate. Grrrrr! Needless to say, the kiddo was very disappointed. But, she happily played in the sprinklers instead. Good times!!!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Vacation all I ever wanted...
I am officially on vacay this week! Whoot!
Monday, May 25 - Swim, 45 minutes
So the day didn't start as planned. I woke up at 6:00 am, jogged over to the neighborhood pool, swiped my access card, pulled the gate handle and nothing happened. When I looked down, I noticed that there was a chain and a padlock on the gate. Lovely! I did seriously consider jumping the fence. Really. It's not that high. But, I was afraid I'd get arrested for trespassing or something. So, I jogged back home grabbed the car keys and headed to the Y.
I swam for about 40 minutes. Freestyle and sidestroke, sidestroke and freestyle. I could really tell that I skipped my swims last week, because I never felt like I was really in the groove. Oh, and I was lapped about 10 times by a grandpa. LOL!
I spent the rest of the day with the family - playing at the park, playing board games, etc. Fun, fun!
Oh, and before I forget...just something I remembered about my run on Friday - I don't ever want to eat dinner before a long run. I felt completely disgusting for the first mile or so. Ick!
Monday, May 25 - Swim, 45 minutes
So the day didn't start as planned. I woke up at 6:00 am, jogged over to the neighborhood pool, swiped my access card, pulled the gate handle and nothing happened. When I looked down, I noticed that there was a chain and a padlock on the gate. Lovely! I did seriously consider jumping the fence. Really. It's not that high. But, I was afraid I'd get arrested for trespassing or something. So, I jogged back home grabbed the car keys and headed to the Y.
I swam for about 40 minutes. Freestyle and sidestroke, sidestroke and freestyle. I could really tell that I skipped my swims last week, because I never felt like I was really in the groove. Oh, and I was lapped about 10 times by a grandpa. LOL!
I spent the rest of the day with the family - playing at the park, playing board games, etc. Fun, fun!
Oh, and before I forget...just something I remembered about my run on Friday - I don't ever want to eat dinner before a long run. I felt completely disgusting for the first mile or so. Ick!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Lazy Lazy
It's been a lazy couple of days for me and the kiddos. The munchkin is almost well, but I am still a little paranoid about taking him out in public with the remnant of his spots still there. Instead, we've gone on walks around the neighborhood, put together puzzles, watched movies, etc. This is highly unusual for me, as I am one of those people who can't sit still in the house for any length of time! We did leave once to go to the grocery store, which was a total disaster since the baby is still a bit cranky. Probably from the ear infection.
I am excited to have the entire week off! As I might have mentioned, this is the 1st time in several years I've taken off more than a 3 or 4 day weekend. Whoot! It's kinda sad that the thing I am looking forward to most are some good, uninterrupted, unrushed workouts, LOL! Well that, and a movie or two.
I am excited to have the entire week off! As I might have mentioned, this is the 1st time in several years I've taken off more than a 3 or 4 day weekend. Whoot! It's kinda sad that the thing I am looking forward to most are some good, uninterrupted, unrushed workouts, LOL! Well that, and a movie or two.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Hot & Steamy
Since I knew Saturday would be full of activity due to my nephew's high school graduation and party, I decided to get my "long run" done on Friday night. Again.
Once more, I hit the streets of the 'hood wanting to get in 6 miles. I didn't leave until almost 8 pm, so I knew I needed to htfu in order to make it home before it got too dark. Last week I started out too fast, but I managed to finished my 5-miler in 11:05 pace...still a little fast for me and I was pooped afterwards. So, this week I purposely slowed down...so much for htfu, lol!
In my 1st 3-mile loop around the 'hood I met up with a rabbit, a turtle and a couple of really loud frogs, lol. There were a few walkers out, but other than that it was just me and the sidewalks. Finished the 1st loop @ an 11:32 pace. I decided to pick it up for the last couple of miles on my 2nd loop - overall pace ended up at 11:27 - negative split, WHOOT! Okay, so slower than I meant to go, but better than starting out at an 10:50 pace and then losing steam at the end. I have a bad habit of going out too fast in races, then losing it at the end. My goal is to get faster in the 2nd 1/2 and get the negative split!
Also, I've graduated from the 5/1s that I've done for the past few years. I have been running my shorter weekday runs straight through and doing 9/1 intervals on my long runs. The goal here? To graduate from 9/1 to a walk at each mile to only walking when absolutely necessary.
I'll get there. Eventually.
Once more, I hit the streets of the 'hood wanting to get in 6 miles. I didn't leave until almost 8 pm, so I knew I needed to htfu in order to make it home before it got too dark. Last week I started out too fast, but I managed to finished my 5-miler in 11:05 pace...still a little fast for me and I was pooped afterwards. So, this week I purposely slowed down...so much for htfu, lol!
In my 1st 3-mile loop around the 'hood I met up with a rabbit, a turtle and a couple of really loud frogs, lol. There were a few walkers out, but other than that it was just me and the sidewalks. Finished the 1st loop @ an 11:32 pace. I decided to pick it up for the last couple of miles on my 2nd loop - overall pace ended up at 11:27 - negative split, WHOOT! Okay, so slower than I meant to go, but better than starting out at an 10:50 pace and then losing steam at the end. I have a bad habit of going out too fast in races, then losing it at the end. My goal is to get faster in the 2nd 1/2 and get the negative split!
Also, I've graduated from the 5/1s that I've done for the past few years. I have been running my shorter weekday runs straight through and doing 9/1 intervals on my long runs. The goal here? To graduate from 9/1 to a walk at each mile to only walking when absolutely necessary.
I'll get there. Eventually.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Life happens...
Work interfered with my spin class again today...can't go into detail, but let's just say that being in HR during a down economy can sometimes suck. Big time. Darn economy!
No afternoon swim either. I felt like I needed to get home to my kiddos. The mother-in-law had been with the baby all day. While I am sure she loved every minute, I am also sure she was tired of dealing with a cranky, spot-covered kiddo and needed some relief.
I am so excited to have the entire week off next week! It's the 1st time in about 4 years that I have actually taken an entire week off. Yay me. I'm splitting the week up between time with the family and some "me" time. Is it sad when you're excited about your week off mainly because it means you can get in some good workouts???? Yeah, I have no freakin' life, lol! If all is well with the baby, I have plans for a nice 20-something mile bike ride, a lot of swimming, a few nice long runs, and maybe some shopping (I have unused gift cards from Christmas!) and movies mixed in.
Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!!
No afternoon swim either. I felt like I needed to get home to my kiddos. The mother-in-law had been with the baby all day. While I am sure she loved every minute, I am also sure she was tired of dealing with a cranky, spot-covered kiddo and needed some relief.
I am so excited to have the entire week off next week! It's the 1st time in about 4 years that I have actually taken an entire week off. Yay me. I'm splitting the week up between time with the family and some "me" time. Is it sad when you're excited about your week off mainly because it means you can get in some good workouts???? Yeah, I have no freakin' life, lol! If all is well with the baby, I have plans for a nice 20-something mile bike ride, a lot of swimming, a few nice long runs, and maybe some shopping (I have unused gift cards from Christmas!) and movies mixed in.
Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Operation "Get Faster" - Week 5
Once again, I headed to the gym during lunch to get on the dreadmill. Wednesday is the kiddo's dance night and the in-laws are staying with us, so I knew there would be no running tonight. I did my regular 5-minute warm-up, then did 8x400 with a 1-minute recovery in between. I felt like I wasn't as fast as before, but I did have a couple of minutes in the high 8's. That was fun to see on the treadmill screen, even if it wasn't for long.
The baby's rash actually got worse yesterday. After seeing the pictures below, I am sure you're wondering how that's even possible. But, he was not letting it bother him too much...he still wanted to play outside with his sister in the little playhouse on the patio. I am praying that he starts to show signs of improvement soon...I am sure our pediatrician is hoping so too, because we must have called them 4 times yesterday with more questions, LOL! Yes we are those parents!!! We are really thinking that it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin, rather than a reaction to the MMR vaccine.
The baby's rash actually got worse yesterday. After seeing the pictures below, I am sure you're wondering how that's even possible. But, he was not letting it bother him too much...he still wanted to play outside with his sister in the little playhouse on the patio. I am praying that he starts to show signs of improvement soon...I am sure our pediatrician is hoping so too, because we must have called them 4 times yesterday with more questions, LOL! Yes we are those parents!!! We are really thinking that it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin, rather than a reaction to the MMR vaccine.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My poor baby!
Here are a few pictures of the rash the baby has, which the Dr suspects is from the MMR vaccine. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be bothering him too much. I think the ear infection is what is causing his fever and occasional fussiness.
These two are from Tuesday afternoon....his entire back is covered by the red bumps like the ones you see in the 2nd picture.
These two are from Tuesday afternoon....his entire back is covered by the red bumps like the ones you see in the 2nd picture.
This was him this morning...puffy face, with much more redness! I feel so bad for him, but there's not much I can do.
Slacker
Just paste a big 'ol "L" on my forehead, because I have not been posting at all!
Here's another catch-up on my workouts....
Friday, 5/15 - Long run, 5 miles, 11:05 pace
I decided to get my "long run" in, because I knew that I'd be busy on Sat. My neighborhood LR was only 5 miles, because I haven't gotten in a LR in over a month! It went pretty well - as usual, I started out too fast. At the 3-mile, I was at a 10:59 pace...these days for me that's fast for anything over about 3 miles. It didn't feel terribly hard, but I was breathing a bit harder than usual. Of course, I wondered if I could maintain that pace for the last two miles. :-) It felt like I was, but apparently not since my overall pace ended up being 11:05. I'm pretty sure it was faster than my last outdoor 5-miler and it was warmer than my last one too. I'll take it!
Saturday, 5/16 - Rest day
I took the kiddos for pictures to commemorate the baby's 1st birthday. Next it was grocery shopping and playing dollhouse. Aren't ya just super envious of the exciting life I lead??? :-) Later, it was time for a girl's night out...woohoo!
Sunday, 5/17 - Brick #5 - 17 mile ride (16 mph), 1 mile run (9:56 pace)
Sunday brought some awesome cooler weather! I took the kiddos to church, then visited my parents for a little while. Next, we hung out at home until the hubby made it home from work (yes, more dollhouse!) and watched the Rockets game. At the 3rd quarter, I decided that I couldn't take it anymore....I went out for a bike ride! (The Rockets were getting a beating from LA)
The bike ride was fun. I planned for an hour, but went a little longer just to get in an full 17 miles. The ride was just through the neighborhood. It was crazy with the wind...when I was riding right into it, I would be anywhere between 13 & 15 mph. I tried to not get slower than 14, but there were a few gusts that I just couldn't ride through. When the wind was at my back, I got as fast as 22 mph...now that was fun!
Monday, 5/18 - Tempo run, treadmill, 3 miles
This is why I should blog after every workout - I can't remember my final pace!!! Doh! It was hard to run on the dreadmill with temps at 71 degrees outside. But, I really don't feel safe on foot on the trails near my work. On bike I feel okay for whatever reason. I could have driven to Memorial Park, but that thought didn't occur to me until after my run. Oh well! And, an evening run was out - we had to go to a rosary service for the hubby's Aunt. May dear Aunt Molly RIP.
Tuesday, 5/19 - No workout (unplanned rest day!)
Hey, life happens right? No lunchtime spin class today...the baby started breaking out in a rash. When he woke up on Tuesday, it was much, much worse. And his fever had risen from 101 the night before to 103. Yikes! I left work early to take the lil' guy to the doctor. Apparently, the amoxicillin the doc prescribed last week for his double ear infection wasn't working at all. His ears looked "terrible" and that was also the cause of his high fever. The rash was another story...possibly viral, or maybe an allergic reaction to either his amoxicillin or MMR vaccine. The dr said it looked closer to measles, so she felt it was due to the MMR. Nice! MMR also happens to be linked to autism (allegedly), so that freaks me out!
Here's another catch-up on my workouts....
Friday, 5/15 - Long run, 5 miles, 11:05 pace
I decided to get my "long run" in, because I knew that I'd be busy on Sat. My neighborhood LR was only 5 miles, because I haven't gotten in a LR in over a month! It went pretty well - as usual, I started out too fast. At the 3-mile, I was at a 10:59 pace...these days for me that's fast for anything over about 3 miles. It didn't feel terribly hard, but I was breathing a bit harder than usual. Of course, I wondered if I could maintain that pace for the last two miles. :-) It felt like I was, but apparently not since my overall pace ended up being 11:05. I'm pretty sure it was faster than my last outdoor 5-miler and it was warmer than my last one too. I'll take it!
Saturday, 5/16 - Rest day
I took the kiddos for pictures to commemorate the baby's 1st birthday. Next it was grocery shopping and playing dollhouse. Aren't ya just super envious of the exciting life I lead??? :-) Later, it was time for a girl's night out...woohoo!
Sunday, 5/17 - Brick #5 - 17 mile ride (16 mph), 1 mile run (9:56 pace)
Sunday brought some awesome cooler weather! I took the kiddos to church, then visited my parents for a little while. Next, we hung out at home until the hubby made it home from work (yes, more dollhouse!) and watched the Rockets game. At the 3rd quarter, I decided that I couldn't take it anymore....I went out for a bike ride! (The Rockets were getting a beating from LA)
The bike ride was fun. I planned for an hour, but went a little longer just to get in an full 17 miles. The ride was just through the neighborhood. It was crazy with the wind...when I was riding right into it, I would be anywhere between 13 & 15 mph. I tried to not get slower than 14, but there were a few gusts that I just couldn't ride through. When the wind was at my back, I got as fast as 22 mph...now that was fun!
Monday, 5/18 - Tempo run, treadmill, 3 miles
This is why I should blog after every workout - I can't remember my final pace!!! Doh! It was hard to run on the dreadmill with temps at 71 degrees outside. But, I really don't feel safe on foot on the trails near my work. On bike I feel okay for whatever reason. I could have driven to Memorial Park, but that thought didn't occur to me until after my run. Oh well! And, an evening run was out - we had to go to a rosary service for the hubby's Aunt. May dear Aunt Molly RIP.
Tuesday, 5/19 - No workout (unplanned rest day!)
Hey, life happens right? No lunchtime spin class today...the baby started breaking out in a rash. When he woke up on Tuesday, it was much, much worse. And his fever had risen from 101 the night before to 103. Yikes! I left work early to take the lil' guy to the doctor. Apparently, the amoxicillin the doc prescribed last week for his double ear infection wasn't working at all. His ears looked "terrible" and that was also the cause of his high fever. The rash was another story...possibly viral, or maybe an allergic reaction to either his amoxicillin or MMR vaccine. The dr said it looked closer to measles, so she felt it was due to the MMR. Nice! MMR also happens to be linked to autism (allegedly), so that freaks me out!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Happy Blogiversary!!!
Holy crap, has it been THREE YEARS???? Already? I almost forgot about my blogiversary and actually did miss it by a few days.
Where, oh where has the time gone?
And to think, it all started here. Wow, back then I was studying for my PHR, studying for the GMAT, Riley was 2 years old and I was getting geared up for Chicago Marathon training. So much has changed since then - ran Chicago, got my run a little faster, got my PHR, started and finished grad school, shifted my focus to 1/2 marathons, bought a house, had a baby, sold a house, got a little slower (grrrr...), left my focus on 1/2 marathons, completed a tri...
And of course in the past three years, I have made some great friends through my blog! Thanks for reading, thanks for encouraging, thanks for even telling me what I needed to hear even if I didn't want to hear it! Thanks for everything!
Where, oh where has the time gone?
And to think, it all started here. Wow, back then I was studying for my PHR, studying for the GMAT, Riley was 2 years old and I was getting geared up for Chicago Marathon training. So much has changed since then - ran Chicago, got my run a little faster, got my PHR, started and finished grad school, shifted my focus to 1/2 marathons, bought a house, had a baby, sold a house, got a little slower (grrrr...), left my focus on 1/2 marathons, completed a tri...
And of course in the past three years, I have made some great friends through my blog! Thanks for reading, thanks for encouraging, thanks for even telling me what I needed to hear even if I didn't want to hear it! Thanks for everything!
Catching Up
Since my last post was so freaking long, I decided to not post for a few days. LOL!
Here's an update of what I've been up to...
Sunday, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my Mother's Day. After the tri, my Dad watched the kiddos so my Mom and I could enjoy a nice, relaxing lunch together. Afterwards, I came home to a napping baby, so the kiddo and I played with her dollhouse together until the hubby made it home from work. Next, we hung out in the gameroom, watched the Rockets game and played with the kiddos. (Yay for the Rockets!) Finally, we headed over to the neighborhood pool and spent an hour or so splashing around with the kiddos.
Monday was a rest day for me...no workouts!
Tuesday, I had to skip spin class due to a work lunch meeting, but I did get in a 45 minute swim at the pool. Lots of freestyle and sidestroke!
Wednesday, I ran some intervals on the treadmill. I did a 5-minute warm-up, ran 7x400 with a 1-minute rest break in between, the did a 5-minute cool down (which turned into a 7 minute cool down so I could watch the rest of a segment on Ellen). Overall, I was a bit slower than last week. For whatever reason, I felt more tired than usual. Oh and I did my workout during lunch so I could watch the LOST season finale right after the kiddos went to bed. Good decision, since it was a 2-hour special...and it was a great show!
Thursday, hit the lunchtime spin class again! Love it! I think I pushed myself pretty hard with my pace and the tension. Fun times! Sweaty, but fun!
After work, I headed back to the pool near work. Man, summer is definitely here...or at least the summer temps. There were sooo many families at the pool , it was crazy! Fortunately, not many people were there trying to swim laps, so I did not have to share a lane with anyone. And, I made somewhat of a breakthrough with my breathing issues. I came to the realization that I was taking very big (or HUGE) gasps of air when I turned my head to breathe. Since I breathe every 3 strokes, there's no way I could exhale all that air. So, I played around a bit and discovered that I do much better taking very small "bites" of air (as Terry from the TI video says). Normally, once I get winded, I do 3 strokes of freestyle with a few sidestrokes in between. I hardly had to sidestroke at all using my new breathing technique...and I managed to get 250 meters in that way! Progress!!!! I'll take any I can get!!!
Here's an update of what I've been up to...
Sunday, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my Mother's Day. After the tri, my Dad watched the kiddos so my Mom and I could enjoy a nice, relaxing lunch together. Afterwards, I came home to a napping baby, so the kiddo and I played with her dollhouse together until the hubby made it home from work. Next, we hung out in the gameroom, watched the Rockets game and played with the kiddos. (Yay for the Rockets!) Finally, we headed over to the neighborhood pool and spent an hour or so splashing around with the kiddos.
Monday was a rest day for me...no workouts!
Tuesday, I had to skip spin class due to a work lunch meeting, but I did get in a 45 minute swim at the pool. Lots of freestyle and sidestroke!
Wednesday, I ran some intervals on the treadmill. I did a 5-minute warm-up, ran 7x400 with a 1-minute rest break in between, the did a 5-minute cool down (which turned into a 7 minute cool down so I could watch the rest of a segment on Ellen). Overall, I was a bit slower than last week. For whatever reason, I felt more tired than usual. Oh and I did my workout during lunch so I could watch the LOST season finale right after the kiddos went to bed. Good decision, since it was a 2-hour special...and it was a great show!
Thursday, hit the lunchtime spin class again! Love it! I think I pushed myself pretty hard with my pace and the tension. Fun times! Sweaty, but fun!
After work, I headed back to the pool near work. Man, summer is definitely here...or at least the summer temps. There were sooo many families at the pool , it was crazy! Fortunately, not many people were there trying to swim laps, so I did not have to share a lane with anyone. And, I made somewhat of a breakthrough with my breathing issues. I came to the realization that I was taking very big (or HUGE) gasps of air when I turned my head to breathe. Since I breathe every 3 strokes, there's no way I could exhale all that air. So, I played around a bit and discovered that I do much better taking very small "bites" of air (as Terry from the TI video says). Normally, once I get winded, I do 3 strokes of freestyle with a few sidestrokes in between. I hardly had to sidestroke at all using my new breathing technique...and I managed to get 250 meters in that way! Progress!!!! I'll take any I can get!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
TriGirl Super Sprint Race Report
Sorry for the long race report. It’s my 1st tri, so I want to capture everything if possible. :-)
The adventure begins!
Kelly, Katie and I rode to the race together. This is Kelly’s 2nd tri season, so she’s a pro at this. Katie did her 1st tri last weekend (CB&I), so she was nice enough to come cheer and take pictures for us. The ride to the race ended up being quite an adventure! I won’t go into all the details, but let’s just say that I lost my navigator rights and Kelly lost her driving to the race rights! We remembered from going to the Take a Hike Ike Tri that the directions to Deussen Park sucked. It was no different for this race. We were among many to have to turn around…when we did, we saw signs pointing to the race parking. Apparently we were coming in from the wrong way or something? Who knows. Fortunately, we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there, so no worries.
Pre-Race
Once we arrived, we headed to get our body markings. I think that’s when it hit me – when the lady was writing my number on my arms and leg, then asked me my age for my calf – I thought, “wow, I’m doing a triathlon!” We headed from there into the transition area to set up our stuff. My assigned spot was pretty much in the middle. I chatted with the other women around me – they were all 1st timers too. Once I had everything set up, I went over to see Kelly in her transition area. Next, we went over to the water to check out the temps. Nice and warm, and very flat! Perfect! I decided not to use the wetsuit (aka my security blanket). Finally, we went to pick up our chips and get our bearings on where to enter and exit the transition area for the bike and run. I did run into Kerri from beginnertriathlete.com, which was cool.
After that, we pretty much just hung out and took a few pictures. Once transition closed, we made our way over to the swim start. Kelly and I were both in the 1st wave, so it was good to have someone to talk to while we waited. That was when I realized that I completely forgot about my ½ PB&J I had brought. Doh! Oh well.
When they blew the horn, I did the dolphin dive that Viv taught me and was off! I managed to freestyle to about the 1st buoy. Even though I didn’t feel anxious, I was breathing like a mad woman! I had to do some sidestroke to get my breathing back to a somewhat normal rhythm. It never got there, but it did get better. However, every time I attempted to freestyle again, I got winded so I ended up doing a lot of the remainder of the swim using the trusty ol’ sidestroke. I even passed a few people while doing it! When I started heading to shore, I stole a look back and realized I was no where near being the last one in from my wave! Hooray! The swim was over before I knew it! The nice thing about this distance is that it is totally doable for a novice swimmer like me, and it’s so short that the wave behind us didn’t have time to pass. And, any swim would be better than that 1st ows practice!
T1 – 2:26.4
This is were I am annoyed with myself…my T1 time was 2:26! Seriously, what in the hell was I doing for almost 2 ½ minutes??? I know what I was doing – I was getting pebbles off my feet, lol. That, and since I’m not coordinated enough to drink while I’m riding my bike, I took a second to take a Gu and a drink from my water bottle. So anyway - I ran it in, but was surprised how wobbly I felt after the swim. Not bad, but a little unexpected. I heard Kelly yell out “great job” or something like that in the transition area. It was a bit of a blur though. I tried to get as many pebbles off my feet as possible, rolled on my socks and slipped on my shoes. I also decided to go ahead and put on my race belt. I grabbed my Gu and water. That’s when I started noticing people around me coming in from the swim and I thought, “Shit, hurry your ass up!” Then put on my sunglasses and grabbed my helmet and unracked my bike. I remember thinking, “STOP! Put on your helmet!”, so I did just that. I ran to the red line, mounted my bike and was off.
Bike – 8 miles, 26:38.9, 18 mph
Fortunately, I remembered to shift gears, so that it wouldn’t be hard to pedal in the beginning. My breathing was really hard for the 1st couple of miles on the bike and I don’t think I got it under control until I was well into mile 2. I checked the nifty bike computer (my Mother’s Day gift!) and was at a 17 mph pace. That’s the fastest I’ve ever gone in a training ride, so it was my goal pace for the race. However, I found myself getting closer to the people in front of me and wanted to pass! My 17 increased to 18. Sometimes it was 19, but my problem is that I turn really slow and really wide…that certainly didn’t help me on the ride. I really enjoy the bike, so my goal was to just enjoy this. At some point, there was a nice downhill and when I looked at my bike computer it read 24 mph. That was fun! At first I was worried that I couldn’t hold the 18-something mph pace, until I reminded myself that it was only 8 miles. And, I reminded myself that it was a race – no regrets, so I said screw it! I know I am not a super fast runner, so what the hell? I gave it everything I could. I do think I slowed down a little too early getting into transition - another thing to work on.
T2 – 0:50.5
Since I don’t have bike shoes yet or clipless pedals, this was cake for me. Run bike to rack, rack bike, remove helmet and go! Oh, and that PB&J from earlier? I ran over it with my bike, lol! A guy standing near the transition area, said “Umm, I guess you didn’t want that sandwich?”
Run – 2 miles, 19:39.6, 9:50 pace
I started my Garmin as I was finishing the bike, but realized that it still hadn’t found the satellites yet. Ugh! I was about ½ way through the 1st mile when it finally started working. WTH? My goal was a 10:30 pace. For me that’s pretty good, even for a short 2-mile distance. After my Garmin kicked in, it read a 10:17 average pace, so I thought “okay, let’s keep it there”. It was an out and back course and I saw Kelly as I approached the water station. Hooray, I was ½ way done! I did walk as I drank one Gatorade and poured one water on my head. I ran the rest of the way in and was happy to be done! It was great to see Katie and Woodlands Fit friend, Erica, at the finish. And, I was actually surprised to see my overall pace at 9:50! As always, I go out wwwaaayyy to fast and then slow down.
So that was it - my 1st tri experience! I have to say that I loved it and can’t wait to do it again – but maybe something a bit longer? The race definitely exceeded my expectations and I even performed much better than I expected. And, TriGirl is a great 1st race to do! First of all, it’s an all women race. Second, they give great swag – a cute, pink technical shirt, pink bag, and pink pen. Third, the race is very well organized – lots of volunteers there to help a girl out. The post race party wasn’t anything extravagant – breakfast burritos, sodas, ice cream, but it pretty much meets everyone’s needs. Overall, a HUGE thumbs up to TriGirl. And, they have another race in August! It’s slightly longer than this one, but still a do-able distance…so if you’ve ever thought about doing a tri….just sayin’
The adventure begins!
Kelly, Katie and I rode to the race together. This is Kelly’s 2nd tri season, so she’s a pro at this. Katie did her 1st tri last weekend (CB&I), so she was nice enough to come cheer and take pictures for us. The ride to the race ended up being quite an adventure! I won’t go into all the details, but let’s just say that I lost my navigator rights and Kelly lost her driving to the race rights! We remembered from going to the Take a Hike Ike Tri that the directions to Deussen Park sucked. It was no different for this race. We were among many to have to turn around…when we did, we saw signs pointing to the race parking. Apparently we were coming in from the wrong way or something? Who knows. Fortunately, we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there, so no worries.
Here we are enjoying the sunrise...we look pretty awake for 5:45 am, don't we?
Pre-Race
Once we arrived, we headed to get our body markings. I think that’s when it hit me – when the lady was writing my number on my arms and leg, then asked me my age for my calf – I thought, “wow, I’m doing a triathlon!” We headed from there into the transition area to set up our stuff. My assigned spot was pretty much in the middle. I chatted with the other women around me – they were all 1st timers too. Once I had everything set up, I went over to see Kelly in her transition area. Next, we went over to the water to check out the temps. Nice and warm, and very flat! Perfect! I decided not to use the wetsuit (aka my security blanket). Finally, we went to pick up our chips and get our bearings on where to enter and exit the transition area for the bike and run. I did run into Kerri from beginnertriathlete.com, which was cool.
My transition area...can you tell I'm all proud of it? It takes great skill to set up your helmet and stuff like this, lol.
After that, we pretty much just hung out and took a few pictures. Once transition closed, we made our way over to the swim start. Kelly and I were both in the 1st wave, so it was good to have someone to talk to while we waited. That was when I realized that I completely forgot about my ½ PB&J I had brought. Doh! Oh well.
Katie wanted a "candid" shot, so here we are joking around before the swim...
Omg, we're skeered!!!
Ummm yeah, now I know why guys don't like latex...
Swim – 200m, 5:45.9
Honestly, I didn’t feel that anxious about the swim at all. I thought being in the 1st wave would freak me out. But, the course looked short from the shore, and I knew that I could do 200 with no problem. I just told myself to stay calm. I wasn’t in the back of the pack like I had planned, but since 80% of people in this race were 1st timers, I figured I was okay. That ended up being a good decision. As soon as they would let us wade in, I went in to get acclimated to the water.
Honestly, I didn’t feel that anxious about the swim at all. I thought being in the 1st wave would freak me out. But, the course looked short from the shore, and I knew that I could do 200 with no problem. I just told myself to stay calm. I wasn’t in the back of the pack like I had planned, but since 80% of people in this race were 1st timers, I figured I was okay. That ended up being a good decision. As soon as they would let us wade in, I went in to get acclimated to the water.
Here's my "wave" waitin' for the okay to go in...
When they blew the horn, I did the dolphin dive that Viv taught me and was off! I managed to freestyle to about the 1st buoy. Even though I didn’t feel anxious, I was breathing like a mad woman! I had to do some sidestroke to get my breathing back to a somewhat normal rhythm. It never got there, but it did get better. However, every time I attempted to freestyle again, I got winded so I ended up doing a lot of the remainder of the swim using the trusty ol’ sidestroke. I even passed a few people while doing it! When I started heading to shore, I stole a look back and realized I was no where near being the last one in from my wave! Hooray! The swim was over before I knew it! The nice thing about this distance is that it is totally doable for a novice swimmer like me, and it’s so short that the wave behind us didn’t have time to pass. And, any swim would be better than that 1st ows practice!
Heading to T1...whew, I'm soooo glad that's over! Ummm, yeah, take off the swim cap!
T1 – 2:26.4
This is were I am annoyed with myself…my T1 time was 2:26! Seriously, what in the hell was I doing for almost 2 ½ minutes??? I know what I was doing – I was getting pebbles off my feet, lol. That, and since I’m not coordinated enough to drink while I’m riding my bike, I took a second to take a Gu and a drink from my water bottle. So anyway - I ran it in, but was surprised how wobbly I felt after the swim. Not bad, but a little unexpected. I heard Kelly yell out “great job” or something like that in the transition area. It was a bit of a blur though. I tried to get as many pebbles off my feet as possible, rolled on my socks and slipped on my shoes. I also decided to go ahead and put on my race belt. I grabbed my Gu and water. That’s when I started noticing people around me coming in from the swim and I thought, “Shit, hurry your ass up!” Then put on my sunglasses and grabbed my helmet and unracked my bike. I remember thinking, “STOP! Put on your helmet!”, so I did just that. I ran to the red line, mounted my bike and was off.
Getting on the bike...ummm, I could probably do this a bit faster!
Bike – 8 miles, 26:38.9, 18 mph
Fortunately, I remembered to shift gears, so that it wouldn’t be hard to pedal in the beginning. My breathing was really hard for the 1st couple of miles on the bike and I don’t think I got it under control until I was well into mile 2. I checked the nifty bike computer (my Mother’s Day gift!) and was at a 17 mph pace. That’s the fastest I’ve ever gone in a training ride, so it was my goal pace for the race. However, I found myself getting closer to the people in front of me and wanted to pass! My 17 increased to 18. Sometimes it was 19, but my problem is that I turn really slow and really wide…that certainly didn’t help me on the ride. I really enjoy the bike, so my goal was to just enjoy this. At some point, there was a nice downhill and when I looked at my bike computer it read 24 mph. That was fun! At first I was worried that I couldn’t hold the 18-something mph pace, until I reminded myself that it was only 8 miles. And, I reminded myself that it was a race – no regrets, so I said screw it! I know I am not a super fast runner, so what the hell? I gave it everything I could. I do think I slowed down a little too early getting into transition - another thing to work on.
T2 – 0:50.5
Since I don’t have bike shoes yet or clipless pedals, this was cake for me. Run bike to rack, rack bike, remove helmet and go! Oh, and that PB&J from earlier? I ran over it with my bike, lol! A guy standing near the transition area, said “Umm, I guess you didn’t want that sandwich?”
Heading off for the run...thinking "It's only 2 miles, I can do this right?" BTW, the lady to the right passed me....but I passed her before it was all over with. HA!
Run – 2 miles, 19:39.6, 9:50 pace
I started my Garmin as I was finishing the bike, but realized that it still hadn’t found the satellites yet. Ugh! I was about ½ way through the 1st mile when it finally started working. WTH? My goal was a 10:30 pace. For me that’s pretty good, even for a short 2-mile distance. After my Garmin kicked in, it read a 10:17 average pace, so I thought “okay, let’s keep it there”. It was an out and back course and I saw Kelly as I approached the water station. Hooray, I was ½ way done! I did walk as I drank one Gatorade and poured one water on my head. I ran the rest of the way in and was happy to be done! It was great to see Katie and Woodlands Fit friend, Erica, at the finish. And, I was actually surprised to see my overall pace at 9:50! As always, I go out wwwaaayyy to fast and then slow down.
Coming into the finish...look at my freakin' stride! I promise I wasn't power walking! I have been working on a shorter stride, but apparently that went out the window at the finish, lol!
Total Time - 55:21:01
Age Group Ranking - 23 of 66
Overall Ranking - 109 of 307
So that was it - my 1st tri experience! I have to say that I loved it and can’t wait to do it again – but maybe something a bit longer? The race definitely exceeded my expectations and I even performed much better than I expected. And, TriGirl is a great 1st race to do! First of all, it’s an all women race. Second, they give great swag – a cute, pink technical shirt, pink bag, and pink pen. Third, the race is very well organized – lots of volunteers there to help a girl out. The post race party wasn’t anything extravagant – breakfast burritos, sodas, ice cream, but it pretty much meets everyone’s needs. Overall, a HUGE thumbs up to TriGirl. And, they have another race in August! It’s slightly longer than this one, but still a do-able distance…so if you’ve ever thought about doing a tri….just sayin’
Done!
So, what would I do differently?
- Not forget to eat my pre-race food
- Work harder on the swim training. Maybe get in a swim to bike brick? This is my weakest event, so it needs extra training time.
- Bring an extra towel for getting the muck and pebbles off my feet!
- Learn to drink and ride at the same time, so I don’t have to waste so much time in T1…this could be crucial for a longer distance.
- Get in longer bike rides more often. Not sure how to work it into the schedule, but it needs to be done. I think this might be my stronger area, so I want to see how far I can push myself in the distance and pace.
- Learn to turn on the bike without having to slow down to a 12 mph pace!
- Don't wear race belt & number on bike...the flapping in the wind drove me crazy, lol!
- Speedwork! There’s no reason that I shouldn’t be able to maintain a better run pace in these shorter distances.
All that being said, my challenge is still trying to fit the training in without sacrificing too much time with the hubby and kids. The hubby seems to be supportive, so we’ll see. My goal is to do a sprint tri each month until August. You know, before getting all wrapped up in the longer distance runs for ½ marathon training.
That’s right, no full marathon for me.
Again.
I’m just not ready for a commitment to the distance. Not yet anyway. I’ll get back there again, but for now I want to see if I can improve my times at shorter distances. So there.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Triathlete!
TriGirl Super Sprint Results
200 yard swim 5:45:09
T1 2:26
8 mi bike 26:19:08 (18 mph)
T2 0:50:05
2 mile run 19:39:06
Total time 55:21:04
Looks like I've joined the club! I had a great time...report to follow tomorrow.
200 yard swim 5:45:09
T1 2:26
8 mi bike 26:19:08 (18 mph)
T2 0:50:05
2 mile run 19:39:06
Total time 55:21:04
Looks like I've joined the club! I had a great time...report to follow tomorrow.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Check!
Okay, here's my checklist for Sunday....I am getting everything packed tonight, because we have my nephew's 18th birthday party to attend tomorrow afternoon/evening.
Race Belt
Race Number
USTA membership card/$10
Gu packet
Gatorade for water bottle
Water bottle for bike
Garmin
Wetsuit (just in case)
2 pairs of goggles
Swim cap
Towel for transition stuff
Sunscreen
Body Glide*
Helmet
Socks
Sunglasses
Spare tube**
CO2 cartridge**
Bike tools
Bike pump
Running shoes
Flip flops for after?
Camera
Am I forgetting anything??? Obviously, I'll be wearing my tri top and shorts...should I bring a shirt to throw on over it for the bike/run?
* MUST HAVE BODY GLIDE!!!
** Seriously, it's only 8 miles...but the time I change or repair a flat, the race will be over!
Race Belt
Race Number
USTA membership card/$10
Gu packet
Gatorade for water bottle
Water bottle for bike
Garmin
Wetsuit (just in case)
2 pairs of goggles
Swim cap
Towel for transition stuff
Sunscreen
Body Glide*
Helmet
Socks
Sunglasses
Spare tube**
CO2 cartridge**
Bike tools
Bike pump
Running shoes
Flip flops for after?
Camera
Am I forgetting anything??? Obviously, I'll be wearing my tri top and shorts...should I bring a shirt to throw on over it for the bike/run?
* MUST HAVE BODY GLIDE!!!
** Seriously, it's only 8 miles...but the time I change or repair a flat, the race will be over!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Run, Swim, no Bike
Thursday, 5/7 - Swim, 40 minutes
Just to give the legs a little rest, I decided to skip the spin class today. From past experience, it was highly likely that I would have had sore legs until Saturday and I didn't want that. Instead, I would do my regular Thursday swim.
As always life happens. I had planned to go back to the Y near work, just for convenience sake. However, the hubby got stuck at work thanks to a call out about 15 minutes before he was scheduled to leave. That meant I had to leave work early to get the kiddos and hang out with them until the hubby got home. No worries - more time with the kids is always a good thing. When the hubby made it home, I thought maybe I'd just hit the neighborhood pool. No dice. There were kids galore. Next stop - BC YMCA. Turned out to be a great idea, because Katie was there! She was just finishing up on the weights and was ready to go swim.
I tell ya, this was the best I've ever felt in the pool! I think I have totally taken the pressure off myself to try to push through the yards with nothing but freestyle. I've come to accept the fact that a little (or a lot) of sidestroke in between was a-okay for a sprint tri. (Thanks Steve!!!) When I switch back and forth between the two strokes as needed, I can swim all day! Okay, maybe not all day, but you get the idea.
So I am ready for Sunday, woohoo! I was planning leave work a little early to drive over to the tri site after work tomorrow and check out the bike course. Nice and slow of course. But having to leave early today pretty much squashed those plans. Oh well!
Wednesday, 5/6 - Treadmill Run, 2.75 miles, 25 minutes, 10:22 pace
I did my intervals on the treadmill again. 7x400 this time and I was pleased to get into the lower 9's and even flirted with the high 8's for a minute or two. The pace included my 5 minute warm up and cool down at a pretty slow pace.
Just to give the legs a little rest, I decided to skip the spin class today. From past experience, it was highly likely that I would have had sore legs until Saturday and I didn't want that. Instead, I would do my regular Thursday swim.
As always life happens. I had planned to go back to the Y near work, just for convenience sake. However, the hubby got stuck at work thanks to a call out about 15 minutes before he was scheduled to leave. That meant I had to leave work early to get the kiddos and hang out with them until the hubby got home. No worries - more time with the kids is always a good thing. When the hubby made it home, I thought maybe I'd just hit the neighborhood pool. No dice. There were kids galore. Next stop - BC YMCA. Turned out to be a great idea, because Katie was there! She was just finishing up on the weights and was ready to go swim.
I tell ya, this was the best I've ever felt in the pool! I think I have totally taken the pressure off myself to try to push through the yards with nothing but freestyle. I've come to accept the fact that a little (or a lot) of sidestroke in between was a-okay for a sprint tri. (Thanks Steve!!!) When I switch back and forth between the two strokes as needed, I can swim all day! Okay, maybe not all day, but you get the idea.
So I am ready for Sunday, woohoo! I was planning leave work a little early to drive over to the tri site after work tomorrow and check out the bike course. Nice and slow of course. But having to leave early today pretty much squashed those plans. Oh well!
Wednesday, 5/6 - Treadmill Run, 2.75 miles, 25 minutes, 10:22 pace
I did my intervals on the treadmill again. 7x400 this time and I was pleased to get into the lower 9's and even flirted with the high 8's for a minute or two. The pace included my 5 minute warm up and cool down at a pretty slow pace.
National Day of Prayer
While I’m not the most religious person, I do believe in the power of prayer. I just recently began attending church on a regular basis again…something that I let slide completely during my two years of grad school. Since it’s the National Day of Prayer and since there are some people in my life who need all the help they can get, I thought today would be the perfect day to remember them in prayer. Who are they?
- Aunt Joyce, who is suffering from a rare form of blood cancer. She has good days and bad days, but the good days are getting less and less frequent.
- My father in law, Jose, who has silicosis. His lungs are gradually hardening with scar tissue, making it more and more difficult for him to breathe. He is actually doing pretty well all things considered.
- President Obama, who is leading our country during a pretty crazy time. May be make decisions that are in the best interest of our country and not just the special interest groups.
National Day of Prayer was even recognized at my office, which these days is probably pretty rare. So, who are you praying for today?
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Kiddos
Here are the latest pictures of the kiddos...and, it's already time for the baby's 1st birthday pictures! If you're on FB, you've already seen these.
Spin & Swim
Tuesday, 5/5 - Spin Class, 50 minutes & Swim, 40 minutes
Spin
What can I say? It was another kick-ass spin class! More JT, Janet, Madonna and even a little '80s mixed in. I love spin class, because I can see the results when riding my road bike - better mph! Whoot! Not awesome by any means, but definitely better. I just hope I can maintain a good speed at this weekend's tri...I've never been on the bike after an OWS, so we'll see.
Swim
I don't know why, but I wasn't feelin' "it" during my swim today. It took me a long time to get into a groove with my stroke and I felt like I was getting winded more easily than normal. Maybe the lunchtime spin class was catching up to me? Maybe it's the not so great sleeping catching up to me? Who knows...gotta have an off day every once in awhile, right? I will make it a point to get to bed at a decent time tonight and pray both kiddos sleep all night!
Oh, I went to the pool near my work today since it saves me some time not having to drive to the back of The Woodlands. There is one downfall to that...so many of my co-workers live near the office and I ran into a co-worker and his wife at the pool. No biggie, but it is a little weird to be seen in a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles by your co-workers. (Especially when you're the hr manager, lol!)
Spin
What can I say? It was another kick-ass spin class! More JT, Janet, Madonna and even a little '80s mixed in. I love spin class, because I can see the results when riding my road bike - better mph! Whoot! Not awesome by any means, but definitely better. I just hope I can maintain a good speed at this weekend's tri...I've never been on the bike after an OWS, so we'll see.
Swim
I don't know why, but I wasn't feelin' "it" during my swim today. It took me a long time to get into a groove with my stroke and I felt like I was getting winded more easily than normal. Maybe the lunchtime spin class was catching up to me? Maybe it's the not so great sleeping catching up to me? Who knows...gotta have an off day every once in awhile, right? I will make it a point to get to bed at a decent time tonight and pray both kiddos sleep all night!
Oh, I went to the pool near my work today since it saves me some time not having to drive to the back of The Woodlands. There is one downfall to that...so many of my co-workers live near the office and I ran into a co-worker and his wife at the pool. No biggie, but it is a little weird to be seen in a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles by your co-workers. (Especially when you're the hr manager, lol!)
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Run, run, run
Monday, 5/3/09 - Treadmill Run, 30 minutes, 2.75 miles
Monday means treadmill at the YMCA at lunch...hey, anything to make the kiddo's bedtime and all the prep for the next day not seem quite so hectic! Exciting life I lead, isn't it? :-)
It was a tempo run..overall pace was a teeny bit slower than last week. I think it was because I started my cool down too early. For some reason my right ankle was bothering me, so I decided to slow it down in the last 5 minutes. Ouchie!
I swear since having the baby, I sweat like a pig. Even a pansy-ass little treadmill run makes me SWEAT! Yuck!
Monday means treadmill at the YMCA at lunch...hey, anything to make the kiddo's bedtime and all the prep for the next day not seem quite so hectic! Exciting life I lead, isn't it? :-)
It was a tempo run..overall pace was a teeny bit slower than last week. I think it was because I started my cool down too early. For some reason my right ankle was bothering me, so I decided to slow it down in the last 5 minutes. Ouchie!
I swear since having the baby, I sweat like a pig. Even a pansy-ass little treadmill run makes me SWEAT! Yuck!
Monday, May 04, 2009
OWS
I have to give a HUGE shout out to friends Cassie & Viv for meeting me out at the lake for an OWS practice!
On the way to the lake, I noticed the interesting scenery and huge pot holes in the streets and wondered where in the hell I was going, lol! No worries once I found the destination though - it was great to see Cassie and Viv! We talked for a bit, then donned our wetsuits and headed into the water. I have to admit, I was nervous after the fiasco that happened the weekend before. Both Cassie and Viv gave me some awesome tips for everything from getting into the water to getting out and heading into transition!
I think I took away a much better understanding of what to think about on race day. For example, get into the water and adjust to the temps BEFORE you start swimming (seems like a no brainer, but I didn't really do that last weekend). Oh, and thanks to Cassie, I can get the wetsuit on without all the struggle. I learned Viv's "dolphin dive" into the water to gain a little distance before actually swimming. I got to experience having someone swim on either side of me, in front, behind, etc. I also got to experience some of that doing sidestroke - it is easier to avoid mouthfuls of water swimming freestyle. I also learned some tips for getting out of the water and getting the wetsuit off. And, I feel much, much, much more comfortable in murky open water!
Again, thanks to Viv and Cassie for all their help. I think I have a huge advantage over any other 1st timers out there who don't have the benefit of experienced tri-friends. I think I am going to be A-Okay at TriGirl next weekend...I have my plan for race day - apparently Viv seems to be more of a planner than I am. :-)
On the way to the lake, I noticed the interesting scenery and huge pot holes in the streets and wondered where in the hell I was going, lol! No worries once I found the destination though - it was great to see Cassie and Viv! We talked for a bit, then donned our wetsuits and headed into the water. I have to admit, I was nervous after the fiasco that happened the weekend before. Both Cassie and Viv gave me some awesome tips for everything from getting into the water to getting out and heading into transition!
I think I took away a much better understanding of what to think about on race day. For example, get into the water and adjust to the temps BEFORE you start swimming (seems like a no brainer, but I didn't really do that last weekend). Oh, and thanks to Cassie, I can get the wetsuit on without all the struggle. I learned Viv's "dolphin dive" into the water to gain a little distance before actually swimming. I got to experience having someone swim on either side of me, in front, behind, etc. I also got to experience some of that doing sidestroke - it is easier to avoid mouthfuls of water swimming freestyle. I also learned some tips for getting out of the water and getting the wetsuit off. And, I feel much, much, much more comfortable in murky open water!
Again, thanks to Viv and Cassie for all their help. I think I have a huge advantage over any other 1st timers out there who don't have the benefit of experienced tri-friends. I think I am going to be A-Okay at TriGirl next weekend...I have my plan for race day - apparently Viv seems to be more of a planner than I am. :-)
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Brick #4
Friday, May 1 - Bike, 7 miles @ 13.5 mph & Run, 1 mile, 9:57 pace
I had Friday off from work to get everything done for the baby's birthday party on Saturday. I managed to get everything done pretty quickly, so I decided to head out for a short bike ride before picking up the kiddos from school.
Since the hubby was also home, we decided to ride together. The hubby has a mountain bike, so in order to ride together, it meant I had to slow down a bit. :-) It was fun. We rode around the neighborhood - I showed the hubby my usual route and we even checked out a few sections of the neighborhood that we hadn't really seen. The ride ended up only being about 7 miles, because we ran out of time. Once we were done, I did my T2 in the garage and headed out for a 1-mile run. I am wondering if something was wrong with my Garmin, because even though I thought I was keeping my run slower, I finished my mile in 9:57! For me, that's awesome.
I had Friday off from work to get everything done for the baby's birthday party on Saturday. I managed to get everything done pretty quickly, so I decided to head out for a short bike ride before picking up the kiddos from school.
Since the hubby was also home, we decided to ride together. The hubby has a mountain bike, so in order to ride together, it meant I had to slow down a bit. :-) It was fun. We rode around the neighborhood - I showed the hubby my usual route and we even checked out a few sections of the neighborhood that we hadn't really seen. The ride ended up only being about 7 miles, because we ran out of time. Once we were done, I did my T2 in the garage and headed out for a 1-mile run. I am wondering if something was wrong with my Garmin, because even though I thought I was keeping my run slower, I finished my mile in 9:57! For me, that's awesome.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Operation "Get Faster" - week 2 & Thursday update
Sorry no updates lately...just getting ready for the baby's 1st birthday party.
Wednesday - "Speedwork" on treadmill, 30 minutes
Same workout as last week, but this time the average pace was around 10:20. I am taking the intervals/distance up slowly, because it seems like when I have done hills and speedwork in the past I've gotten injured (Achilles issues, ITB, etc). The run felt great! I enjoyed seeing some of those intervals in the 9's. :-)
Thursday - Spin & Swim
Spin
I went to lunchtime spin class even though I really didn't want to. I figured since my swimming is rather slow, maybe I can make up some time on the bike...spin class seems to be helping with that, so off to spin class I go! :-)
Swim
I decided to head to my neighborhood pool with the wetsuit for my swim. After the fiasco of my 1st OWS with the wetsuit, I thought that I should try the wetsuit again - but this time, I'd try it in a more calm environment. Sure enough, it was better. I played around for a few minutes, getting used to the buoyancy. Then I practiced my freestyle and side stroke with the suit on for about 100 yds. Finally, I did 300 yds - no stopping, no pushing off at the wall. It went well! It was a combo of both the side stroke and freestyle, but overall the distance was no problem. Next, I took the wetsuit off and did the same thing without it. It was funny, because my 1st 50 yds or so without the wetsuit felt funny. I noticed my legs sinking, so I had to adjust accordingly.
Wednesday - "Speedwork" on treadmill, 30 minutes
Same workout as last week, but this time the average pace was around 10:20. I am taking the intervals/distance up slowly, because it seems like when I have done hills and speedwork in the past I've gotten injured (Achilles issues, ITB, etc). The run felt great! I enjoyed seeing some of those intervals in the 9's. :-)
Thursday - Spin & Swim
Spin
I went to lunchtime spin class even though I really didn't want to. I figured since my swimming is rather slow, maybe I can make up some time on the bike...spin class seems to be helping with that, so off to spin class I go! :-)
Swim
I decided to head to my neighborhood pool with the wetsuit for my swim. After the fiasco of my 1st OWS with the wetsuit, I thought that I should try the wetsuit again - but this time, I'd try it in a more calm environment. Sure enough, it was better. I played around for a few minutes, getting used to the buoyancy. Then I practiced my freestyle and side stroke with the suit on for about 100 yds. Finally, I did 300 yds - no stopping, no pushing off at the wall. It went well! It was a combo of both the side stroke and freestyle, but overall the distance was no problem. Next, I took the wetsuit off and did the same thing without it. It was funny, because my 1st 50 yds or so without the wetsuit felt funny. I noticed my legs sinking, so I had to adjust accordingly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)