I suspect that this is what most of my weekends between now and May 21st will look like. It kicked my ass, but surprisingly, I'm not sore today. Weird.
Saturday AM: 4,000 yard (1.5 hr) masters swim practice. This practice was not the "pro" version and was much more managable. Practice was only supposed to be 1 hr long, but after telling the coach that I needed to get in 4,000 yards, she wrote up extra sets and stuck around for a while longer. Nice! She was also very complimentary on my pacing, smooth stroke, and flip turns. I may be a "slow" swimmer, but my technique is great!
Saturday PM: 4 hr bike ride (56 miles). I did the "Denver Triangle" route, which I figured was about the right ditstance for the time. I started at South Platte Park (green dot on the linked map) and headed east on the C-470 trail, to get the hills done with early. 1.5 hours of hills. I will admit at about 1.25 hours, after I got east of I-25, the landscape turned to hilly plains (aka nothing) with WIND and I was not a very happy camper. Once I turned north, the wind played nice and the hills went away and I could settle into a pace and cruise. Since I rode these trails earlier in the week, my confidence was better and I could get a higher mph and stay aero longer. At about hour 3, my shoulders and saddle were a bit sore, so I did the game where you play "stay in aero for 15 min and then you can stretch". Considering this is the longest ride I've done since my century last July, I think I did pretty good. After the ride, I treated myself to a whole milk latte and cupcakes. mmmmm.
Sunday AM: 2 hr run with 18x3 min fartleks with 1 min easy jog/walk btwn each one. Yes, 18 of them. This was not super fun but I survived. I will admit that I was finding excuses to walk after the firsrt 5 intervals. Its hard to use your inhaler and jog, you know? So yeah, not a stellar run, but it was banked.
Then I went home, showered, ate, and took a nap because....
Sunday PM: 40 min run. Coaches notes were literally "your furst mile will suck but stick with it". Honestly, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The hardest part was getting up off the couch, but when I was out, it wasn't so bad. Probably because I knew it was ONLY 40 minutes. I did a sort of out and back by the house and chose a way with a not so steep uphill for the out, so I'd have a mostly downhill cruise for the back. My neighborhood is hilly..... makes training interesting.
Then off to the grocery store, cooked dinner, and vegged on the couch. And had another cupcake.
Also spent some time with my Stick massage thingy. I swear, a good 15 minutes rolling my legs out and I'm good to go. My legs are BARELY sore this morning... craziness!
Also, cold tap water is COLD here. I did an ice bath on Saturday after my ride. I only turned on the cold water and stepped in when it was ankle deep. OMFG it was COLD. Painful pins and needles cold. I tried to get in a few more times, each time lasting maybe 10 seconds before saying "I just can't DO THIS". And then I turned on the hot water for about a minute. Much better. Still cold, but not Polar Bear Swim cold. Guess I don't need to be stocking up on ice anytime soon for my ice baths.
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 2011 Totals
December was kind of a wash... I did awesome in my half marathon, and then I got sick, and then I moved to Denver. Numbers were so sad, I didn't even do a status post for December. This month I've been back in the swing of things, even with traveling to Houston for 2 weeks for field work. I think my numbers are pretty decent, considering December was pathetic.
Bike: 18h 20m - 142.74 Mi (8 hours were on an indoor bike)
Run: 11h 54m 14s - 59.14 Mi
Swim: 9h 32m - 25550 Yd
Core Training: 35m
No goals were developed for January, so here's what I had for December...
Bike: 18h 20m - 142.74 Mi (8 hours were on an indoor bike)
Run: 11h 54m 14s - 59.14 Mi
Swim: 9h 32m - 25550 Yd
Core Training: 35m
No goals were developed for January, so here's what I had for December...
- RunGirl Half Marathon finish time of 2:25 (11:00/mile pace). I did the Houston Half Marathon in 2:31 and I'm a faster runner now, so theoretically, I should be able to meet this goal. The RunGirl course has some (small) hills, though, which could affect me. We shall see..... Ran this race in 2:20:42. I CRUSHED my goal time - it was awesome. And then I got bronchitis. This may or may not be related to running this race (air temp was 40 degrees) in tri shorts and a tank top....
- We had a preliminary offer on our house yesterday, which is great, but it makes the month of December really, really crazy. The proposed close date is Dec 29th - we've asked for the option to lease it through Dec 31st so we have a few extra days. This means I have to get quotes for movers, pack, figure out logistics, survive the selling process, and move to Denver. To say I'm a little overwhelmed right now is an understatement. It wasn't pretty, but we survived the move. I'm still missing a few items (steaming pitcher for my espresso maker and the clip-on handles for my pots/pans).
- Find a run group in Denver for my long runs. Research swimming groups so I know what my options are, depending on where we end up living in January. I found a women-only distance running group that's very affordable. Just need to start running with them. There's another larger group, but I believe they think too highly of themselves.... Drop in cost is $20 (!!!) and they ask that you do not run more than 12 miles when you drop in. Also, they don't provide paper cups (to be eco friendly) so you have to buy your own collapsable cup thingy. Spring season with them is also ridiculous, something like $230. So, we'll try the smaller women-only group and see how that works. Funny part is that their track workouts are at my high school.... I don't believe I've ever stepped foot on that track, so this should be amusing. For swim team, I'll probably join the Highlands Ranch Masters team. Swam with them last Friday and they kicked my ass (I was the slowest one in the pool, very hard on my ego). But they have AM practices M-Sat, so at least the schedule works for me.
- Keep up with the training, even with the moving craziness. Done.
- Survive training. I suspect that Feb will be a build month. Lots of cycling. On hills. At altitude. My goal is to keep a positive attitude and keep working at getting better.
- Figure out how to train in cold weather, even if that means treadmill. Or figure out what to wear when its cold and I run outside. Or figure out how cold is "too cold to run".
Friday, January 28, 2011
Getting my ass kicked
Whoa man, hills and altitude are killer......
Tuesday was a brick, consisting of a 90 min ride and a 30 min run. I wanted to do more exploring on my bike, so while I parked at the same starting spot, I went on the C-470 West trail. As in west towards the mountains. And duh, you end up with elevation increases as you get closer to the mountains, especially when you start in a river basin. These hills really weren't all that big, but crap, they killed me. I want to say it was windy too, but that may be me trying to be optimistic. There are also some tunnels where the bike path goes under a busy street (to avoid having to cross the street). Well, in one tunnel, I discovered ice stalactites and stalactmites. Problem was that tunnels are dark and I had my sunglasses on. I missed the first pile of ice (just barely) and took off my glasses just in time to see a big pile of stalactmites blocking the whole tunnel. Eeps! I unclipped one foot and limped over the ice, and was on my way. Still, ice + bikes = bad stuff! I went as far as I felt like going and turned around to discover I had a really nice mostly downhill ride back to my truck. I didn't think the hills were that steep, but I did hit 31 mph without even trying. It was also COLD going downhill, and I was very glad that I chose to wear my brand new lightweight full-finger cycling gloves. Total elevation profile from my garmin was 400 ft, a pretty steady climb to my turn around point. After the bike I had a 30 min run, which went actually pretty well, even with the hilly bike ride. It helped that the run path was flat :)
Wednesday was a swim workout (on my own) then a 60 min run with hill repeats. There's a large network of gravel and paved trails where we live, and its a bit intimidating, with the hills and not knowing the area. I won't figure out the trail system if I don't actually use it, so I decided to do this run on a gravel trail by the house (which has a huge hill). The 12 x 40 sec hill repeats were killer. My coach even said that every 3rd one should be so hard that I will be cursing her (if I had the breath). The altitude and dry air are doing a number on my asthma.... I think I took a hit on my inhaler every 3rd repeat....
View of run trail from the street:
Thursday was a simple 90 min ride. I once again started at South Platte Park and decided to head on the C-470 East trail. Again, I'm climbing out of a river basin and up hills. I don't think these were as steep as Tuesday's ride, but I can't be sure. The elevation profile had a similar elevation change (400 ft), so chances are, they were about the same. This path is part of the "Denver Triangle" that I plan on riding Saturday for my 4 hr ride. Path was ok, but there aren't many tunnels so you have to cross streets at major intersections. Boo. At least I'll get practice clipping in and clipping out. Especially when the trail goes down to the street, so you have to stop, unclip, then re-clip and climb up on the other side. Lame. View going out (east) was blah, but coming back was gorgeous. It also helps that it was 50 degrees and sunny.
Mt Evans
This morning was my first Masters swim team workout. I was a bit scared, because the description for the M-W-F group was that they're the fast group and you have to be able to swim 3500 yards in 90 min (easy) and hold 8 x 100 free on a 1:40 interval. I could do that interval, but I would only have ~5 sec rest, so it would really suck. But I figured that this is masters, and really, how hard could it be? There's also at Tu-Th group, but its called "Triathletes Swimming", and with my swim snobbery, I really didn't want to be with the triathlete group. I'm a swimmer first, then a triathlete.
So, I went in this morning, hoping I'd hang and keep up with the group. Boy, was I wrong. Turns out the M-W-F group is former collegiate Division 1 swimmers. I was THE slowest person in the 8 lane pool, and I am not exaggerating. My poor ego. Warm-up was a 1,000 yard choice. That should have been the first clue that I was going to get my ass kicked. Then it was 4x100, 4x75, 4x50, 4x25 (free). Then 4x100 IM, 4x75 back, 4x50 breast, 4x25 free. THEN (yes, there was more), I had to do 6x75 kick with fins. I looked at my watch and holy crap, it was only 6:15 AM and I was on my way to 3500 yards. Once I was done with the kick set, I realized I was done. Apparently, the team still have 2 more sets (6x150 free and something else). Coach fully understood that I was done and I did a quick 300 cool down. Apparently, the normal yardage for this group is 4000-4700 yards (!!!!). I asked if it was appropriate for me to swim with this group (you know, since I'm so SLOW, compared to the rest of them), and she said yes and encouraged me to stick with it. I figure that since my swimming skills and endurance are good, that she sees hope for me. And maybe going to the triathlete group would be too easy for me. Ugh.
So in addition to hills kicking my ass, I now have a Masters team to add to the list. Its going to be an interesting 2011.
Tuesday was a brick, consisting of a 90 min ride and a 30 min run. I wanted to do more exploring on my bike, so while I parked at the same starting spot, I went on the C-470 West trail. As in west towards the mountains. And duh, you end up with elevation increases as you get closer to the mountains, especially when you start in a river basin. These hills really weren't all that big, but crap, they killed me. I want to say it was windy too, but that may be me trying to be optimistic. There are also some tunnels where the bike path goes under a busy street (to avoid having to cross the street). Well, in one tunnel, I discovered ice stalactites and stalactmites. Problem was that tunnels are dark and I had my sunglasses on. I missed the first pile of ice (just barely) and took off my glasses just in time to see a big pile of stalactmites blocking the whole tunnel. Eeps! I unclipped one foot and limped over the ice, and was on my way. Still, ice + bikes = bad stuff! I went as far as I felt like going and turned around to discover I had a really nice mostly downhill ride back to my truck. I didn't think the hills were that steep, but I did hit 31 mph without even trying. It was also COLD going downhill, and I was very glad that I chose to wear my brand new lightweight full-finger cycling gloves. Total elevation profile from my garmin was 400 ft, a pretty steady climb to my turn around point. After the bike I had a 30 min run, which went actually pretty well, even with the hilly bike ride. It helped that the run path was flat :)
Wednesday was a swim workout (on my own) then a 60 min run with hill repeats. There's a large network of gravel and paved trails where we live, and its a bit intimidating, with the hills and not knowing the area. I won't figure out the trail system if I don't actually use it, so I decided to do this run on a gravel trail by the house (which has a huge hill). The 12 x 40 sec hill repeats were killer. My coach even said that every 3rd one should be so hard that I will be cursing her (if I had the breath). The altitude and dry air are doing a number on my asthma.... I think I took a hit on my inhaler every 3rd repeat....
View of run trail from the street:
Thursday was a simple 90 min ride. I once again started at South Platte Park and decided to head on the C-470 East trail. Again, I'm climbing out of a river basin and up hills. I don't think these were as steep as Tuesday's ride, but I can't be sure. The elevation profile had a similar elevation change (400 ft), so chances are, they were about the same. This path is part of the "Denver Triangle" that I plan on riding Saturday for my 4 hr ride. Path was ok, but there aren't many tunnels so you have to cross streets at major intersections. Boo. At least I'll get practice clipping in and clipping out. Especially when the trail goes down to the street, so you have to stop, unclip, then re-clip and climb up on the other side. Lame. View going out (east) was blah, but coming back was gorgeous. It also helps that it was 50 degrees and sunny.
Mt Evans
This morning was my first Masters swim team workout. I was a bit scared, because the description for the M-W-F group was that they're the fast group and you have to be able to swim 3500 yards in 90 min (easy) and hold 8 x 100 free on a 1:40 interval. I could do that interval, but I would only have ~5 sec rest, so it would really suck. But I figured that this is masters, and really, how hard could it be? There's also at Tu-Th group, but its called "Triathletes Swimming", and with my swim snobbery, I really didn't want to be with the triathlete group. I'm a swimmer first, then a triathlete.
So, I went in this morning, hoping I'd hang and keep up with the group. Boy, was I wrong. Turns out the M-W-F group is former collegiate Division 1 swimmers. I was THE slowest person in the 8 lane pool, and I am not exaggerating. My poor ego. Warm-up was a 1,000 yard choice. That should have been the first clue that I was going to get my ass kicked. Then it was 4x100, 4x75, 4x50, 4x25 (free). Then 4x100 IM, 4x75 back, 4x50 breast, 4x25 free. THEN (yes, there was more), I had to do 6x75 kick with fins. I looked at my watch and holy crap, it was only 6:15 AM and I was on my way to 3500 yards. Once I was done with the kick set, I realized I was done. Apparently, the team still have 2 more sets (6x150 free and something else). Coach fully understood that I was done and I did a quick 300 cool down. Apparently, the normal yardage for this group is 4000-4700 yards (!!!!). I asked if it was appropriate for me to swim with this group (you know, since I'm so SLOW, compared to the rest of them), and she said yes and encouraged me to stick with it. I figure that since my swimming skills and endurance are good, that she sees hope for me. And maybe going to the triathlete group would be too easy for me. Ugh.
So in addition to hills kicking my ass, I now have a Masters team to add to the list. Its going to be an interesting 2011.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
First Training Sessions in Denver
I'm working from home this week, so I have a chance to get my house organized. This also gives me a chance to get in some longer workouts and explore a bit.
Sunday I did a 3 hour bike ride. I was hoping to get in ~50 miles but due to navigational errors, I came up short (and did 5 min extra "bonus" riding to make up for it.) Denver has a TON of paved bike trails which go all over the city. Its going to take a bit for me to become familiar with things, so Sunday I stuck with what I knew. Temperature was in the low 40s. I wore medium weight socks, tri tank, long sleeve tech shirt, jacket, bike shorts, fleecy medium weight running tights, and regular fingerless cycling gloves. A bit chilly at first, but once I got going, I was fine. The other trick is figuring out where to access these bike trails, so I decided to start at South Platte Park, ride along the South Platte trail to Confluence Park, then hang a right on Cherry Creek until I needed to turn around. Nice flat trail, no road crossings, AND I've ridden it before (although it was in 1993). Ride was fun. Only problem was the lack of bathroom stops. After a failed stop at a park where the bathrooms were locked, I ended up stopping at a hotel which was right off of the Cherry Creek trail. This could make things interesting on longer rides, if I also need to get more water.
Mile High Stadium from South Platte Trail:
View of downtown just south of Confluence Park on the SPT:
REI kayak demo course at Confluence Park:
This was the longest ride I've done in months. Surprisingly, I felt fine :)
Monday was swim day. The area where we're renting in gives you access to 4 rec centers as part of your HOA dues. The rec center 5 min from our house is the one with a masters team. I'm a bit nervous about the M-W-F Masters team (the one I want to join) because you have to swim 3500 yards in 1.5 hrs (easy) and hold 8 x 100 free on a 1:40 interval. I could hold the interval, but it'd leave me with ~5 sec rest btwn 100s. Hopefully they're not sticklers on that. There's also a "triathletes" masters on Tu-Th, but my swimming snobbery doesn't allow me to consider joining this group. I'm a swimmer first, then a triathlete, even though my swimming is MUCH slower since I started this whole tri thing.
I swam on my own, 3000 yd distance set. Pool is nice. 8 lanes, wake-eating gutters, water temp around 80-81 (I think). Could be colder, but definitely much better than the 86 degree indoor pool at MAC.
The rest of this week will be interesting.... 2 hr brick today, 2-3 a day workouts through Friday. Saturday is a 4,000 yard swim and a 4 hr bike. Sunday is a 2 hr run, chill out for 3-4 hours, then run another 40 min. Ouch. At least it will be warm (50's) and sunny here. No need to be tortured inside on the trainer... yet.
Sunday I did a 3 hour bike ride. I was hoping to get in ~50 miles but due to navigational errors, I came up short (and did 5 min extra "bonus" riding to make up for it.) Denver has a TON of paved bike trails which go all over the city. Its going to take a bit for me to become familiar with things, so Sunday I stuck with what I knew. Temperature was in the low 40s. I wore medium weight socks, tri tank, long sleeve tech shirt, jacket, bike shorts, fleecy medium weight running tights, and regular fingerless cycling gloves. A bit chilly at first, but once I got going, I was fine. The other trick is figuring out where to access these bike trails, so I decided to start at South Platte Park, ride along the South Platte trail to Confluence Park, then hang a right on Cherry Creek until I needed to turn around. Nice flat trail, no road crossings, AND I've ridden it before (although it was in 1993). Ride was fun. Only problem was the lack of bathroom stops. After a failed stop at a park where the bathrooms were locked, I ended up stopping at a hotel which was right off of the Cherry Creek trail. This could make things interesting on longer rides, if I also need to get more water.
Mile High Stadium from South Platte Trail:
View of downtown just south of Confluence Park on the SPT:
REI kayak demo course at Confluence Park:
This was the longest ride I've done in months. Surprisingly, I felt fine :)
Monday was swim day. The area where we're renting in gives you access to 4 rec centers as part of your HOA dues. The rec center 5 min from our house is the one with a masters team. I'm a bit nervous about the M-W-F Masters team (the one I want to join) because you have to swim 3500 yards in 1.5 hrs (easy) and hold 8 x 100 free on a 1:40 interval. I could hold the interval, but it'd leave me with ~5 sec rest btwn 100s. Hopefully they're not sticklers on that. There's also a "triathletes" masters on Tu-Th, but my swimming snobbery doesn't allow me to consider joining this group. I'm a swimmer first, then a triathlete, even though my swimming is MUCH slower since I started this whole tri thing.
I swam on my own, 3000 yd distance set. Pool is nice. 8 lanes, wake-eating gutters, water temp around 80-81 (I think). Could be colder, but definitely much better than the 86 degree indoor pool at MAC.
The rest of this week will be interesting.... 2 hr brick today, 2-3 a day workouts through Friday. Saturday is a 4,000 yard swim and a 4 hr bike. Sunday is a 2 hr run, chill out for 3-4 hours, then run another 40 min. Ouch. At least it will be warm (50's) and sunny here. No need to be tortured inside on the trainer... yet.
Where's my stuff?
We've been in this house since the 7th. I've physically been in the house maybe 5 days. My pots, pans, coffee maker, espresso maker, and blender are all AWOL. Very frustrating. We hired professional movers. I don't recall any boxes being left behind when we moved. So they must be somewhere. That's a lot of stuff to be missing. I think the problem is that the movers did a crappy job labeling boxes. We were so overwhelmed when we moved into this rental house that we did sort of a triage approach to unpacking. Open a box, assume its labeled correctly, decide based on surface contents if it got unpacked or sealed back up for when we buy a house this summer. Initially that worked, but about 2/3 of the way through the process, we started to realize that things weren't labeled well or packed by room. We brought ~8 boxes to my mom's, and we were hoping our AWOL stuff was there. Fortunately, my mom lent us A pot and A pan so Will wasn't totally without cooking pans while I was back in Houston for work.
Yesterday began mission: find our stuff. Went to my moms, and nope, not there. I did at least find a french press, so we aren't completely without coffee making tools. (and Starbucks Via isn't a bad option, either).
That means the stuff is in our garage....
GULP
Yesterday began mission: find our stuff. Went to my moms, and nope, not there. I did at least find a french press, so we aren't completely without coffee making tools. (and Starbucks Via isn't a bad option, either).
That means the stuff is in our garage....
GULP
Monday, January 17, 2011
I'm alive... just busy, and in limbo
We survived the move.... although I don't recommend moving on New Years Eve with a storm blowing through Kansas and Colorado on questionable tires. Managed to find a 3 bdrm house to rent close to work, which also has access to free rec centers (with a Masters team and nice pool!) and ~60 miles of hike/bike trails. Was home in our house for not even 48 hrs before I had to fly back to Houston for work for 2 weeks. Presently, Will is at home (with a ton of boxes) being spoiled by my mom. Word is that she stopped by the house, bringing stew and apple cobbler (!!). Glad he's getting spoiled, but damn, I want apple cobbler.
That's about it for the update. I very much feel like I'm in limbo. Houston isn't my home anymore, but Denver still doesn't feel real. Hopefully once I get back and settled and into a routine, things will start to feel real.
That's about it for the update. I very much feel like I'm in limbo. Houston isn't my home anymore, but Denver still doesn't feel real. Hopefully once I get back and settled and into a routine, things will start to feel real.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Moving update
As of last night at 5 PM, we are no longer home owners. I've got mixed feelings about this. I really, really love our house. But I really don't like Houston. I've joked that I wish we could take our house with us. Hopefully we can find something we like in Denver - if anything, the view will be much better (hopefully).
Today is my last day in the Houston office. We had a happy hour a week ago to say "goodbye", which was really nice. As of yesterday, my office is about 2/3 of the way packed. Wish I could say the same about the house.....
Tomorrow the movers show up to pack and load our house. We'll be spending the night sleeping in our empty house on an air mattress. Then Thursday, we'll be starting our migration to Denver, spending the night either in Stillwater, OK or Wichita, KS. On Dec 31, we should be in our hotel in Denver. Our stuff arrives in Denver Jan 7, so we have a week to figure out a place to rent. We're not super picky - just really wanting 2 bedrooms and a 2 car garage.
Would like to write more later, but between being sick and moving, all my energy needs to go towards this. We'll be taking photos along the way and I'll write up a move post.
Today is my last day in the Houston office. We had a happy hour a week ago to say "goodbye", which was really nice. As of yesterday, my office is about 2/3 of the way packed. Wish I could say the same about the house.....
Tomorrow the movers show up to pack and load our house. We'll be spending the night sleeping in our empty house on an air mattress. Then Thursday, we'll be starting our migration to Denver, spending the night either in Stillwater, OK or Wichita, KS. On Dec 31, we should be in our hotel in Denver. Our stuff arrives in Denver Jan 7, so we have a week to figure out a place to rent. We're not super picky - just really wanting 2 bedrooms and a 2 car garage.
Would like to write more later, but between being sick and moving, all my energy needs to go towards this. We'll be taking photos along the way and I'll write up a move post.
2010 Training in Review
hoping for more of a big December, but the move and bronchitis had other ideas.... however, 2010 was a HUGE year compared to 2009.
2009
Bike: 92h 21m 04s - 931.87 Mi
Run: 59h 23m 10s - 314.55 Mi
Swim: 123h 15m 55s - 305325.1 Yd
Pilates: 31h 15m
Yoga: 16h 05m
2010
Bike: 106h 20m 16s - 1438.6 Mi
Run: 125h 24m 37s - 652.94 Mi
Swim: 101h 05m 38s - 254039.3 Yd
Pilates: 15h 50m
Yoga: 36h 05m
Bike: the difference here is probably that I did once a week spinning for a good chunk of 2009 and hardly did any in 2010. Also did longer 50+ rides and one century ride.
Run: HUGE difference - more than double the miles :)
Swim: not surprisingly (and sadly) my swim volume was down. In 2009, I was still swimming 3-4 times a week. In 2010, I had to drop down to 2 times a week. Difference in yards is ~ 16 workouts.
Races:
Jan - Houston Half Marathon
Feb - Frost Yer Fanny Du
April - Ironman TX 70.3
June - Ironman Boise 70.3
July - Katy Flatlands Century Ride
August - TriGirl Sprint
September - Houston Oly
October - Firethrorn Sprint (5th place AG)
December - RunGirl Half Marathon
2009
Bike: 92h 21m 04s - 931.87 Mi
Run: 59h 23m 10s - 314.55 Mi
Swim: 123h 15m 55s - 305325.1 Yd
Pilates: 31h 15m
Yoga: 16h 05m
2010
Bike: 106h 20m 16s - 1438.6 Mi
Run: 125h 24m 37s - 652.94 Mi
Swim: 101h 05m 38s - 254039.3 Yd
Pilates: 15h 50m
Yoga: 36h 05m
Bike: the difference here is probably that I did once a week spinning for a good chunk of 2009 and hardly did any in 2010. Also did longer 50+ rides and one century ride.
Run: HUGE difference - more than double the miles :)
Swim: not surprisingly (and sadly) my swim volume was down. In 2009, I was still swimming 3-4 times a week. In 2010, I had to drop down to 2 times a week. Difference in yards is ~ 16 workouts.
Races:
Jan - Houston Half Marathon
Feb - Frost Yer Fanny Du
April - Ironman TX 70.3
June - Ironman Boise 70.3
July - Katy Flatlands Century Ride
August - TriGirl Sprint
September - Houston Oly
October - Firethrorn Sprint (5th place AG)
December - RunGirl Half Marathon
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Race Report - RunGirl Half Marathon
My coach wanted me to do a half marathon before the big move to Denver... had a choice between the Galveston Crab Walk half marathon or RunGirl. I ended up going with RunGirl because its organized by local RDs and the run was essentially the bike course from TriGirl, which is 100% in a park. That, and the goodie bags from the RD are usually the best in the area :)
Pre-Race
It was pretty chilly out, but I prefer to run a bit chilly. I decided to wear my Pistols for Pandas tank top and compression shorts, with a last minute addition of gloves and sleeves. My friend and I hung out in the warmth of my truck until 15 minutes before race start. What was nice about this race, as opposed to larger half marathons, was that this was a small race with maybe 300 participants. Parking was right by the run start/exit, bathroom lines were small, and the start was uncrowded. Since it was cold, I really didn't do a warm-up, except for a few leg swings and some half hearted leg stretching.
Race
My goal was a 11:00/mile pace and a finish time of 2:25. My coach has been having me do a bunch of pace running that decends to a few miles at the end at sub-30 seconds under race pace. My plan was to go pretty easy (11:15) for the first half of the run to settle into a rhythm and then push 2 miles at 10:30/mile and see how long I could hold my 5 k pace to the finish. Its been a while since I ran 13 miles continuously (without stopping at water stations) and I've been having random issues (quad, heel, tight calves), so I was curious to see how today would go.
Since the race was so small, people settled into their paces pretty early on. I went out a bit too fast - 30 seconds under goal pace for the first mile but quickly settled. The course was a bit hilly but I managed to hold onto my 11:00/pace. Around mile 2, my calf decided to lock up, making my left foot go completely numb. I kept running, hoping that, as it sometiems does, my calf could loosen up naturally. I ran ~2 miles and nothing, so at the second water station, I walked for a bit. Crazy enough, a few steps in, just like magic the blood vessels opened up and I had feeling back in my foot. Hooray, especially since its hard to run with a totally numb foot. Especially when it starts at mile 3 of a 13 mile race. My foot went a bit numb over the next mile, but not as bad as before. I ended up walking the next water stop (around 5.5 miles) since I took in a gel. Fortunately, after that, my calf relaxed and my foot was good to go. After the 5.5 mile aid station, I felt warm enough so I ditched the gloves and sleeves (tied them to my fuel belt). The people around me (wearing tights and long sleeves or jackets) thought I was crazy, but I knew as long as I was in the sun, I'd be fine. We came back through the start area through this strip that during TriGirl is the last 1/2 mile of the run and is horribly hot. I laughed as the wind was blowing and it most definitely was not hot today. Looped thru the race start and went off to complete loop 2. I wanted to hold ~10:30 pace for 2-3 miles then hold a 5k pace for the last 2-3, depending on how things were going. Weird part about this race was that I ran most of it by myself - I had no one to pace off of. I kept watching my watch and somewhere around 1:50 I figured that if I held on, I may finish around 2:20, 5 minutes under my goal for the race. With 3 miles left, I kicked it into gear, holding a 10:00/mile pace. I felt muscles in my quads that I've not felt before and my legs/knees were starting to get wobbly. Running faster than the 10:00 pace wasn't going to happen, but I felt good about maintaining things. For the last 2 miles I just focused on catching people ahead of me - I NEVER pass people, so this was fun. My goal was to finish strong, and I was doing that. I came back through the TriGirl run course and knew that once I turned the corner I had 1/2 mile to go. At that point, I just kept pushing (although really, it probably wasn't that fast... I was just trying to hold momentum), curious to see if I could come under 2:20. All said and done, I came in at 2:20:42.1.... 4:18 under my goal time and 10:48 under my last half marathon in January. Huge PR, all due to me running my ass off all year.
Post Race
put on warmer clothes, ate 3 breakfast tacos, sat in my truck with my friend to get warm. good times! I was limping a bit, but nothing near as bad as at the end of other long races. Only did a bit of stretching, which will probably come back to bite me.
Closing
In comparing this race to January's Aramco Houston Half Marathon, they were 2 different races, mainly because I'm a more seasoned racer.
In January, this was my first half marathon and my longest running race to date. I was training with a more beginner-oriented group, doing a 5:1 run/walk ratio. The crowds were much larger, the race was run. But the race was also much harder to finish. The last 2-3 miles were just tough, mentally and physically. Also, the week leading up the the race, I was super nervous/excited.
This race, I entered it really just for fun and to see how I'd do. I had a goal time, but no pressure. Now, running 2.5 hours is no big deal, especially considering that I've spent 7+ hours on a race course twice since then. This race was smaller and lacked the "show" of the Houston Aramco race, but it was prettier and probably more fun, since it was low key and in a really pretty park setting. Going into this race, I wasn't nervous at all but I had a plan to execute. I knew I could execute it based on the weeks of speed work leading up to the race. So today was more a matter of testing myself and seeing how much I could do - and have fun doing it.
And based on my perfomance today, I would say I had a great race :) Great way to end the season and Houston and to say goodbye to the local community before I move to Colorado.
Pre-Race
It was pretty chilly out, but I prefer to run a bit chilly. I decided to wear my Pistols for Pandas tank top and compression shorts, with a last minute addition of gloves and sleeves. My friend and I hung out in the warmth of my truck until 15 minutes before race start. What was nice about this race, as opposed to larger half marathons, was that this was a small race with maybe 300 participants. Parking was right by the run start/exit, bathroom lines were small, and the start was uncrowded. Since it was cold, I really didn't do a warm-up, except for a few leg swings and some half hearted leg stretching.
Race
My goal was a 11:00/mile pace and a finish time of 2:25. My coach has been having me do a bunch of pace running that decends to a few miles at the end at sub-30 seconds under race pace. My plan was to go pretty easy (11:15) for the first half of the run to settle into a rhythm and then push 2 miles at 10:30/mile and see how long I could hold my 5 k pace to the finish. Its been a while since I ran 13 miles continuously (without stopping at water stations) and I've been having random issues (quad, heel, tight calves), so I was curious to see how today would go.
Since the race was so small, people settled into their paces pretty early on. I went out a bit too fast - 30 seconds under goal pace for the first mile but quickly settled. The course was a bit hilly but I managed to hold onto my 11:00/pace. Around mile 2, my calf decided to lock up, making my left foot go completely numb. I kept running, hoping that, as it sometiems does, my calf could loosen up naturally. I ran ~2 miles and nothing, so at the second water station, I walked for a bit. Crazy enough, a few steps in, just like magic the blood vessels opened up and I had feeling back in my foot. Hooray, especially since its hard to run with a totally numb foot. Especially when it starts at mile 3 of a 13 mile race. My foot went a bit numb over the next mile, but not as bad as before. I ended up walking the next water stop (around 5.5 miles) since I took in a gel. Fortunately, after that, my calf relaxed and my foot was good to go. After the 5.5 mile aid station, I felt warm enough so I ditched the gloves and sleeves (tied them to my fuel belt). The people around me (wearing tights and long sleeves or jackets) thought I was crazy, but I knew as long as I was in the sun, I'd be fine. We came back through the start area through this strip that during TriGirl is the last 1/2 mile of the run and is horribly hot. I laughed as the wind was blowing and it most definitely was not hot today. Looped thru the race start and went off to complete loop 2. I wanted to hold ~10:30 pace for 2-3 miles then hold a 5k pace for the last 2-3, depending on how things were going. Weird part about this race was that I ran most of it by myself - I had no one to pace off of. I kept watching my watch and somewhere around 1:50 I figured that if I held on, I may finish around 2:20, 5 minutes under my goal for the race. With 3 miles left, I kicked it into gear, holding a 10:00/mile pace. I felt muscles in my quads that I've not felt before and my legs/knees were starting to get wobbly. Running faster than the 10:00 pace wasn't going to happen, but I felt good about maintaining things. For the last 2 miles I just focused on catching people ahead of me - I NEVER pass people, so this was fun. My goal was to finish strong, and I was doing that. I came back through the TriGirl run course and knew that once I turned the corner I had 1/2 mile to go. At that point, I just kept pushing (although really, it probably wasn't that fast... I was just trying to hold momentum), curious to see if I could come under 2:20. All said and done, I came in at 2:20:42.1.... 4:18 under my goal time and 10:48 under my last half marathon in January. Huge PR, all due to me running my ass off all year.
Post Race
put on warmer clothes, ate 3 breakfast tacos, sat in my truck with my friend to get warm. good times! I was limping a bit, but nothing near as bad as at the end of other long races. Only did a bit of stretching, which will probably come back to bite me.
Closing
In comparing this race to January's Aramco Houston Half Marathon, they were 2 different races, mainly because I'm a more seasoned racer.
In January, this was my first half marathon and my longest running race to date. I was training with a more beginner-oriented group, doing a 5:1 run/walk ratio. The crowds were much larger, the race was run. But the race was also much harder to finish. The last 2-3 miles were just tough, mentally and physically. Also, the week leading up the the race, I was super nervous/excited.
This race, I entered it really just for fun and to see how I'd do. I had a goal time, but no pressure. Now, running 2.5 hours is no big deal, especially considering that I've spent 7+ hours on a race course twice since then. This race was smaller and lacked the "show" of the Houston Aramco race, but it was prettier and probably more fun, since it was low key and in a really pretty park setting. Going into this race, I wasn't nervous at all but I had a plan to execute. I knew I could execute it based on the weeks of speed work leading up to the race. So today was more a matter of testing myself and seeing how much I could do - and have fun doing it.
And based on my perfomance today, I would say I had a great race :) Great way to end the season and Houston and to say goodbye to the local community before I move to Colorado.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
November Totals
First month of IMTX training - and my first month of being coached by Carole. Focus this month seemed to be running, in preparation for the RunGirl half marathon on Dec 12th. This was the first 100+ mile running month for me - pretty cool!
Bike: 11h 41m 47s - 125.58 Mi (mileage is short since I had 3.5 hrs on the trainer and my wheel magnet wasn't working, so I didn't get any mileage. Mileage should be around 170 miles.)
Run: 19h 50m 06s - 104.06 Mi
Swim: 7h 40m - 17550 Yd
Yoga: 3h 00m
Review of November Goals
Bike: 11h 41m 47s - 125.58 Mi (mileage is short since I had 3.5 hrs on the trainer and my wheel magnet wasn't working, so I didn't get any mileage. Mileage should be around 170 miles.)
Run: 19h 50m 06s - 104.06 Mi
Swim: 7h 40m - 17550 Yd
Yoga: 3h 00m
Review of November Goals
- Get up to speed working with Coach Carole. This means learning to work with someone new, adjusting to their workouts, communication style. It also means more time on the bike. It was a bit bumpy in the beginning - the first week was a HUGE run week, 37 miles, where I'd been running 25 miles in a week. That freaked me out. But I think that week was a test and since then, we're getting into a rhythm and I'm figuring out how she works and vice versa. She's been having me do a Friday run, Saturday long run, and then a Sunday run followed by a bike. I think these Sunday runs (which are not awesome feeling) will teach me what it feels like to run coming off of a 112 mile bike.
- Re-work my running schedule (again, with Coach Carole). I'm scratching the Houston Marathon (per Carole's instructions) and will most likely be doing the RunGirl 13.1 Dec 12th. I am running RunGirl, so this is done!
- Get regular massages. I got 3 (?) massages in November. Then some muscles started hurting and I can't tell if its due to training or the massage. So I'm chilling out on the massage front for a bit. I have been spending more time with the foam roller and my Stick, since my left calf muscle is VERY tight.
- Keep my house clean - aka "show mode". We just listed it and we really need it to sell quickly. I am suprised and pleased to report that we have been doing a great job keeing the house clean. It helps that we don't have much in the house right now, so there's no clutter. We also have our "show" routine down, so getting the house ready for a showing is pretty easy.
- RunGirl Half Marathon finish time of 2:25 (11:00/mile pace). I did the Houston Half Marathon in 2:31 and I'm a faster runner now, so theoretically, I should be able to meet this goal. The RunGirl course has some (small) hills, though, which could affect me. We shall see.....
- We had a preliminary offer on our house yesterday, which is great, but it makes the month of December really, really crazy. The proposed close date is Dec 29th - we've asked for the option to lease it through Dec 31st so we have a few extra days. This means I have to get quotes for movers, pack, figure out logistics, survive the selling process, and move to Denver. To say I'm a little overwhelmed right now is an understatement.
- Find a run group in Denver for my long runs. Research swimming groups so I know what my options are, depending on where we end up living in January.
- Keep up with the training, even with the moving craziness.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving workouts
aka - my coach may be trying to kill me, but its for my own good.
First of all, with my run this morning, I passed the 100 mile milestone for running. My first time doing this. Woot!
Workouts this weekend weren't terrible, but they were challenging.
First of all, with my run this morning, I passed the 100 mile milestone for running. My first time doing this. Woot!
Workouts this weekend weren't terrible, but they were challenging.
- Friday - 1 hr run with some short hill work
- Saturday - 2 hr run with pace work. During the run, I really didn't think I was hitting my pacing. When I downloaded my file afterwards, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was right on the money for my pace. Very cool. No ice bath, but I did wear my compression socks and tights all day.
- Sunday - 1 hr run follwed by a 2.5 hr bike. It was very windy for the bike, so I flipped my garmin screen to show only total time, cadence, and HR. This actually turned out to be really good, as I could focus on my cadence for the ride. As a result, I had my highest average cadence ride to date. I intended to take an ice bath when I was done, but this plan was thwarted by a last minute appointment by a realtor to show my house. So instead of stretching and an ice bath, I sat in my truck stalked my house. Should have at least worn my tights, but I feel like a dork going out in public in them, and by that point in the day, I had errands and chores to do.
- Monday - 1 hr run. This was the worst run ever. I think my pace was a pathetic 12:30/mile, which is SLOWER than my Boise 70.3 half marathon overall pace. Everything was just so tight and wouldn't loosen up until the last mile. I know why my coach had me do this run though - very realistic training for how things will feel during IMTX. Better I get familiar with this sensation early so I can be mentally prepared for the suck-fest.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Feeling Inspired
Sunday my "cousin" (Will's cousin Jeff's wife) completed Ironman Arizona in 16:04. Tina is just amazing. She used to be a marathoner - that is until she developed compartment syndrome, which basically means that anything below her knees is incredibly tight and running is very painful. But being the very tough and determined person that she is, she's just kept on going. To enable her to keep running, she's had to survive frequent and painful therapy to release the compressed tissues. Most people with this syndrome just stop running - the treatment is just too painful.
I raced IM Boise 70.3 with Jeff and Tina in June. She had a strong finish but knew that she had a lot of work ahead of her for IMAZ. Her plan was the survive the swim, be strong on the bike, and walk/run the run. I stalked her all day and was fairly concerned for her on the bike -the weather was horrible and I don't think her pace was as fast as she was hoping. Fortunately, she made all the cutoffs and finished in 16:04. Jeff took video of her finish line run and it brought tears to my eyes, just knowing everything that went into that moment.
Seeing Tina complete IMAZ definitely gives me a boost of confidence that I can complete IMTX. :)
I raced IM Boise 70.3 with Jeff and Tina in June. She had a strong finish but knew that she had a lot of work ahead of her for IMAZ. Her plan was the survive the swim, be strong on the bike, and walk/run the run. I stalked her all day and was fairly concerned for her on the bike -the weather was horrible and I don't think her pace was as fast as she was hoping. Fortunately, she made all the cutoffs and finished in 16:04. Jeff took video of her finish line run and it brought tears to my eyes, just knowing everything that went into that moment.
Seeing Tina complete IMAZ definitely gives me a boost of confidence that I can complete IMTX. :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
calm before the storm
I think we're going to have a very interesting couple of months (6-8?) ahead of us. Wowzers.
Denver update
I am officially a Denver employee! Yay! I'm still living in Houston, probably for another month. Our house has been on the market for 3 weeks - we've had 8 showings. Most comments are that they like the house but don't like the apartments directly behind our house. The apartments are actually condos, of which the majority are privately owned. So, while there isn't anything we can do about them physically being behind our house, we can better educate potential buyers on what they are. Hopefully this will yield some results.
We had 2 showing yesterday (Sunday), which strikes me as odd. Sunday seems to be a day where most people get ready for the upcoming week. At least for us, that's the day we do chores, laundry, grocery shop, and make our food for the week. Having 2 showings put a crimp in our style. Especially when the second one called us at 5:45 PM, asking if they could schedule a showing for 5:45 PM (me: "that's basically right now???"). We have an 1 hour courtesty notification on our listing and the listing service actually sounded a bit testy when I asked for 10-15 minutes so we could leave our house. Good thing I wasn't in the middle of cooking dinner! I mean, who really looks at a house at 6 PM on a Sunday night? And the comments were that the "house wasn't large enough". Ugh. Annoying.
Our tentative plan is that I'm here until the end of December, then we'll drive me (and my bike) up to Denver, where I'll stay with my mom in January. I should have a field project back in Houston for half of January, so I'll be going back and forth, which is perfect. That way, I should have enough overtime from work where I can go up to Denver and look for a rental house w/out having to use vacation time. Then at the end of January/early February (assuming our house doesn't sell before then), we'll pack the house up and move everyone up to Denver. Will still isn't 100% on board, and I'm not sure why. We both agree that living in limbo is a bad thing for both of us, but for whatever reason, he seems tentative to set a move date.
Training
So far, so good. After a killer week, things have stabilized and are going ok. Fri-Sat-Sun seem to be killer days. Friday is usually a swim workout and an 1 run. Saturday is a long run, Sunday is a long bike (and with an occasional 1 hr run tossed in there). Its challenging for me to work in some of the runs (ie hill workouts or the Friday runs) because I'm battling darkness. I prefer to run in the mornings, when there isn't much traffic, but to make it to work on time, I need to be done by ~6:30. On days where I swim (practice is in the morning), that leaves either a long lunch so I can run in the daylight or having to run after work in the dark.
I pulled some stuff in my right leg during my heavy week. My achilles is tweakly, likely from my Newtons. Then I pulled my quad/adductor (same thing I pulled last Nov) - likely from not stretching when it was tweaky on a run last week. I've been doing extra stretching and using KT tape, which helped. Today things feel much better - I'd say 80%. Hopefully things will continue to heal and I'll be 100% for my half marathon on Dec 12.
Family
To make things even more fun for us, Will's got some family health issues that are pretty serious. His grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Not a huge suprise as he's 89, and apparently its highly treatable. And Will's dad is having more health issues. His diabetes is not at all controlled, he's lost 100 lbs in 8 months (he's now at 250 lbs, but this is not healthy loss, he lost mostly muscle), he may have a rare bacterial infection in his heart (probably from his heart surgery), and he is needing more and more frequent care. He keeps having low blood sugar episodes, which cause him to fall and not be able to get up, which then results in a 911 call. He can't work and doesn't have enough money to cover his mortage and bills if he can't work. We're (as a family) are looking at options and will likely have to make some difficult decisions soon.
Denver update
I am officially a Denver employee! Yay! I'm still living in Houston, probably for another month. Our house has been on the market for 3 weeks - we've had 8 showings. Most comments are that they like the house but don't like the apartments directly behind our house. The apartments are actually condos, of which the majority are privately owned. So, while there isn't anything we can do about them physically being behind our house, we can better educate potential buyers on what they are. Hopefully this will yield some results.
We had 2 showing yesterday (Sunday), which strikes me as odd. Sunday seems to be a day where most people get ready for the upcoming week. At least for us, that's the day we do chores, laundry, grocery shop, and make our food for the week. Having 2 showings put a crimp in our style. Especially when the second one called us at 5:45 PM, asking if they could schedule a showing for 5:45 PM (me: "that's basically right now???"). We have an 1 hour courtesty notification on our listing and the listing service actually sounded a bit testy when I asked for 10-15 minutes so we could leave our house. Good thing I wasn't in the middle of cooking dinner! I mean, who really looks at a house at 6 PM on a Sunday night? And the comments were that the "house wasn't large enough". Ugh. Annoying.
Our tentative plan is that I'm here until the end of December, then we'll drive me (and my bike) up to Denver, where I'll stay with my mom in January. I should have a field project back in Houston for half of January, so I'll be going back and forth, which is perfect. That way, I should have enough overtime from work where I can go up to Denver and look for a rental house w/out having to use vacation time. Then at the end of January/early February (assuming our house doesn't sell before then), we'll pack the house up and move everyone up to Denver. Will still isn't 100% on board, and I'm not sure why. We both agree that living in limbo is a bad thing for both of us, but for whatever reason, he seems tentative to set a move date.
Training
So far, so good. After a killer week, things have stabilized and are going ok. Fri-Sat-Sun seem to be killer days. Friday is usually a swim workout and an 1 run. Saturday is a long run, Sunday is a long bike (and with an occasional 1 hr run tossed in there). Its challenging for me to work in some of the runs (ie hill workouts or the Friday runs) because I'm battling darkness. I prefer to run in the mornings, when there isn't much traffic, but to make it to work on time, I need to be done by ~6:30. On days where I swim (practice is in the morning), that leaves either a long lunch so I can run in the daylight or having to run after work in the dark.
I pulled some stuff in my right leg during my heavy week. My achilles is tweakly, likely from my Newtons. Then I pulled my quad/adductor (same thing I pulled last Nov) - likely from not stretching when it was tweaky on a run last week. I've been doing extra stretching and using KT tape, which helped. Today things feel much better - I'd say 80%. Hopefully things will continue to heal and I'll be 100% for my half marathon on Dec 12.
Family
To make things even more fun for us, Will's got some family health issues that are pretty serious. His grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Not a huge suprise as he's 89, and apparently its highly treatable. And Will's dad is having more health issues. His diabetes is not at all controlled, he's lost 100 lbs in 8 months (he's now at 250 lbs, but this is not healthy loss, he lost mostly muscle), he may have a rare bacterial infection in his heart (probably from his heart surgery), and he is needing more and more frequent care. He keeps having low blood sugar episodes, which cause him to fall and not be able to get up, which then results in a 911 call. He can't work and doesn't have enough money to cover his mortage and bills if he can't work. We're (as a family) are looking at options and will likely have to make some difficult decisions soon.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
power of positive thinking
I survived my first official week of Ironman training, More than that, I did really well and actually had fun. I'm impressed with myself and how I did.
This week I have:
Run 36.68 miles (a record for me by ~10 miles), including 1 track workout
rode my bike 3 times, including 2 trainer rides
swam 6300 yards
did yoga for one hour (not on my plan, but I did it anyways)
did a total of 13 hrs, 20 min of exercise
Friday-Saturday-Sunday were especially daunting....
Friday - masters swim practice, 70 min run
Saturday - 15 mile run, 30 min recovery bike
Sunday - 30 min run (which my coach told me will feel like crap) and 60 min bike
Scary, especially for a non-runner like me. Especially with the 10 mile jump in weekly mileage AND the fact that this was my first 15 mile run.
Once I got over being freaked out - I mean, I can't be all defeatist "I can't do this" if I don't even TRY to do it first - and wrapped my head around it, I just went to work. Follwed the plan.
I fully expected to not be able to walk last night. I really had no idea how today's run and bike would feel. And crazy enough, I felt pretty good last night. And I was able to run and bike pretty darn easily today.
I'm pretty proud I stepped up to the challenge and am excited about the next 26 week of IMTX training ahead of me :)
This week I have:
Run 36.68 miles (a record for me by ~10 miles), including 1 track workout
rode my bike 3 times, including 2 trainer rides
swam 6300 yards
did yoga for one hour (not on my plan, but I did it anyways)
did a total of 13 hrs, 20 min of exercise
Friday-Saturday-Sunday were especially daunting....
Friday - masters swim practice, 70 min run
Saturday - 15 mile run, 30 min recovery bike
Sunday - 30 min run (which my coach told me will feel like crap) and 60 min bike
Scary, especially for a non-runner like me. Especially with the 10 mile jump in weekly mileage AND the fact that this was my first 15 mile run.
Once I got over being freaked out - I mean, I can't be all defeatist "I can't do this" if I don't even TRY to do it first - and wrapped my head around it, I just went to work. Follwed the plan.
I fully expected to not be able to walk last night. I really had no idea how today's run and bike would feel. And crazy enough, I felt pretty good last night. And I was able to run and bike pretty darn easily today.
I'm pretty proud I stepped up to the challenge and am excited about the next 26 week of IMTX training ahead of me :)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Big deep breaths and positive thinking
This week is my first "official" IMTX training week. If anyone is counting, I am 27 weeks away from the race. I hired a coach and with any coach, there are "getting to know you" growing pains. I've also never trained for an IM, so there's that unknown that I need to wrap my head around too.
My coach likes to load my workouts on a weekly basis, based on her experience as a coach. In the past, she's loaded multiple weeks at a time, but then had to make a bunch of revisions, so she prefers to just load the workouts on a weekly basis to minimize any re-writes. I'm a planner,so that's hard for me. I like knowing what I'm doing several weeks out. But I need to learn to let go and "trust the coach".
This week is a run-heavy week. When it was loaded on Sunday, my first (and second, third, fourth) thoughts were "holy crap, she is trying to kill me." Lots of running. 8 miles yesterday, track workout tonight, 7 miles Friday, 15 miles Saturday, 3 miles Sunday (plus a little swim and bike thrown in). I have never run that much in my life. Its scary.
What I decided yesterday (after whining a bit) was that my attitude about this week is VERY defeatist. I'm already thinking that I will die before I even attempt this week, when really, I have no idea how this week will go. Instead, I should be approaching it with caution but also a "rise to meet the challenge" attitude. That would set me up for success mentally instead of thinking I'm going to fail before I even begin. Not to mention that this is my FIRST training week. I have 27 more weeks ahead of me and 140.6 miles on May 21, 2011. If anything, kicking my ass early and often will set me up for success during IMTX. I just need to cut the control instinct and just roll with things. And be positive. Chances are, I'll surprise myself with what I can accomplish when challenged.
My coach likes to load my workouts on a weekly basis, based on her experience as a coach. In the past, she's loaded multiple weeks at a time, but then had to make a bunch of revisions, so she prefers to just load the workouts on a weekly basis to minimize any re-writes. I'm a planner,so that's hard for me. I like knowing what I'm doing several weeks out. But I need to learn to let go and "trust the coach".
This week is a run-heavy week. When it was loaded on Sunday, my first (and second, third, fourth) thoughts were "holy crap, she is trying to kill me." Lots of running. 8 miles yesterday, track workout tonight, 7 miles Friday, 15 miles Saturday, 3 miles Sunday (plus a little swim and bike thrown in). I have never run that much in my life. Its scary.
What I decided yesterday (after whining a bit) was that my attitude about this week is VERY defeatist. I'm already thinking that I will die before I even attempt this week, when really, I have no idea how this week will go. Instead, I should be approaching it with caution but also a "rise to meet the challenge" attitude. That would set me up for success mentally instead of thinking I'm going to fail before I even begin. Not to mention that this is my FIRST training week. I have 27 more weeks ahead of me and 140.6 miles on May 21, 2011. If anything, kicking my ass early and often will set me up for success during IMTX. I just need to cut the control instinct and just roll with things. And be positive. Chances are, I'll surprise myself with what I can accomplish when challenged.
Monday, November 01, 2010
October Totals
My last month of "being a bum" before starting IMTX training. I think that taking this time off has been really good. I feel recharged and ready to roll. October was really chaotic, with my transfer and getting the house ready, and spending a week in Denver. I was very good in Denver, though - did 2 runs and 2 swims. Running at altitude was actually easy (and it was 39 degrees!) but keeping my walls long during my swims was hard. My poor lungs were burning from less oxygen. The workouts in Denver must have paid off, though, because I managed to get 5th in my Age Group at Firethorne. Bike: 4h 21m 27s - 72.48 Mi
Run: 16h 59m 39s - 91.54 Mi (sooo close to 100 miles - this is the MOST MILES EVER for a month for me - I had 86 miles in May)
Swim: 9h 24m 34s - 24896.81 Yd
Yoga: 3h 00m
Review of Octobber Goals
Run: 16h 59m 39s - 91.54 Mi (sooo close to 100 miles - this is the MOST MILES EVER for a month for me - I had 86 miles in May)
Swim: 9h 24m 34s - 24896.81 Yd
Yoga: 3h 00m
Review of Octobber Goals
- Work on consistent weekly running. Would like to be able to report back next month that I was running 3x a week, just like my schedule says. I did much better this month! I ran 3x a week for 3 of the 4 weeks this month. The 1 week where I didn't do this, I decided I needed an extra day recovery from Firethorne (and from my Denver trip). I ran all my planned long runs, except for the weekend I had Firethorne.
- Work on tempo and speeds for running. Now that the cool weather is back, I need to incorporate more tempo running into my weekday runs. I didn't accomplish this goal, mainly because I was not specific in planning my runs. Back when I was coached, I had intervals and speeds. This month, I was more just like "push the back half or last few miles". Not at all specific. I will say that overall, my runs have been faster and I have been able to push harder with the cooler weather. And at Firethorne, I did CRUSH my 5k PR (10:00/pace) by running the 3 miles at a 9:22/mile pace.
- Enjoy this month - its the last month before Ironman training begins. Done and done!
- Get up to speed working with Coach Carole. This means learning to work with someone new, adjusting to their workouts, communication style. It also means more time on the bike.
- Re-work my running schedule (again, with Coach Carole). I'm scratching the Houston Marathon (per Carole's instructions) and will most likely be doing the RunGirl 13.1 Dec 12th.
- Get regular massages.
- Keep my house clean - aka "show mode". We just listed it and we really need it to sell quickly.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Race Report - Firethorne Sprint Triathlon
AKA yet another race that I didn't really train for
AAKA my last local race in Houston
AAAKA the race in which I won a shiny!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-Race
This one was close to my house - so I got to sleep in a bit (5:30). Rolled out to the race, ate my usual 1/2 of a protein bar and a diet coke. Racking was open by row and for once, I was the closest rack to the bike in/out. Yay! I hate hate hate running in cycling shoes. The racks were a mess, most people put their bikes facing the exit and then put their bags in the space where opposite bikes were supposed to go. Sloppy racking is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. Ran into a few friends and debated the merit of wetsuit use for a 500 m race. C (who is amazing and wins overall masters for every race she's entered this year) said that the water felt warmer than officials claimed and was going sans suit. I went over and got my chip then decided investigate the water temperature situation. I waded in knee deep and confirmed that yes, the water was warmer than the 73 degrees that officials were claiming - it felt more like 75 or 76. There was none of that shock you get when you hit cold water. And since this was only a 500 m swim, a wetsuit really wasn't worth the hassle, even with the wetsuit strippers.
Transition closed at 7:15, so I wandered over to the lake and ran into my swim coach and his relay team. Hung with them for a while, ran into some other swim team friends. My wave didn't start until 8:03 and the race started late, so I had time to kill.
Swim
I've swam in this lake 2x before, once in a wetsuit and once w/out. Its a real simple counter clockwise rectangle course. We wade in and I notice that there weren't all that many people in my wave - maybe 30-40 people. I wanted to see how hard I could go but not completely redline. The gun went off and it was a pretty smooth start - no jostling or crowding. I did have one girl hang with me for the first 3 buoys but I had a feeling she would get tired and drop off, while I just got stronger. Sure enough, just before the turn buoy, she cratered and I kept cruisng along, focusing on my kick. For me, a strong kick = fast swim. Its easy to forget your kick in distance swimming, so my job was to stay focused. Coming into the finish, there weren't all that many people to swim through or much scrambling. Getting out of the water, though, was very awkward, as the pond base was slimy clay and they only had a 4x8 ft piece of plywood for the "ramp" out. I ended up losing my balance trying to stand and had to bend down and grab 2 fist-fulls of nasty clay. I think I still have clay under my nails a day later.
T1
Pretty basic. Kept a good job to my bike (heard a go Boise! [my Boise tri kit]) and saw that most of the bikes were on the rack. I didn't really see anyone in front of me or near me in the swim, so I had a feelilng I was close to the front, if not at the front of the pack. Pretty clean T1, although I fumbled more than I would have liked with my socks. I may want to consider ditching the socks in the future.
Bike
The bike course took us north up FM14XX past I-10 and then an out and back east/west along Hwy 90, then back south. We had a pretty good wind from the south, so immediately, I was zipping along easily at 20+ mph. Which is nice in terms of getting your bike flow and HR down, but sucky because you know its going to hurt coming back. The course wasn't awesome, mainly because we didn't have a dedicated lane to ride in - it was mostly shoulder. And all of Hwy 90 was chip seal with some pretty decent pits. Once I got on Hwy 90, I wanted to stay slightly uncomfortable, in terms of speed and pacing. I wanted to stay in Zone 3-4 and get some decent speed, staying around 18 mph. When it came time to pass someone, I'd drop a gear and get up to 19.5 mph, stay there for 1-2 miles, until my legs started to feel fatigued, then drop back a gear to 18 mph. I repeated this ~5 times over the 16 miles and I think the speed boosts helped to keep me sharp and focused. No one in my AG passed me on the whole bike and at the turn, I really didn't see anyone close behind me. This added to my motivation to keep pushing and see just how hard I could go.
T2
It was pretty crowded coming into the bike in, so that was interesting. Pretty smooth for the rest of the transition, except my sunglasses somehow got tangled up in my helmet. I stayed on target though, only putting on my shoes, and carrying my garmin, visor, and drink out with me onto the run.
Run
Run is always my weakness and to make it worse, it was hot out. I hate hate hate running in the heat and have a hard time really pushing. My goal today was to PR for the run - meaning I needed to be under a 10:00/mile pace for the first 2 miles, not walk at all, and kick it into gear for the final mile. I decided to race in my Newtons, hoping that they'd give me an edget. A bit risky, since I've never run "fast" in them, but I've been doing all my short (up to 7 mile) runs and bricks in them, and have been feeling pretty speedy in them.
The run first took you on a crushed granite loop around the lake then onto sidewalks and city streets, then more granite, then streets to the finish. Around a 1/2 mile I got passed by 3 people in my AG. They were flying, not much I could do. I needed to stay on target with my pace and just push, no matter how uncomfortable I got.
For the first mile, I was around 9:45/mile (at least when I looked at my watch). I was running faster than I'd wanted to and was torn. Do I keep going since it feels ok and hope I don't crash or do I make myself slow down. I don't know if I made a conscious decision on what to do - I think I pretty much played it by ear. I do think I slowed down a bit for mile 2, I did see 10:xx/mile a few times. Once I got to the last mile, I focused on light feet, short strides, and speed. It was hot, my lungs weren't happy, but I was going to PR on the run. To add motivation, no one else had passed me, and at the turn around, I didn't see anyone in my AG who were even close. This put be at best in 4th place (assuming I was first out of the water). I was not going to allow myself to crash and burn - I was going to hold my position or do my best possible to keep it. I don't know what my pace was in the last 1/2 mile, but I suspect it was somewhere in the high 8:xx/mile area. I'm certain my finish line pictures will be funny - I was fighting a side cramp and breathing hard. But I finished STRONG and held my position. Mission accomplished.
Results
500 m swim, 16 mi bike, 3 mi run
Swim: 9:34.5; 1:55/100 meter pace (PR for tri suit)
T1: 1:46.1
Bike: 53:27.8; 18.0 mph
T2: 1:18
Run: 28:05.1; 9:22/mile pace (PR!!!)
Overall: 1:34:12
Rankings
Swim: 2/21, 145/541 (I think my overall rank is a bit low due to the number of wetsuits in the race)
Bike: 4/21, 300/541
Run: 9/21, 347/541
Overall: 5/21, 245/541
Other Analysis
I did some number crunching, and I was 2nd going into the run by more than 1 minute. It really shows how strong my swim leg is, since I was actually 4th in my AG on the bike.
Nutrition-wise, I think I over did it a bit. I had 2 scoops of Infinit and 2/3 of a Hammer Gel. I ended up with side stitches on the run. Nothing terrible, but still, they're never fun. I think if I didn't have that last gulp of gel, I could have avoided the side stitches.
I did this race last year and was hoping to compare 2009 to 2010. They changed the bike course a bit (and added 1 mile) and changed the run (although I don't think they changed it substantially). In 2009, I used a wetsuit and had a PR on the swim but was 45 seconds slower in T1 than 2010. This year, I was actually a net 15 seconds faster on the swim, even without the wetsuit. So, not wearing the wetsuit was actually the right decision. Also, my 2009 finish time was 1:35:45, vs 1:34:15 in 2010. The course was 1 mile LONGER and I finished 1:30 FASTER this year. Go me!
And the best part.... awards were 5 deep. Meaning I got a SHINY!!
Every emotional for me - this was my last local race in Houston. Very amazing that I not only PR'd but got HARDWARE.
AAKA my last local race in Houston
AAAKA the race in which I won a shiny!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-Race
This one was close to my house - so I got to sleep in a bit (5:30). Rolled out to the race, ate my usual 1/2 of a protein bar and a diet coke. Racking was open by row and for once, I was the closest rack to the bike in/out. Yay! I hate hate hate running in cycling shoes. The racks were a mess, most people put their bikes facing the exit and then put their bags in the space where opposite bikes were supposed to go. Sloppy racking is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. Ran into a few friends and debated the merit of wetsuit use for a 500 m race. C (who is amazing and wins overall masters for every race she's entered this year) said that the water felt warmer than officials claimed and was going sans suit. I went over and got my chip then decided investigate the water temperature situation. I waded in knee deep and confirmed that yes, the water was warmer than the 73 degrees that officials were claiming - it felt more like 75 or 76. There was none of that shock you get when you hit cold water. And since this was only a 500 m swim, a wetsuit really wasn't worth the hassle, even with the wetsuit strippers.
Transition closed at 7:15, so I wandered over to the lake and ran into my swim coach and his relay team. Hung with them for a while, ran into some other swim team friends. My wave didn't start until 8:03 and the race started late, so I had time to kill.
Swim
I've swam in this lake 2x before, once in a wetsuit and once w/out. Its a real simple counter clockwise rectangle course. We wade in and I notice that there weren't all that many people in my wave - maybe 30-40 people. I wanted to see how hard I could go but not completely redline. The gun went off and it was a pretty smooth start - no jostling or crowding. I did have one girl hang with me for the first 3 buoys but I had a feeling she would get tired and drop off, while I just got stronger. Sure enough, just before the turn buoy, she cratered and I kept cruisng along, focusing on my kick. For me, a strong kick = fast swim. Its easy to forget your kick in distance swimming, so my job was to stay focused. Coming into the finish, there weren't all that many people to swim through or much scrambling. Getting out of the water, though, was very awkward, as the pond base was slimy clay and they only had a 4x8 ft piece of plywood for the "ramp" out. I ended up losing my balance trying to stand and had to bend down and grab 2 fist-fulls of nasty clay. I think I still have clay under my nails a day later.
T1
Pretty basic. Kept a good job to my bike (heard a go Boise! [my Boise tri kit]) and saw that most of the bikes were on the rack. I didn't really see anyone in front of me or near me in the swim, so I had a feelilng I was close to the front, if not at the front of the pack. Pretty clean T1, although I fumbled more than I would have liked with my socks. I may want to consider ditching the socks in the future.
Bike
The bike course took us north up FM14XX past I-10 and then an out and back east/west along Hwy 90, then back south. We had a pretty good wind from the south, so immediately, I was zipping along easily at 20+ mph. Which is nice in terms of getting your bike flow and HR down, but sucky because you know its going to hurt coming back. The course wasn't awesome, mainly because we didn't have a dedicated lane to ride in - it was mostly shoulder. And all of Hwy 90 was chip seal with some pretty decent pits. Once I got on Hwy 90, I wanted to stay slightly uncomfortable, in terms of speed and pacing. I wanted to stay in Zone 3-4 and get some decent speed, staying around 18 mph. When it came time to pass someone, I'd drop a gear and get up to 19.5 mph, stay there for 1-2 miles, until my legs started to feel fatigued, then drop back a gear to 18 mph. I repeated this ~5 times over the 16 miles and I think the speed boosts helped to keep me sharp and focused. No one in my AG passed me on the whole bike and at the turn, I really didn't see anyone close behind me. This added to my motivation to keep pushing and see just how hard I could go.
T2
It was pretty crowded coming into the bike in, so that was interesting. Pretty smooth for the rest of the transition, except my sunglasses somehow got tangled up in my helmet. I stayed on target though, only putting on my shoes, and carrying my garmin, visor, and drink out with me onto the run.
Run
Run is always my weakness and to make it worse, it was hot out. I hate hate hate running in the heat and have a hard time really pushing. My goal today was to PR for the run - meaning I needed to be under a 10:00/mile pace for the first 2 miles, not walk at all, and kick it into gear for the final mile. I decided to race in my Newtons, hoping that they'd give me an edget. A bit risky, since I've never run "fast" in them, but I've been doing all my short (up to 7 mile) runs and bricks in them, and have been feeling pretty speedy in them.
The run first took you on a crushed granite loop around the lake then onto sidewalks and city streets, then more granite, then streets to the finish. Around a 1/2 mile I got passed by 3 people in my AG. They were flying, not much I could do. I needed to stay on target with my pace and just push, no matter how uncomfortable I got.
For the first mile, I was around 9:45/mile (at least when I looked at my watch). I was running faster than I'd wanted to and was torn. Do I keep going since it feels ok and hope I don't crash or do I make myself slow down. I don't know if I made a conscious decision on what to do - I think I pretty much played it by ear. I do think I slowed down a bit for mile 2, I did see 10:xx/mile a few times. Once I got to the last mile, I focused on light feet, short strides, and speed. It was hot, my lungs weren't happy, but I was going to PR on the run. To add motivation, no one else had passed me, and at the turn around, I didn't see anyone in my AG who were even close. This put be at best in 4th place (assuming I was first out of the water). I was not going to allow myself to crash and burn - I was going to hold my position or do my best possible to keep it. I don't know what my pace was in the last 1/2 mile, but I suspect it was somewhere in the high 8:xx/mile area. I'm certain my finish line pictures will be funny - I was fighting a side cramp and breathing hard. But I finished STRONG and held my position. Mission accomplished.
Results
500 m swim, 16 mi bike, 3 mi run
Swim: 9:34.5; 1:55/100 meter pace (PR for tri suit)
T1: 1:46.1
Bike: 53:27.8; 18.0 mph
T2: 1:18
Run: 28:05.1; 9:22/mile pace (PR!!!)
Overall: 1:34:12
Rankings
Swim: 2/21, 145/541 (I think my overall rank is a bit low due to the number of wetsuits in the race)
Bike: 4/21, 300/541
Run: 9/21, 347/541
Overall: 5/21, 245/541
Other Analysis
I did some number crunching, and I was 2nd going into the run by more than 1 minute. It really shows how strong my swim leg is, since I was actually 4th in my AG on the bike.
Nutrition-wise, I think I over did it a bit. I had 2 scoops of Infinit and 2/3 of a Hammer Gel. I ended up with side stitches on the run. Nothing terrible, but still, they're never fun. I think if I didn't have that last gulp of gel, I could have avoided the side stitches.
I did this race last year and was hoping to compare 2009 to 2010. They changed the bike course a bit (and added 1 mile) and changed the run (although I don't think they changed it substantially). In 2009, I used a wetsuit and had a PR on the swim but was 45 seconds slower in T1 than 2010. This year, I was actually a net 15 seconds faster on the swim, even without the wetsuit. So, not wearing the wetsuit was actually the right decision. Also, my 2009 finish time was 1:35:45, vs 1:34:15 in 2010. The course was 1 mile LONGER and I finished 1:30 FASTER this year. Go me!
And the best part.... awards were 5 deep. Meaning I got a SHINY!!
Every emotional for me - this was my last local race in Houston. Very amazing that I not only PR'd but got HARDWARE.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
milestone : 500 miles running in 2010
I really don't have a mileage goal for anything - I'm too new and figure as long as I'm having fun and meeting my training goals, I have no business setting mileage goals for the year. And really, I have no idea what I'm actually capable of, in terms of annual mileage - I'm too green.
This week I hit 500 miles running for 2010. My total mileage for 2009 was 315 miles. I'm crushing last year's mileage - in fact, I wouldn't be suprised if I came close to doubling it. Ok, I just did the math, I should do way more than double last year's mileage. Wow. For a "non-runner" that's a lot of running.
This week I hit 500 miles running for 2010. My total mileage for 2009 was 315 miles. I'm crushing last year's mileage - in fact, I wouldn't be suprised if I came close to doubling it. Ok, I just did the math, I should do way more than double last year's mileage. Wow. For a "non-runner" that's a lot of running.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Mythical Way Home
Finally I can say it. We are moving to Denver. The possibility came up late July, became more concrete towards the end of August, and finally yesterday, I got my transfer letter. I've told a few people well before the letter, but since we had to figure out how to approach Will's job, we couldn't make a grand announcement until yesterday.
I'm 4th or 5th generation Coloradan, but when I graduated high school, I couldn't wait to escape. Went to college in Montana, met a boy who was getting an oil-industry degree. We decided who ever got the better job, that's where the other would go. In 1998, the oil industry was doing well, and it became obvious that our path would be to a place that is oil-centric, namely Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, or Oklahoma City. Will ended up with offers in Houston and Dallas, and we chose Houston. The idea was that we would live here for 5 years and move to Denver. That was in June 1998.... more than 12 years ago. So much for our "5 year plan". Over the years, we thought about just up and moving, but the stars weren't aligning. One of us had too good of a job opportunity in Houston to give up, the market was crappy, house market was too high, too low.
When I took my present job in 2006, our corporate HQ is in Denver. The idea was that I'd prove myself in Houston for 2 years and then try to get a transfer. Fast forward 2 years, and I had great opportunities in Houston with the company, I had a sweet professional network that aligned me on a fast-track career path, and as much as I hated Houston, I couldn't imagine giving up my network, which at the time didn't translate to Denver. In 2010, our company moved from a regional organization to a national organization, which in the back of my head a little voice was saying "hmmm, maybe this will open up new opportunties to the west". Still, everyone WANTS to go to Denver and its very competitive. I just kind of gave up actively persuing Denver. We hate Houston, but we like our friends and our life here. We decided that was enough for us (with kick ass vacations thrown in).
My workload in the past few months have dwindled, some of it was client related, but really, I was beginning to see that my office was not getting the types of projects that I wanted to do. I'm one of those people who like big robust projects that are long term and high profile. I hate scrapping work together week after week, just to stay busy (which has been what I've been doing for most of 2010). In July, we got a new account manager for a project I've been managing for a while. Its listed as one of our top clients to grow and I regularly get calls from BD people, asking how to grow the project. Really, the project has a mind of its own and there's little we can do to expand it. So, when this new account manager (R) called me, I was not very excited, thinking it was another BD person with the same MO as all the others. R was different, she was very understanding of the complexities of the project and wasn't pushy. R is also a staffing manager in the Denver office and said she noticed my name was on the weekly national "light on work call". I confirmed that it was, and she asked me a few questions about my experience. She had a project that needed a PM - but the requirement would be a transfer to Denver. Strangely enough, I have the exact qualifications for the project (client and technology), and when she said Denver, I replied back with "I'm a Native and I have my CO PE." We both agreed that there were too many coincidences for this to all mean nothing. R did some checking on me, to make sure I was a good candidate. She came to Houston in August for BD work and we discussed the opportunity in more detail - left me with a choice of positions: the Denver PM job or stay in Houston and lead our BD effort for a client sector. Incredibly flattering, and I was not expecting 2 offers. After a few sleepless nights, I decided that while the BD offer was VERY flattering, it was still not a sure thing. Moving to Denver for a new project was a sure thing - and it meant moving both to our corporate HQ and moving HOME. Something I wanted to escape from so badly when I was 18, but have trying to figure out how to return there for the past 10 years.
At the end of August, it was determined that I was THE candidate for the job. How does that happen? Everyone wants to move to Denver - why and how did it end up that little old me is the best one for the job? This has been more flattering than words can describe - basically being hand picked for a complicated high profile project. Wow.
And then once I made my committment, it took 1.5 months to get the offer put together. Ugh. That's ok, I've been here 12 years, what's waiting a few more months.
Will's job has been an interesting complication - he started a new job on Sept 1. Fortunately, its with people he's worked with off and on for the past 6 years. Our hope was that they would be ok with Will telecommuting. Will told his boss yesterday, and it went great. His boss basically said that Will could work for them, no matter where he was living. I can't even express how great it is to see our hard work being paid off with such loyalty.
So, we've got out work cut out for us. We're in the process of clearing out our house and making a few small repairs. House will go on the market Oct 29th. We're pricing it aggressively so it will hopefully sell fast.
My official transfer date is Nov 13th, but really, that's an administrative date. Denver said that as long as I get up there in 1-2 months after Nov 13th, then I'm ok. They understand that I have a house and husband to figure out. And if our house doesn't sell by Christmas, I'll go live with my mom (its nice to have that option, but yikes) and Will would hang out here until the house sells. Lets just hope it sells fast.
And then there's also marathon and IMTX training at altitude and in the winter with snow. We'll just see how that goes. Too easy to get overwhelmed right now.
We're very excited but at the same time scared and sad. Houston, as much as I knock it, has been really good to us. We've made great friends and we really like our life here (except for the heat, humidity, and ugliness). However, I really have to belive that Denver is where we belong. Hopefully I'm right. There's only one way to find out.
I'm 4th or 5th generation Coloradan, but when I graduated high school, I couldn't wait to escape. Went to college in Montana, met a boy who was getting an oil-industry degree. We decided who ever got the better job, that's where the other would go. In 1998, the oil industry was doing well, and it became obvious that our path would be to a place that is oil-centric, namely Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, or Oklahoma City. Will ended up with offers in Houston and Dallas, and we chose Houston. The idea was that we would live here for 5 years and move to Denver. That was in June 1998.... more than 12 years ago. So much for our "5 year plan". Over the years, we thought about just up and moving, but the stars weren't aligning. One of us had too good of a job opportunity in Houston to give up, the market was crappy, house market was too high, too low.
When I took my present job in 2006, our corporate HQ is in Denver. The idea was that I'd prove myself in Houston for 2 years and then try to get a transfer. Fast forward 2 years, and I had great opportunities in Houston with the company, I had a sweet professional network that aligned me on a fast-track career path, and as much as I hated Houston, I couldn't imagine giving up my network, which at the time didn't translate to Denver. In 2010, our company moved from a regional organization to a national organization, which in the back of my head a little voice was saying "hmmm, maybe this will open up new opportunties to the west". Still, everyone WANTS to go to Denver and its very competitive. I just kind of gave up actively persuing Denver. We hate Houston, but we like our friends and our life here. We decided that was enough for us (with kick ass vacations thrown in).
My workload in the past few months have dwindled, some of it was client related, but really, I was beginning to see that my office was not getting the types of projects that I wanted to do. I'm one of those people who like big robust projects that are long term and high profile. I hate scrapping work together week after week, just to stay busy (which has been what I've been doing for most of 2010). In July, we got a new account manager for a project I've been managing for a while. Its listed as one of our top clients to grow and I regularly get calls from BD people, asking how to grow the project. Really, the project has a mind of its own and there's little we can do to expand it. So, when this new account manager (R) called me, I was not very excited, thinking it was another BD person with the same MO as all the others. R was different, she was very understanding of the complexities of the project and wasn't pushy. R is also a staffing manager in the Denver office and said she noticed my name was on the weekly national "light on work call". I confirmed that it was, and she asked me a few questions about my experience. She had a project that needed a PM - but the requirement would be a transfer to Denver. Strangely enough, I have the exact qualifications for the project (client and technology), and when she said Denver, I replied back with "I'm a Native and I have my CO PE." We both agreed that there were too many coincidences for this to all mean nothing. R did some checking on me, to make sure I was a good candidate. She came to Houston in August for BD work and we discussed the opportunity in more detail - left me with a choice of positions: the Denver PM job or stay in Houston and lead our BD effort for a client sector. Incredibly flattering, and I was not expecting 2 offers. After a few sleepless nights, I decided that while the BD offer was VERY flattering, it was still not a sure thing. Moving to Denver for a new project was a sure thing - and it meant moving both to our corporate HQ and moving HOME. Something I wanted to escape from so badly when I was 18, but have trying to figure out how to return there for the past 10 years.
At the end of August, it was determined that I was THE candidate for the job. How does that happen? Everyone wants to move to Denver - why and how did it end up that little old me is the best one for the job? This has been more flattering than words can describe - basically being hand picked for a complicated high profile project. Wow.
And then once I made my committment, it took 1.5 months to get the offer put together. Ugh. That's ok, I've been here 12 years, what's waiting a few more months.
Will's job has been an interesting complication - he started a new job on Sept 1. Fortunately, its with people he's worked with off and on for the past 6 years. Our hope was that they would be ok with Will telecommuting. Will told his boss yesterday, and it went great. His boss basically said that Will could work for them, no matter where he was living. I can't even express how great it is to see our hard work being paid off with such loyalty.
So, we've got out work cut out for us. We're in the process of clearing out our house and making a few small repairs. House will go on the market Oct 29th. We're pricing it aggressively so it will hopefully sell fast.
My official transfer date is Nov 13th, but really, that's an administrative date. Denver said that as long as I get up there in 1-2 months after Nov 13th, then I'm ok. They understand that I have a house and husband to figure out. And if our house doesn't sell by Christmas, I'll go live with my mom (its nice to have that option, but yikes) and Will would hang out here until the house sells. Lets just hope it sells fast.
And then there's also marathon and IMTX training at altitude and in the winter with snow. We'll just see how that goes. Too easy to get overwhelmed right now.
We're very excited but at the same time scared and sad. Houston, as much as I knock it, has been really good to us. We've made great friends and we really like our life here (except for the heat, humidity, and ugliness). However, I really have to belive that Denver is where we belong. Hopefully I'm right. There's only one way to find out.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Race Report - Houston Triathlon
Meant to get this done sooner, but this race was my one day off, smack in the middle of 1.5 weeks of field work and then a quickie weekend trip to MN for a wedding.
This race had three options: full Oly distance tri, 300 m swim then oly distance bike/run, and a duathlon. Lots of choices. I did the fully Oly distance.
I signed up for this race on somewhat of a whim, but also had a few reasons.
So, I signed up and THEN read the course layout. After I signed up. 2 loop swim with a 300 ft run in the middle, 1/4 mile "run" between the swim exit and transition, 2 loop bike course (with up ato 1,000 athletes on it), and a run which included a lap through the football stadium and UP the stadium ramps. Uh, yeah. Why did I sign up again? All this race needed to complete "the crazy" was a mud pit and fire at the finish line.
Pre-Race
This race was relatively close to my house, which was nice. Parking was a bit of a bear (one entrance) but once I got parked, transition was nice. I love it when they pre-assign numbers. Also, the two people on either side of me never showed up, so I had tons of space. I got my gear set up and then checked in on some friends (two of which had never done a duathlon before). Then transition closed and it was off for a long trek to the swim start...
Swim
The swim was in a residential lake and consisted of a 2 loop (700 m loop) swim with a 300 m run btwn loops. The idea was to have this swim be like ITU races. To complicate things, the start was a wave start, so eventually, you'd have waves of people starting and other swimmers starting their second loop - sort of like a crazy merge onto a highway. Or roller derby. I was in the last wave (boo). Made for a crowded first loop but the second loop was a bit better.
This was probably one of the craziest swims I've done in a while, mainly due to the congestion. I seemed to have some girl in my wave magnetically attracted to me. She's be all up in my business, whacking me, and then I'd see her veer off sharply off course. Then a few minutes later, she's whacking me again. I've never been whacked on the back of the head so many times. I really think this chick swim an extra 1/4 of the course with her navigation issues. My pace and effort felt ok, navigation was good. The 300 m run sucked - mainly because you go from being at a horizontal redline to a vertical redline and back to horizontal. Lots of blood flow and stomach shifting. Basically the run sequence made me nauseous, which is never fun. I didn't hit my watch a loop split, so I have no idea which loop was faster. Its a toss up, because I spent most of the second loop navigating around the older men of the previous waves. I had a really good hand-up out of the water (there was a big step to exit) and then it was off, running along the carpeted 1/4 mile road into T1. My achilles had been acting up, so best I could manage was a pathetic jog, which sucked since people I beat out of the water were now beating me to T1. Boo.
T1
Nothing notable. Put bike shoes on, number on, helmet on, grab bike and go. It did seem like the bike mount line was pretty far away from the transition gate, but I was hobbling along, so chances are, it was just me.
Bike
Bike was a pretty straightfoward 2 loop course with long straight stretches of road. Immediately out from T1 I saw 22 mph on my Garmin and thought "sweet - I'm hauling and not dying!" Then I turned the corner and realized that my speed was aided by a tailwind. Nothing like reality to bring you back down. The wind was maybe 15-20 mph (2nd loop stronger than the 1st) and it was pretty much head/tail wind. I much prefer that to crosswind, because with head/tail wind at least you get SOME reward during the tailwind part. Crosswinds are just annoying and wear you down, with little reward. The bike wasn't as crowded as I feared. I caught up with my duathlon friend, he seemed like he was doing ok. When I asked him what loop he was on, he said "2" and I had a few select words, mostly related to being the last wave on the swim. I was destined to be on the course forever. The second loop was a bit windier, but the course was flat so it wasn't awful. My speed in the headwind was ~12-14 mph, while I easily maintained 20-24 on the tailwind. Around mile 15 I could tell that I haven't spent much time in the saddle - especially in my Boise kit. Things were starting to get a bit uncomfortable - nothing awful, just a good reminder of why actually training for a race is a good idea.
T2
Nothing remarkable here. I did actually manage to wait until I was running away from my transition spot before putting my hat on.
Run
I've been regularly running 5 miles for my "short" runs and 11 miles for my long runs. A 10k straight should not be a problem. The first 3 miles were great - it was cloudy and the run course was nice. It was in a residential neighborhood and we went along crushed gravel paths adjacent to houses and lakes - some of the residents were even on their back patios cheering us along. Right around mile 3 the sun came out and *bam* I got hot. And anyone (all 2 of you!) who reads my blog knows that I fall apart when the heat starts. And so I started walking bits and pieces. Not awful, but definitely not great. I went from "hey, I bet I can negative split the run" when it was cloudy to "hmmm, heart rate is up there, lets slow down and have fun". I fully admit to walking the ENTIRE football stadium section. It was just silly. Around the football field, up the spectator ramps, around the seating area, and back down the ramp. Given my shin split / achilles issues lately, I thought running up/down the ramps was a dumb idea and was perfectly happy walking. I did run the final 1.2 miles, so at least I have that. Once I got within a 1/2 mile of the finish, you could see the transition area and you just KNEW you were close. I tried to go faster (sub-9:30 pace) but there just wasn't any gas left. At least I know I finished hard and couldn't have finished any faster than I did.
Results - 1500 m swim, 24.85 mi bike, 6.2 mi run
Swim: 31:04.8; 2:07/100 meter pace (slow for me, not sure what the deal was)
T1: 5:24.8 (gotta love the 1/4 mile run to T1!)
Bike: 1:25.1; 17.5 mph
T2: 1:23
Run: 1:14:59, 12:05/mile pace
Overall: 3:17:59
Rankings
Swim: 8/34, 37/643
Bike: 24/34, 507/643
Run: 29/34, 544/643
Overall: 27/34, 477/643
Closing Thoughts
Overall, the race was actually pretty fun. The swim and the football stadium were annoying, but I understand why the RD set up the race like that. He was trying to do something different and fun. Its just that my version of different and fun are not quite in line with his version. My stretch goal time was 3:15, so I came pretty close to hitting it. I told myself that anything under 3:30 would be fine, and I cam in way faster than that.
I had a good time, and I think with the improvements they'll make next year (this year was the inaugural race), it will be even better.
This race had three options: full Oly distance tri, 300 m swim then oly distance bike/run, and a duathlon. Lots of choices. I did the fully Oly distance.
I signed up for this race on somewhat of a whim, but also had a few reasons.
- I'm still really cranky I didn't get to do the Gateway to the Bay Oly in April, because I had the world's worst stomach virus the night (and morning) before the race. I had an Oly distance as an unoffical goal for 2010, and even though it was supposed to be BEFORE a 70.3, I still wanted to race this distance.
- Several of my friends were doing this race - racing with friends is fun!
- Wasn't sure if this would be my last chance to race in Houston in before IMTX, so I wanted to enter for nostalgia.
So, I signed up and THEN read the course layout. After I signed up. 2 loop swim with a 300 ft run in the middle, 1/4 mile "run" between the swim exit and transition, 2 loop bike course (with up ato 1,000 athletes on it), and a run which included a lap through the football stadium and UP the stadium ramps. Uh, yeah. Why did I sign up again? All this race needed to complete "the crazy" was a mud pit and fire at the finish line.
Pre-Race
This race was relatively close to my house, which was nice. Parking was a bit of a bear (one entrance) but once I got parked, transition was nice. I love it when they pre-assign numbers. Also, the two people on either side of me never showed up, so I had tons of space. I got my gear set up and then checked in on some friends (two of which had never done a duathlon before). Then transition closed and it was off for a long trek to the swim start...
Swim
The swim was in a residential lake and consisted of a 2 loop (700 m loop) swim with a 300 m run btwn loops. The idea was to have this swim be like ITU races. To complicate things, the start was a wave start, so eventually, you'd have waves of people starting and other swimmers starting their second loop - sort of like a crazy merge onto a highway. Or roller derby. I was in the last wave (boo). Made for a crowded first loop but the second loop was a bit better.
This was probably one of the craziest swims I've done in a while, mainly due to the congestion. I seemed to have some girl in my wave magnetically attracted to me. She's be all up in my business, whacking me, and then I'd see her veer off sharply off course. Then a few minutes later, she's whacking me again. I've never been whacked on the back of the head so many times. I really think this chick swim an extra 1/4 of the course with her navigation issues. My pace and effort felt ok, navigation was good. The 300 m run sucked - mainly because you go from being at a horizontal redline to a vertical redline and back to horizontal. Lots of blood flow and stomach shifting. Basically the run sequence made me nauseous, which is never fun. I didn't hit my watch a loop split, so I have no idea which loop was faster. Its a toss up, because I spent most of the second loop navigating around the older men of the previous waves. I had a really good hand-up out of the water (there was a big step to exit) and then it was off, running along the carpeted 1/4 mile road into T1. My achilles had been acting up, so best I could manage was a pathetic jog, which sucked since people I beat out of the water were now beating me to T1. Boo.
T1
Nothing notable. Put bike shoes on, number on, helmet on, grab bike and go. It did seem like the bike mount line was pretty far away from the transition gate, but I was hobbling along, so chances are, it was just me.
Bike
Bike was a pretty straightfoward 2 loop course with long straight stretches of road. Immediately out from T1 I saw 22 mph on my Garmin and thought "sweet - I'm hauling and not dying!" Then I turned the corner and realized that my speed was aided by a tailwind. Nothing like reality to bring you back down. The wind was maybe 15-20 mph (2nd loop stronger than the 1st) and it was pretty much head/tail wind. I much prefer that to crosswind, because with head/tail wind at least you get SOME reward during the tailwind part. Crosswinds are just annoying and wear you down, with little reward. The bike wasn't as crowded as I feared. I caught up with my duathlon friend, he seemed like he was doing ok. When I asked him what loop he was on, he said "2" and I had a few select words, mostly related to being the last wave on the swim. I was destined to be on the course forever. The second loop was a bit windier, but the course was flat so it wasn't awful. My speed in the headwind was ~12-14 mph, while I easily maintained 20-24 on the tailwind. Around mile 15 I could tell that I haven't spent much time in the saddle - especially in my Boise kit. Things were starting to get a bit uncomfortable - nothing awful, just a good reminder of why actually training for a race is a good idea.
T2
Nothing remarkable here. I did actually manage to wait until I was running away from my transition spot before putting my hat on.
Run
I've been regularly running 5 miles for my "short" runs and 11 miles for my long runs. A 10k straight should not be a problem. The first 3 miles were great - it was cloudy and the run course was nice. It was in a residential neighborhood and we went along crushed gravel paths adjacent to houses and lakes - some of the residents were even on their back patios cheering us along. Right around mile 3 the sun came out and *bam* I got hot. And anyone (all 2 of you!) who reads my blog knows that I fall apart when the heat starts. And so I started walking bits and pieces. Not awful, but definitely not great. I went from "hey, I bet I can negative split the run" when it was cloudy to "hmmm, heart rate is up there, lets slow down and have fun". I fully admit to walking the ENTIRE football stadium section. It was just silly. Around the football field, up the spectator ramps, around the seating area, and back down the ramp. Given my shin split / achilles issues lately, I thought running up/down the ramps was a dumb idea and was perfectly happy walking. I did run the final 1.2 miles, so at least I have that. Once I got within a 1/2 mile of the finish, you could see the transition area and you just KNEW you were close. I tried to go faster (sub-9:30 pace) but there just wasn't any gas left. At least I know I finished hard and couldn't have finished any faster than I did.
Results - 1500 m swim, 24.85 mi bike, 6.2 mi run
Swim: 31:04.8; 2:07/100 meter pace (slow for me, not sure what the deal was)
T1: 5:24.8 (gotta love the 1/4 mile run to T1!)
Bike: 1:25.1; 17.5 mph
T2: 1:23
Run: 1:14:59, 12:05/mile pace
Overall: 3:17:59
Rankings
Swim: 8/34, 37/643
Bike: 24/34, 507/643
Run: 29/34, 544/643
Overall: 27/34, 477/643
Closing Thoughts
Overall, the race was actually pretty fun. The swim and the football stadium were annoying, but I understand why the RD set up the race like that. He was trying to do something different and fun. Its just that my version of different and fun are not quite in line with his version. My stretch goal time was 3:15, so I came pretty close to hitting it. I told myself that anything under 3:30 would be fine, and I cam in way faster than that.
I had a good time, and I think with the improvements they'll make next year (this year was the inaugural race), it will be even better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)