There's a joke in my household. I don't do anything half-assed. Its either no ass or full ass.
For the past three years, I have managed to be sick on my birthday, which is pretty crappy. It wasn't so bad, I only felt a tiny bit awful, and my Saturday I was feeling much better. Even well enough for a day of skiing. Then I somehow rebounded - or caught whatever Will had. And this next round has taken a hold on me. Sinus pain so bad I had trouble seeing, a coughing fit (coupled with a ride to Palmer Lake in the snow) that should have probably sent me to the hospital. And the fatigue. Holy crap am I tired.
I finally went to an Urgent Care clinic on Tuesday. Diagnosis was a sinus infection. I got a lecture about not coming in earlier and a prescription for augmentin, 875 mg twice a day for 10 days. I've had 3 full days of antibiotics and feel slightly better. Only slightly.
Crapola.
I'm 6 weeks away from the hardest 70.3 I've attempted and I have barely done any workouts. Just 2:20 easy on the bike trainer. Mainly because of the fatigue.
Hopefully I will really start to feel better this weekend and by next week I'm ready to roll. It has been a long time since I've been this sick and I'm wondering what sort of bad karmic mojo I put out into the universe to deserve this.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thursday, March 07, 2013
New Bike - progress
My new bike is hopefully in production. I thought it would be fun to share the process of getting a completely hand-made custom bike. This is probably the only time I get to do such a thing and I'm really enjoying the process.
Fit: As you can see from the before-after photo, I am much more forward (steeper down tube angle).
Geometry: This is the schematic of what my bike will look like. I have no idea what the numbers mean, but I feel confident that this bike will be a perfect fit.
I got to pick out my paint colors and design. I asked them what my limits were. They replied "its custom, you can do whatever you want!". Translation "we'll do whatever you want - it will just cost you!" I had some general colors and layouts in mind, so I made an appointment to meet with Pete (Alchemy's graphics and social media guru) to design my paint scheme.
The carbon work they do is all by hand and it is amazing. They hand-wrap all the joints. The result is this very funky, geometric pattern which looks like art but is actually functional:
The carbon work is really unique and really speaks to how special the frame is. The guys at the shop basically begged me to keep the carbon work exposed. I agree, it would be a shame to cover it up, especially since that's the thing I gravitate to when I look at one of their bikes.
I spent a week thinking on the colors. I liked how bright Buzz was and with his yellow paint and bar wrap I always knew, without question, which bike was mine in transition. I wanted something similar, but with colors that are more "me". I didn't want to pick anything too trendy, but I probably did. That pretty and intense dark fuscia / bright purple has been a color obsession of mine for the past year or so. I love that color. Its trendy right now. But it speaks to me. And I'm adding some bright green (more spring green than neon green) accents, to make the bike pop. I'm guessing that my cables and bar wrap will also be green. And I may get some purple metal accents.
Pete and I sat down for nearly 2 hours and went through the process of selecting the graphics, building color blocks, adding logos, and placing pinstripes.
The "free" graphic option consisted of base carbon and vinyl logo stickers. For a $4500 frame, the base option is freaking stickers? That made me a bit cranky. Looks like this build was going to increase in price. We settled on the design and I asked to get a cost estimate, just to make sure I didn't go too crazy. Turns out, my paint job is one step shy of full custom - its a Level 3 paint effort, mainly because of the work that the green color block/purple Alchemy logo will need. It turns out that if I did one color, it would only be $300 cheaper. I'm already way deep into this bike, in terms of money and budget, but I also know that I'd be crabby if I didn't go ahead and spend the extra $300 (not even 5% of this bike) to get a graphic that really pops.
So, this will be my bike: purple and green, with exposed carbon, and clear pearl top coat.
I can't wait to ride it.
Fit: As you can see from the before-after photo, I am much more forward (steeper down tube angle).
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| not to self: do not wear a fully zippered jersey or it will buckle and make you look like you have rolls.... ugh |
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| it would be nice if my name was spelled correctly.... |
The carbon work they do is all by hand and it is amazing. They hand-wrap all the joints. The result is this very funky, geometric pattern which looks like art but is actually functional:
 |
| close up of some carbon work |
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| Alchemy and Shama Cycle build which won Best in Carbon at NAHBS 2 weeks ago. this is all carbon - no paint |
I spent a week thinking on the colors. I liked how bright Buzz was and with his yellow paint and bar wrap I always knew, without question, which bike was mine in transition. I wanted something similar, but with colors that are more "me". I didn't want to pick anything too trendy, but I probably did. That pretty and intense dark fuscia / bright purple has been a color obsession of mine for the past year or so. I love that color. Its trendy right now. But it speaks to me. And I'm adding some bright green (more spring green than neon green) accents, to make the bike pop. I'm guessing that my cables and bar wrap will also be green. And I may get some purple metal accents.
Pete and I sat down for nearly 2 hours and went through the process of selecting the graphics, building color blocks, adding logos, and placing pinstripes.
The "free" graphic option consisted of base carbon and vinyl logo stickers. For a $4500 frame, the base option is freaking stickers? That made me a bit cranky. Looks like this build was going to increase in price. We settled on the design and I asked to get a cost estimate, just to make sure I didn't go too crazy. Turns out, my paint job is one step shy of full custom - its a Level 3 paint effort, mainly because of the work that the green color block/purple Alchemy logo will need. It turns out that if I did one color, it would only be $300 cheaper. I'm already way deep into this bike, in terms of money and budget, but I also know that I'd be crabby if I didn't go ahead and spend the extra $300 (not even 5% of this bike) to get a graphic that really pops.
So, this will be my bike: purple and green, with exposed carbon, and clear pearl top coat.
Friday, March 01, 2013
February 2013 - Training Totals
Holy crap, it's March already? Wow. February just flew right on by.
Weirdly, this month wasn't as big as I thought it would be. Granted, I was in Phoenix for a week, trapped in day-long meetings and after work dinners, which meant I could only work out in the morning before work. And I did ski two weekends. Funny how that made my monthly totals look low. The weeks where I was in town and not skiing were pretty solid, though. I'm doing 11-13 hrs or workouts a week right now. And things feel pretty good.
So, I nearly doubled my time on the bike, although I've been doing a bunch of slow-ish aerobic long rides so my pace was a bit slower this month. Running is down by 4 hrs, but that's essentially the 2 weekends I was skiing. THREE days of glorious skiing. It was worth it. And shoveling on Sunday. Three rounds, combined with a 2.5 hr ride and a 30 min run did not make me a happy camper. I was happy to have the next day off, as a recovery day. Swim was way down. I swam less this month, but I'm not really sure why. January was a bit of freakishly high swim volume though. I think Feb is a bit more representative.
So far, so good. I'm excited to see what March brings.
Weirdly, this month wasn't as big as I thought it would be. Granted, I was in Phoenix for a week, trapped in day-long meetings and after work dinners, which meant I could only work out in the morning before work. And I did ski two weekends. Funny how that made my monthly totals look low. The weeks where I was in town and not skiing were pretty solid, though. I'm doing 11-13 hrs or workouts a week right now. And things feel pretty good.
| February's totals: | ||
| Bike: | 16h 11m - 195.43 Mi (so more like 231.9 miles if you include spin class) | |
| Run: | 10h 44m 59s - 53.28 Mi | |
| Swim: | 9h 05m - 25419.07 Yd | |
| Skiing: | 13h 00m | |
| Snow Shoveling: | 1h 35m | |
| Spinning Class: | 2h 55m | |
| January's totals: | ||
| Bike: | 9h 44m - 127.58 Mi (should be more like 149.5 miles if you include my spin class) | |
| Run: | 15h 06m 59s - 71.75 Mi | |
| Swim: | 14h 15m - 40737.1 Yd | |
| Strength: | 1h 00m | |
| Skiing: | 6h 00m | |
| Spinning Class: | 1h 45m | |
So, I nearly doubled my time on the bike, although I've been doing a bunch of slow-ish aerobic long rides so my pace was a bit slower this month. Running is down by 4 hrs, but that's essentially the 2 weekends I was skiing. THREE days of glorious skiing. It was worth it. And shoveling on Sunday. Three rounds, combined with a 2.5 hr ride and a 30 min run did not make me a happy camper. I was happy to have the next day off, as a recovery day. Swim was way down. I swam less this month, but I'm not really sure why. January was a bit of freakishly high swim volume though. I think Feb is a bit more representative.
So far, so good. I'm excited to see what March brings.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Blizzard training
Yesterday was one of those days where it really tests your mental toughness.
I had a 2.5 hr easy bike (in the comfort of my basement), followed by a 30 min run.
No big deal. Except for the fact that it was near white out conditions and ~6-8 inches of snow had fallen.
*sigh*
Time to put on the snow gear, dig out the yak trax and hit the door. Suck it up, Buttercup because Ironman isn't for wimps.
I wore too much stuff, but I decided it was better to be warm. And my ski jacket is highly visible and I had a feeling there'd be snow plows out. My ski goggles were awesome for keeping the snow out.
Also: I realized that my running shoes match my ski jacket. Sweet!
Running with Yak Trax is always a bit weird. Your feet almost feel bouncy. I was glad I had them, though, as there was ice hidden under the snow. My HR monitor was acting up, probably because I wasn't sweaty enough. I didn't bring any water to drink and I surely wasn't going to stuff a fistful of snow down my shirt to get the thing to work. So I just listened to the thing beeping at me, thinking I was at ~170 bpm.
Once I got used to the feeling like I was running on Hoth, I had a fun time. I was hoping to keep to flat roads (there are none in my neighborhood) so I ran down to the trailhead. It was plowed earlier and I ran about 10 steps and realized the snow was too deep and the footing was uneven, so I turned around. When I turned around I was greeted by two deer (does) hanging out. I love my neighborhood.
So up the hill I went, exploring roads that I haven't been on. I enjoyed waving at the cars, full of people with the heaters likely on full blast. I saw two snowplows and was thankful for my crazy bright jacket. I was actually roasting by the end and removed both gloves and unzipped my jacket most of the way. All my vents were open on my ski pants and jacket too. Pretty ironic, roasting during a run in a blizzard.
I had a 2.5 hr easy bike (in the comfort of my basement), followed by a 30 min run.
No big deal. Except for the fact that it was near white out conditions and ~6-8 inches of snow had fallen.
*sigh*
Time to put on the snow gear, dig out the yak trax and hit the door. Suck it up, Buttercup because Ironman isn't for wimps.
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| normally you'd be seeing my neighbor's house and the street behind me. |
Also: I realized that my running shoes match my ski jacket. Sweet!
Running with Yak Trax is always a bit weird. Your feet almost feel bouncy. I was glad I had them, though, as there was ice hidden under the snow. My HR monitor was acting up, probably because I wasn't sweaty enough. I didn't bring any water to drink and I surely wasn't going to stuff a fistful of snow down my shirt to get the thing to work. So I just listened to the thing beeping at me, thinking I was at ~170 bpm.
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| typical running conditions |
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| action shot |
This was one of the funnest runs I've done in a while. It was really hard to motivate myself into going outside, from the warmth of my home. But once I got out there, I enjoyed the quiet and the falling snow, and the overall feeling of badassery.
Colorado is awesome, no matter what season.
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| post run awesomness |
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| pretty sure Brooks didn't have this in mind when they designed the PureFlow2 shoe! |
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Snowman Stampede 10 Miler Race Report
This was the third and final installment of the local Winter Distance Series. I signed up for the long series (10k, 10 mi, 10 mi) hoping that it would keep me motivated to run. I think it did. I had fun at the races (it helps the weather was amazing each time) and I saw improvement with each race. I didn't set any PRs, but I didn't expect to, being so close after a major injury. It was nice to be on the same course each time, as that made comparing races really easy. I would definitely sign up for the series in the future.
That being said, we were really lucky that it wasn't freezing out or snowing. I wore shorts and a tank top for the final race and now I have tan lines. Sweet!
Pre-Race
I did better this time, getting there a tiny bit early. I had my usual 100 calories of First Endurance Liquid Shot with some of their Pre-Race mixed in. I did a 10 min warmup. It should have been more like 15-20, but hey, its better than the 5 min I did the month prior!
Race Strategy
Last month's 10 miler was a bit of a disaster. I was controlled through the first 5 miles but then I ran too fast after the turn around, partially because I felt good and partially to catch up with my friends. I then wanted to die after 7.5 miles and found myself in negotiations with myself to complete the race. Not awesome. I also carried a small container of Liquid Shot with me and took big gulps of it at mile 5 and 7.5. I don't know if this contributed to my poor performance and my stomach also wasn't thrilled with being hit with a surge of calories all at once. Also: it was a pain to carry my hand-held water bottle AND the LS flask.
This time I wanted to start out conservatively to mile 5, then s-l-o-w-l-y increase pace. I also mixed ~300 calories into my hand-held with water for more consistent but diluted calorie intake.
Race
Not a ton to report. I'm glad I wore a tank top and shorts. I warmed up with sleeves on as well and ditched those before the race started. Good call, because it was pretty warm out.
I was very conservative, keeping my HR down around 155 bpm for the first 5 miles. I was shooting for an 11:00 pace but I was actually a bit faster. I stayed on plan and increased my HR to ~160 for miles 6 - 7, 165 to mile 8 - 9, and than ran as hard as I could for the final mile.
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The result: I finished strong and didn't die. There was no negotiating with myself. I finished nearly 3 min faster than the previous race, at a pace 16 seconds/mile faster. And I felt like it was a good, solid effort and I left it out there during that last mile.
Success!
That being said, we were really lucky that it wasn't freezing out or snowing. I wore shorts and a tank top for the final race and now I have tan lines. Sweet!
Pre-Race
I did better this time, getting there a tiny bit early. I had my usual 100 calories of First Endurance Liquid Shot with some of their Pre-Race mixed in. I did a 10 min warmup. It should have been more like 15-20, but hey, its better than the 5 min I did the month prior!
Race Strategy
Last month's 10 miler was a bit of a disaster. I was controlled through the first 5 miles but then I ran too fast after the turn around, partially because I felt good and partially to catch up with my friends. I then wanted to die after 7.5 miles and found myself in negotiations with myself to complete the race. Not awesome. I also carried a small container of Liquid Shot with me and took big gulps of it at mile 5 and 7.5. I don't know if this contributed to my poor performance and my stomach also wasn't thrilled with being hit with a surge of calories all at once. Also: it was a pain to carry my hand-held water bottle AND the LS flask.
This time I wanted to start out conservatively to mile 5, then s-l-o-w-l-y increase pace. I also mixed ~300 calories into my hand-held with water for more consistent but diluted calorie intake.
Race
Not a ton to report. I'm glad I wore a tank top and shorts. I warmed up with sleeves on as well and ditched those before the race started. Good call, because it was pretty warm out.
I was very conservative, keeping my HR down around 155 bpm for the first 5 miles. I was shooting for an 11:00 pace but I was actually a bit faster. I stayed on plan and increased my HR to ~160 for miles 6 - 7, 165 to mile 8 - 9, and than ran as hard as I could for the final mile.
.jpg)
Success!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Tuesday morning run in Tempe
I was in Phoenix last week for work. I was trapped in meetings all week - seriously, 3.5 days of SOLID meetings. I got worked. That meant I had to get my workouts done at o'dark-thirty, before the meetings started.
Tuesday was my usual interval run:
Legs ended up feeling awesome and I managed to run a full minute FASTER than normal. Thank you lower elevation.
Tuesday was my usual interval run:
Intervals
Warm-up 5 minute walk then 10 minute easy jog.
3x15min (5 min. easy jog (HR less than 140), 5 min hard run (HR btwn 150 and 160), and 5 min medium run (HR less than 150). Plus an additonal 5 min with a HR less than 140.
Cool down at least 5 minutesI slept poorly and was a bit nauseous when I woke up, which is weird, because that never happens. I sucked it up and headed out. I decided to run along the IMAZ course at Tempe Town Lake. It was 5 min from my hotel, flat, and well lit. My legs didn't feel all that great going into it, but I was having fun running on new terrain, taking in new sights.
Legs ended up feeling awesome and I managed to run a full minute FASTER than normal. Thank you lower elevation.
The bridges were lit up and the sun was starting to rise, so I snapped a few photos. I miss running in the mornings. This run was definitely a special one.
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| Mill St Bridge looking west, all lit up |
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| magic |
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| pedestrian bridge with fabric awnings and blue lights |
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| sun rising over Tempe Town Lake, looking east towards the Mill St Bridge |
Friday, February 08, 2013
Because I'm a data nerd
IMTX and IMCDA don't exactly have the same training calendar - CDA is a month after TX. Still, I was curious to see how my January 2013 stacked up against my January 2011. I also love spreadsheets, so behold:
Anyhow......
Swim: I am kicking booty. Not only have I swam WAY more in Jan 2013, but I am swimming nearly 200 yards faster per hour. I was with a masters team both months (and swam solo a few times both months). Maybe the fact that I'm in a meters pool now is contributing? I dunno.
Bike: Jan 2011 was partially on a spin bike (I conservatively estimated 12.5 mph for those 8 hrs) and on the road. Jan 2013 had one road ride and the rest were trainer rides. While in 2013, I am short by nearly 100 miles in distance, my pace is dead even from 2011. Considering that in 2011, 55% of my time was spent riding outside, which is typically faster, I'm pretty dang happy with a dead even pace difference. I'm curious to see how my pace does once I'm on the road more. Also, I lost 2 potential bike days because I was skiing, so I may have had another 4-5 hrs and 50-60 miles.
Run: I ran nearly 13 more miles in 2013 than 2011. Cool! My pace is 0.2 miles/hour slower this year, but considering how many recovery runs and MAF runs I have with heart rate limits and ~12:30 paces, I'm actually suprised I'm slower by such a small amount. I think my tempo intervals and my 10 mile race speeds are faster than 2011, which is helping to even things out a bit.
Summary:
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| Ok, this doesn't look super great, mainly because while my excel skills are awesome, my HTML skills are the opposite of awesome. |
Swim: I am kicking booty. Not only have I swam WAY more in Jan 2013, but I am swimming nearly 200 yards faster per hour. I was with a masters team both months (and swam solo a few times both months). Maybe the fact that I'm in a meters pool now is contributing? I dunno.
Bike: Jan 2011 was partially on a spin bike (I conservatively estimated 12.5 mph for those 8 hrs) and on the road. Jan 2013 had one road ride and the rest were trainer rides. While in 2013, I am short by nearly 100 miles in distance, my pace is dead even from 2011. Considering that in 2011, 55% of my time was spent riding outside, which is typically faster, I'm pretty dang happy with a dead even pace difference. I'm curious to see how my pace does once I'm on the road more. Also, I lost 2 potential bike days because I was skiing, so I may have had another 4-5 hrs and 50-60 miles.
Run: I ran nearly 13 more miles in 2013 than 2011. Cool! My pace is 0.2 miles/hour slower this year, but considering how many recovery runs and MAF runs I have with heart rate limits and ~12:30 paces, I'm actually suprised I'm slower by such a small amount. I think my tempo intervals and my 10 mile race speeds are faster than 2011, which is helping to even things out a bit.
Summary:
- Swam 60% more distance at a faster pace. Cool.
- Rode 40% less but at an equivalent pace, despite all of 2013's miles were on a trainer. I'm ok with that. A bit afraid of March when the bike starts to ramp up, but we'll just have to deal with that when it happens!
- Ran 20% more but at an overall slower pace (36 seconds per mile slower). But considering that the majority of my runs are MAF runs or recovery runs with HR limits of ~140, which have substantially slower paces, I'm ok with only being a hair slower than 2011. Especially when I ran significantly more miles!
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Buzz
I've owned Buzz since January 2009, when I walked into my local bike shop and officially began my journey as a triathlete. Buzz was the first non-knobby tired bike I had owned, since my 15 speed I had as a kid. I still remember the day I got him. I tried out several other bikes but he was - luckily - the one that fit the best. And he was on clearance. And obnoxiously yellow.
I loved him right away.
It was a bit scary riding him at first, being a TT bike, he was a bit wobbly. As I got used to riding aero more, we had grand adventures. Click on the bike tag linky thing, our adventures are well documented. We've ridden fast on the flats, nearly been blown away by the spring winds on Galveston Island, raced a ton of races, had miles and miles of solo adventures, and became an Ironman together. When we reached mile 100 of the bike on IMTX, I got misty-eyed, patted him on the aero bar, and was so proud of us and what we had accomplished together. I told him he was a great bike that day.
I loved that bike.
And now I'm a traitor.
Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew I was having a hard time climbing. During group rides, people with similar bikes and crank set-ups were blowing past me. I was dying on the hills. Dying. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to get better. Last summer, my solution was to buy a road bike with a triple crank, and figure out how to ride hills that way. Hills which used to kill me were manageable on the road bike.
Then I signed up for IMCDA. My coach promised me that I'd be riding my TT bike for the race. A race with huge hills, that traditionally, have killed me. Hmm. I was scared.
A few weeks ago, I noticed on facebook that a custom bike builder from Houston was opening a shop here in Denver. His bikes are amazing. I'd previously said that it was a good thing I moved away from Houston when I did, or I'd own a Shama bike. Fast forward 2 years, I have HUGE cycling goals, and I gave him a call. He has a system where he can adjust a bike-like piece of equipment, while sensors monitor your movement, cadence, speed, and power. Essentially, they develop a bike geometry that specifically optimizes your power output.
As soon as I talked to Phil, I knew that Buzz was not going to like where we were headed. Traitor - big time. Oof.
It came down to this: I work hard - really hard - at cycling, and I thought I owed it to myself to know for certain if my challenges with hills was due to my bike not being right for me, or if it was due to operator error. I did not want to be struggling this year with that as a question in my head. Self doubt, in Ironman, is killer. If it turned out that Buzz was good and I needed to work, cool. If not, well, then I'm a traitor.
I did my evaluation last night. Phil set me and Buzz up on a computrainer and had me ride along at a set power output. He took some recordings and looked at me for a bit. Then I hopped off and he moved my stem around at a steeper angle. Hopped back on, and pedalling was SO much easier. Crazy easy. Only the power hadn't changed. Free power, simply by switching my saddle around. I've had 3 different bike fits and no one has done this. Ugh. We kept tinkering around, optimizing my fit on Buzz. Then it came time to go on the fitting machine (Retul) and "see what a good fit feels like." At this point, I knew I was doomed.
We got the Retul set up and I started riding. Phil would make micro adjustments and I'd spin faster at the same power level. He made some minor adjustment and *bam* I was spinning at over 100 rpm - and the power level hadn't changed. They saw my legs kick in and commented "she found her sweet spot".
Traitor.
I'm getting a custom carbon Alchemy TT frame and a custom build by Phil of Shama Cycles. To pay for part of this new toy, I have to sell Buzz.
Big time traitor.
I am also big time conflicted. I am deeply, deeply attached to this bike. How can I not be attached? I've ridden him for 6,000 miles. 460 hours. I've had him for 4 years and have ridden him in 3 states. We've reached some huge milestones together. And I'm selling him.
Part of me is excited, though. I get a bike made for ME. I get to choose the colors and graphics. This bike should help me climb and soar and reach my mountainous goals.
If you love it, set it free? I think that's what I'm doing here. Hopefully he will go to someone who loves him as much as I did. I will also probably cry a bit when I do give him up.
I loved him right away.
It was a bit scary riding him at first, being a TT bike, he was a bit wobbly. As I got used to riding aero more, we had grand adventures. Click on the bike tag linky thing, our adventures are well documented. We've ridden fast on the flats, nearly been blown away by the spring winds on Galveston Island, raced a ton of races, had miles and miles of solo adventures, and became an Ironman together. When we reached mile 100 of the bike on IMTX, I got misty-eyed, patted him on the aero bar, and was so proud of us and what we had accomplished together. I told him he was a great bike that day.
I loved that bike.
 |
| IMTX - a great ride |
Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew I was having a hard time climbing. During group rides, people with similar bikes and crank set-ups were blowing past me. I was dying on the hills. Dying. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to get better. Last summer, my solution was to buy a road bike with a triple crank, and figure out how to ride hills that way. Hills which used to kill me were manageable on the road bike.
Then I signed up for IMCDA. My coach promised me that I'd be riding my TT bike for the race. A race with huge hills, that traditionally, have killed me. Hmm. I was scared.
A few weeks ago, I noticed on facebook that a custom bike builder from Houston was opening a shop here in Denver. His bikes are amazing. I'd previously said that it was a good thing I moved away from Houston when I did, or I'd own a Shama bike. Fast forward 2 years, I have HUGE cycling goals, and I gave him a call. He has a system where he can adjust a bike-like piece of equipment, while sensors monitor your movement, cadence, speed, and power. Essentially, they develop a bike geometry that specifically optimizes your power output.
As soon as I talked to Phil, I knew that Buzz was not going to like where we were headed. Traitor - big time. Oof.
It came down to this: I work hard - really hard - at cycling, and I thought I owed it to myself to know for certain if my challenges with hills was due to my bike not being right for me, or if it was due to operator error. I did not want to be struggling this year with that as a question in my head. Self doubt, in Ironman, is killer. If it turned out that Buzz was good and I needed to work, cool. If not, well, then I'm a traitor.
I did my evaluation last night. Phil set me and Buzz up on a computrainer and had me ride along at a set power output. He took some recordings and looked at me for a bit. Then I hopped off and he moved my stem around at a steeper angle. Hopped back on, and pedalling was SO much easier. Crazy easy. Only the power hadn't changed. Free power, simply by switching my saddle around. I've had 3 different bike fits and no one has done this. Ugh. We kept tinkering around, optimizing my fit on Buzz. Then it came time to go on the fitting machine (Retul) and "see what a good fit feels like." At this point, I knew I was doomed.
We got the Retul set up and I started riding. Phil would make micro adjustments and I'd spin faster at the same power level. He made some minor adjustment and *bam* I was spinning at over 100 rpm - and the power level hadn't changed. They saw my legs kick in and commented "she found her sweet spot".
Traitor.
I'm getting a custom carbon Alchemy TT frame and a custom build by Phil of Shama Cycles. To pay for part of this new toy, I have to sell Buzz.
Big time traitor.
I am also big time conflicted. I am deeply, deeply attached to this bike. How can I not be attached? I've ridden him for 6,000 miles. 460 hours. I've had him for 4 years and have ridden him in 3 states. We've reached some huge milestones together. And I'm selling him.
Part of me is excited, though. I get a bike made for ME. I get to choose the colors and graphics. This bike should help me climb and soar and reach my mountainous goals.
If you love it, set it free? I think that's what I'm doing here. Hopefully he will go to someone who loves him as much as I did. I will also probably cry a bit when I do give him up.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
January 2013 - Training Totals
Ironman CDA training has started in earnest - well at least the base training has. That means its time to start tracking my training!
by comparison:
So, January saw less skiing (boo) and more swim/bike/run. A boat-load of swimming. A pretty heathly increase in running (nearly 25 more miles in Jan), and a steady increase on the bike.
I think my fitness is really coming along. I had a 2.5 hour aerobic ride on the trainer Saturday morning, before we left for Steamboat. I was dreading having dead legs on Sunday for skiing, but I was pleasantly suprised. My legs were super fresh and I skied from 9:30 to 3:30 and felt great all day. Pretty cool!
Pretty soon, however, I'll be logging 150 miles on the bike per WEEK, not per month. I know its coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to process.
| January's totals: | ||
| Bike: | 9h 44m - 127.58 Mi (should be more like 149.5 miles if you include my spin class) | |
| Run: | 15h 06m 59s - 71.75 Mi | |
| Swim: | 14h 15m - 40737.1 Yd | |
| Strength: | 1h 00m | |
| Skiing: | 6h 00m | |
| Spinning Class: | 1h 45m | |
by comparison:
| December's totals: | ||
| Bike: | 9h 5m - 115.43 Mi | |
| Run: | 10h 05m - 48.53 Mi | |
| Swim: | 9h 10m - 24901 Yd | |
| Skiing: | 21h 00m | |
So, January saw less skiing (boo) and more swim/bike/run. A boat-load of swimming. A pretty heathly increase in running (nearly 25 more miles in Jan), and a steady increase on the bike.
I think my fitness is really coming along. I had a 2.5 hour aerobic ride on the trainer Saturday morning, before we left for Steamboat. I was dreading having dead legs on Sunday for skiing, but I was pleasantly suprised. My legs were super fresh and I skied from 9:30 to 3:30 and felt great all day. Pretty cool!
Pretty soon, however, I'll be logging 150 miles on the bike per WEEK, not per month. I know its coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to process.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
What I've been running in lately
I is (was?) a diehard Newtons fan. Love(ed?) those things. I've also run in Brooks before (Adrenalines in 2011) but got shin splints (not sure if it was shoe related) and went back to my Newts. Back in December, I was at a club event at my local running store and gravitated to the hot pink shoes. I tried on some Altras (zero drop, very minimal) but ultimately ended up with the Brooks PureFlow2s. They have a 4mm heel drop, are crazy light, and are SUPER cushy.
I got these with the intent of wearing these occasionally, something just for fun runs. What suprises me is that these are the shoes I grab every single time I head out to run. They're really comfy and my feet and legs seem to like them. As a bonus, they're $100 and I can usually get them at a 20% discount from my local running store.
Jury is out on durability or how they respond on long runs. My feet started to hurt around mile 8 of my 10 mile race last Saturday, but that could be attributed to not running that far. Every other run in these has been great.
 |
| Did I mention these were bright pink? |
Jury is out on durability or how they respond on long runs. My feet started to hurt around mile 8 of my 10 mile race last Saturday, but that could be attributed to not running that far. Every other run in these has been great.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Frosty's Frozen 5 and 10 Race Report
aka skiing doesn't magically give you endurance miles.
You think I'd have learned this lesson already. Apparently not.
I did the 10 mile "race" on Saturday, the second of three races in the local winter distance running series. The previous race was a 10k. I'm also doing the 10 mile next month. The good thing about this series is that it is essentially the same course each month. I expect that next month's 10 mile course is identical to Saturday's, which will be a good comparison and hopefully I'll see some improvement.
Race instructions from my coach:
The race was at 10:30, so I planned to show up at 10 AM. I was not expecting to spend 10-bazillion years in line for the bathroom, so my 20 minute warmup was cut down to 5. But it was a QUALITY 5 minutes. There were maybe 500 people running the 10 miler, so finding my club friends wasn't hard.
It was sunny and the noon temperature was forecast to be 50 degrees. It was 30-something when I left the house, so I left wearing black capris, my navy club long-sleeved shirt, and my SunRype tank top.
Immediately after starting to run, I was roasting. I was hanging with two of my friends, using a very loose definition of "150-ish" for my heart rate. In all honesty, it was more like 158, but I felt good. Finally at the first aid station (around 2.5 miles) I had to strip. With my shirt layering (tank over long-sleeve), I basically had to strip everything off. Hat, nutrition, race belt, garmin, tank top, THEN my long sleeve. Then I got to put everything (minus the long-sleeve, which got tied around my waist) back on. During all of that, I lost my friends.
I kept on running according to plan, keeping things light and easy. I found some people to run with and hung with them until the turnaround, which was somewhere after mile 5. At that point, I saw my friends ahead of me, and my legs decided to go. I kept telling them to slow down but they didn't listen. I found my friends around mile 6.5 and just zoomed right on past them. Heart rate was at 168. Definitely not a gradual build to 170 at the finish. *sigh*. I was breathing ok and feeling ok, so I just kept going. Until around mile 7 where things weren't so good. They weren't bad, but they weren't good either.
See, the issue with this race was that my longest training run was the week prior, which was a 7.3 mile MAF (slow effort), which included 5 min of walking at the start and finish of the run. Not continuous semi-hard running. I should have had longer runs but I decided to ski for two consecutive weekends in a row. So the fact that I made it 7 miles feeling good with continuous running was pretty good. And it wasn't suprising that I started having to negotiate with myself after that. I decided to walk the next aid station, which was somehwere around 7.5 or 7.75 miles. Which I did. And I think a race photographer snapped a very flattering photo of me at the aid station. awesome!
After that point, the run became a series of negotations. I ended up with running 0.5 miles and walking 0.1 miles. So about 5 min run / 1 min walk. Which was manageable. I ended up sucking it up for the last 3/4 mile or so and ran that straight, except for walking up the little evil hill as you return to the race venue. I tried to pick up the pace a bit more as I was nearing the long end of my race goal, but it just wouldn't happen.
In all honesty, I just didn't feel like hurting for this one. I could have pushed it, but I didn't see the point. This was a practice run and I just didn't feel like laying it all out there. Next month I may have a different opinion.
I finished with a time of 1:50:03. If I remove my strip-break from my total time, that puts me around a 1:48:30. All things considered, not too shabby.
We'll see what next month brings.
You think I'd have learned this lesson already. Apparently not.
I did the 10 mile "race" on Saturday, the second of three races in the local winter distance running series. The previous race was a 10k. I'm also doing the 10 mile next month. The good thing about this series is that it is essentially the same course each month. I expect that next month's 10 mile course is identical to Saturday's, which will be a good comparison and hopefully I'll see some improvement.
Race instructions from my coach:
- take in ~100 cals about 30 min prior to race
- do a 20 min warmup. A "warning shot", telling my body to be ready to race.
- Take the first 5 miles easy, with a HR of 150-ish
- Gradually increase the HR every mile, ending up around 170 or so. Pace may not actually increase but effort will.
- Take another 100 calories around 45 min and again around 1:30
The race was at 10:30, so I planned to show up at 10 AM. I was not expecting to spend 10-bazillion years in line for the bathroom, so my 20 minute warmup was cut down to 5. But it was a QUALITY 5 minutes. There were maybe 500 people running the 10 miler, so finding my club friends wasn't hard.
It was sunny and the noon temperature was forecast to be 50 degrees. It was 30-something when I left the house, so I left wearing black capris, my navy club long-sleeved shirt, and my SunRype tank top.
Immediately after starting to run, I was roasting. I was hanging with two of my friends, using a very loose definition of "150-ish" for my heart rate. In all honesty, it was more like 158, but I felt good. Finally at the first aid station (around 2.5 miles) I had to strip. With my shirt layering (tank over long-sleeve), I basically had to strip everything off. Hat, nutrition, race belt, garmin, tank top, THEN my long sleeve. Then I got to put everything (minus the long-sleeve, which got tied around my waist) back on. During all of that, I lost my friends.
I kept on running according to plan, keeping things light and easy. I found some people to run with and hung with them until the turnaround, which was somewhere after mile 5. At that point, I saw my friends ahead of me, and my legs decided to go. I kept telling them to slow down but they didn't listen. I found my friends around mile 6.5 and just zoomed right on past them. Heart rate was at 168. Definitely not a gradual build to 170 at the finish. *sigh*. I was breathing ok and feeling ok, so I just kept going. Until around mile 7 where things weren't so good. They weren't bad, but they weren't good either.
See, the issue with this race was that my longest training run was the week prior, which was a 7.3 mile MAF (slow effort), which included 5 min of walking at the start and finish of the run. Not continuous semi-hard running. I should have had longer runs but I decided to ski for two consecutive weekends in a row. So the fact that I made it 7 miles feeling good with continuous running was pretty good. And it wasn't suprising that I started having to negotiate with myself after that. I decided to walk the next aid station, which was somehwere around 7.5 or 7.75 miles. Which I did. And I think a race photographer snapped a very flattering photo of me at the aid station. awesome!
After that point, the run became a series of negotations. I ended up with running 0.5 miles and walking 0.1 miles. So about 5 min run / 1 min walk. Which was manageable. I ended up sucking it up for the last 3/4 mile or so and ran that straight, except for walking up the little evil hill as you return to the race venue. I tried to pick up the pace a bit more as I was nearing the long end of my race goal, but it just wouldn't happen.
In all honesty, I just didn't feel like hurting for this one. I could have pushed it, but I didn't see the point. This was a practice run and I just didn't feel like laying it all out there. Next month I may have a different opinion.
I finished with a time of 1:50:03. If I remove my strip-break from my total time, that puts me around a 1:48:30. All things considered, not too shabby.
We'll see what next month brings.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Cold
It was really cold this weekend in Colorado. Which is a bummer when there's fresh powder up on the ski hills. I would have loved to have gone on Saturday (and missed the Broncos game - darn!), but this girl does not ski when the high temperature is less than 10 degrees.
I discovered, however, that I will do a 90 min run outside when it is 10 degrees. Interesting.
Essentially, this boils down to this: I really, really hate the treadmill.
After somewhining waiting for the air to warm up from the morning's low of -2, I decided to run at noon. Fortunately it was clear and sunny. I'm pretty sure if it wasn't, I would have turned around and headed back to a treadmill somewhere. More time was spent procrastinating, looking for things to wear. Really, what do you wear for stuff like this?
I ended up with this ensemble (no photo, sorry):
My run was a 1:30 MAF run with a HR limit of 143. I was supposed to walk the first and last 5 min. Those first 5 minutes made me question my sanity (mainly because I didn't bother putting on anything to cover my face). But once I got running, things were shockingly ok. Everything was nice and quiet, there was no one out except the bunnies. There was water flowing in the stream next to the trail, and it was so cold that the water was steaming. The steam then froze to the grass growing next to the stream. Pretty!
Going out was just fine, coming back was a bit cold, especially the last 2 miles with the wind in my face. (brain freeze anyone?) My feet were shockingly warm and even a bit sweaty. My hands were almost too warm but I didn't dare remove my gloves. The hot water trick worked well and my water bottle didn't freeze. Legs were a bit cold at times, but not too bad. Upper body was perfect. Unfortunately, I've discovered that my fancy new running hat really doesn't cover my ears all that well, so I'd have to tug on it (not super easy to do with gloves) or hold my hands over my ears (while running) for a bit. I'm sure that looked cute. I ended up getting 7.3 miles done and I didn't freeze to death.
The best part was that Will had our fireplace warmed up and ready for my return. Sitting by the fire has never felt better.
I discovered, however, that I will do a 90 min run outside when it is 10 degrees. Interesting.
Essentially, this boils down to this: I really, really hate the treadmill.
After some
I ended up with this ensemble (no photo, sorry):
- Smartwool running socks. I wanted my heavy weight pair of Wright Socks, but the sock troll must have taken them. I figured they were wool, so hopefully my feet wouldn't freeze?
- Lightweight Nike running tights.
- Heavyweight (fleecy inside) Zoot tights as the top layer
- Brooks PureFlow 2's. Almost grabbed my Newtons, but the Newts have a ton of light and airy mesh. No thanks.
- Lightweight Terramar mock turtleneck zip up top (base layer)
- Mediumweight Zoot top (middle layer)
- Zoot running jacket (fairly light but is wind resistant)
- lightweight running hat with a ponytail hole
- medium weight gloves
My run was a 1:30 MAF run with a HR limit of 143. I was supposed to walk the first and last 5 min. Those first 5 minutes made me question my sanity (mainly because I didn't bother putting on anything to cover my face). But once I got running, things were shockingly ok. Everything was nice and quiet, there was no one out except the bunnies. There was water flowing in the stream next to the trail, and it was so cold that the water was steaming. The steam then froze to the grass growing next to the stream. Pretty!
Going out was just fine, coming back was a bit cold, especially the last 2 miles with the wind in my face. (brain freeze anyone?) My feet were shockingly warm and even a bit sweaty. My hands were almost too warm but I didn't dare remove my gloves. The hot water trick worked well and my water bottle didn't freeze. Legs were a bit cold at times, but not too bad. Upper body was perfect. Unfortunately, I've discovered that my fancy new running hat really doesn't cover my ears all that well, so I'd have to tug on it (not super easy to do with gloves) or hold my hands over my ears (while running) for a bit. I'm sure that looked cute. I ended up getting 7.3 miles done and I didn't freeze to death.
The best part was that Will had our fireplace warmed up and ready for my return. Sitting by the fire has never felt better.
Friday, January 11, 2013
This is me not freaking out
My last Ironman training experience was full of fear. In my heart, I knew I could do it. But I was motived by the thought of how much it would hurt or (worse) not finishing. I went into workouts, most of which were personal-bests for me wondering which workout would kill me. And then being pleasantly suprised when a solo-100 mile bike ride was fine and even a bit fun. The whole experience was new and unknown. I would frequently catch myself thinking about it and my pulse would race and I started to breathe a bit harder. It was scary but also fun.
I'm now training for my second Ironman. I've selected one that is significantly harder than my first. Ok, maybe not significantly, but the bike is WAY harder. But I'm not scared. Maybe I know that my coach will train me up properly and I will finish. I'm ok with not making time gains, mainly because the bike is 4,000 ft more climbing this time. But I know I can do it. Because I have before.
This makes a huge difference mentally.
It has been well documented that I am not a strong cyclist on the hills. I am hoping that this will change. I have also signed up for IM St George 70.3. A course which is nortorious for how hard it is. And somehow I've signed up for this as a training race for IMCDA.
I am crazy.
The bike is definitely a stretch. It has a 4 mile long Cat 2 climb. I know what a Cat 1 climb feels like. I can probably walk faster than I can ride a Cat 1 climb. I had a freaking spider create a web on my handlebars on that damn hill. But I made it (with a bunch of walking) and I lived. It was bad but not awful. And that Cat 1 was with minimal training. I amconfident hopeful that with the right training, going up that 10% grade in St George will be fine. Hard, but fine.
Training this time around is definitely different. I feel pretty strong and like I'm on the right track. I know what to expect. Sure, all of this hill training may hurt a LOT, but I know that it will make me stronger. Which really, is about all anyone can hope for.
I'm now training for my second Ironman. I've selected one that is significantly harder than my first. Ok, maybe not significantly, but the bike is WAY harder. But I'm not scared. Maybe I know that my coach will train me up properly and I will finish. I'm ok with not making time gains, mainly because the bike is 4,000 ft more climbing this time. But I know I can do it. Because I have before.
This makes a huge difference mentally.
It has been well documented that I am not a strong cyclist on the hills. I am hoping that this will change. I have also signed up for IM St George 70.3. A course which is nortorious for how hard it is. And somehow I've signed up for this as a training race for IMCDA.
I am crazy.
The bike is definitely a stretch. It has a 4 mile long Cat 2 climb. I know what a Cat 1 climb feels like. I can probably walk faster than I can ride a Cat 1 climb. I had a freaking spider create a web on my handlebars on that damn hill. But I made it (with a bunch of walking) and I lived. It was bad but not awful. And that Cat 1 was with minimal training. I am
Training this time around is definitely different. I feel pretty strong and like I'm on the right track. I know what to expect. Sure, all of this hill training may hurt a LOT, but I know that it will make me stronger. Which really, is about all anyone can hope for.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
A good end to 2012
I had high hopes for most of 2012, but most of those hopes really weren’t realized. I had a really hard 2011 and a really hard early 2012, and then a broken heel, which made for a summer of disappointments. My heel finally was declared healed in September and things started to look up. I suppose that the time leading up to September made me evaluate things and appreciate the little things. Like walking without pain. And taking time to enjoy things. Oh and beer, drinking lots (and probably too much) beer. Also, I’ve been spending quite a bit more time with Will, which I think has been a good thing. Since my free time wasn’t dedicated to training, we ended up doing new things, drinking new beer, and generally having a good time. Finally. A good time.
This past holiday season has been a ridiculous amount of fun. I am healthy and not limited in what I can do. We have time and (fortunately) some money and opportunities for some fun stuff. I am specifically taking time to enjoy things now because pretty soon I will be sucked into the Ironman CDA training monster. Sure, I’m working with a coach right now and getting workouts in. But I have free time and some flexibility. Best to enjoy that because in late February, I won’t have free time until June 24.
This past holiday season has been a ridiculous amount of fun. I am healthy and not limited in what I can do. We have time and (fortunately) some money and opportunities for some fun stuff. I am specifically taking time to enjoy things now because pretty soon I will be sucked into the Ironman CDA training monster. Sure, I’m working with a coach right now and getting workouts in. But I have free time and some flexibility. Best to enjoy that because in late February, I won’t have free time until June 24.
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| Merry Christmas from the Timberline Lift at Copper |
Our holiday was a bit on the selfish side. We just focused on us and having a good time. I got a ridiculously good deal for a place in Breck over Christmas, so we were up there from Dec 21-25. We were originally supposed to head home on Dec 24th, but we got an extra night’s lodging (for free!) and decided to stay and have fun. As a bonus, it snowed big poofy flakes on Christmas Eve, which made for a powder day on Christamas. Ooooh, twist my arm. Life was truly rough. We skied (ok, I skied, Will boarded) 3 times in 4 days. The first day was very frustrating, mainly because Will is still learning and he is s.l.o.w. Wow, so slow. And standing on a hill in my ski gear is about the least comfortable thing and I get cranky. I kept telling myself that patience would be rewarded and I would have a husband who could keep up with me in a short while. The second day on the hill was a bit better – we found some runs that had some fluffy snow and Will discovered that he liked small bumps. Ok, these things are progress, and so much more fun than groomer greens. I actually had to twist his arm for the Christmas Day powder, mainly because he was tired and he had no idea how fun powder really is. I told him “two runs and if you’re not feeling it, we’ll go home. Besides, this gives the plows time to clear the highway.” I’m so glad I pushed, because it was the first day he had fun. Really, this day was pretty magical. On the drive to Copper there was a HUGE Christmas morning sun dog (where the clouds are frozen and create fragmented rainbows around the sun). The mountain was fogged in and the air sparkled with frozen ice crystals. Add some holiday music at the Timberline lift, powder, and zero lines and we were both incredibly happy. It was magical, and I’m not one to ever use that word.
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| Beautiful at the 'Boat |
New Years weekend was spent in Steamboat. We had been there in the fall, a few years back and loved it. Technically, I have skied Steamboat before (I think I was 8?) but my main recollections were watching the winter Olympics, swimming outside with steam rising from the pool, and my dad being an a-ss and abandoning me on the slope. So, for all practical intents and purposes, this was my first time skiing at the ‘Boat. Same with Will. We went with his cousin and my friend, rented a cheap (but clean) hotel room and crossed our crossables for powder. We were lucky, as Steamboat had something like ~6 feet of snow in 3 weeks, and 1 foot of freshies two days before we got out there. Everything was spectacular. The gondola was a bit confusing (and fast!) at first but really fun. On our first run, we immediately noticed the snow at Steamboat is indeed special, even on groomers. We did a few runs as a foursome then split up as our friends wanted to do a bowl and I knew that Will was not yet up to bowls. We found a nice long blue groomer which had plenty of trees that opened into meadows of bumps. Will did trees and bumps and had a great time. We re-grouped at lunch and closed down the lifts. Amazing. The second day was equally amazing. Will was tired by lunch and hung out at the lodge. Chase and I found ourselves some tree runs.
 |
| Trying to document the sparkly snowflakes |
Skiing in aspen groves with powder and bumps, as the air sparkled with perfect shiny snowflakes was again, magical. NYE was fun (but mellow). Happy hour and snacks at a brewery. Watching the torchlight parade and fireworks. Eating Chinese food in a place that was heated by one space heater. And watching Star Wars. Early to bed for more skiing New Years Day. Too bad the temperature was ~5 degrees, making the snow sticky and not a whole lot of fun. Not to mention freezing toes. Still, it was a fun start to 2013
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| Happy Erin with powder tree bumps. Unofficial "1:30" run at Steamboat |
Monday, January 07, 2013
2012 Distance Wrap Up
Just putting this up as documentation. It is kinda fun to look back at my totals from year to year.
2011
Bike: 156h 20m 12s - 2124 Mi
Run: 89h 49m 24s - 497.56 Mi
Swim: 77h 59m 24s - 209457.5 Yd
Strength: 4h 30m
Core Training: 1h 50m
Elliptical Training: 48m 08s
Hiking: 13h 30m
Skiing: 4h 00m
Snow Shoveling: 20m
Snowboarding: 5h 00m
Spinning Class: 3h 00m
Yoga: 2h 00m
2012
Bike: 117h 34m 39s - 1624.36 Mi
Run: 57h 04m 47s - 289.09 Mi
Swim: 82h 53m - 231174.3 Yd
Strength: 3h 20m
Aqua Jogging: 20m
Elliptical Training: 40m
Skiing: 60h 00m
Walking: 2h 15m
Yoga: 6h 00m
Huh. I was only 400 miles short of my 2011 bike total... Interesting. And I would have never guessed, but I swam more this year. Even with barely swimming for 3 months this summer with a broken foot. I guess that tells me that I have *finally* found a swim team that I like and do consistent practices with.
Running is understandably much lower - nearly half of 2011. Thank you broken heel for that one. But hey, look at all the skiing time :)
2011
Bike: 156h 20m 12s - 2124 Mi
Run: 89h 49m 24s - 497.56 Mi
Swim: 77h 59m 24s - 209457.5 Yd
Strength: 4h 30m
Core Training: 1h 50m
Elliptical Training: 48m 08s
Hiking: 13h 30m
Skiing: 4h 00m
Snow Shoveling: 20m
Snowboarding: 5h 00m
Spinning Class: 3h 00m
Yoga: 2h 00m
2012
Bike: 117h 34m 39s - 1624.36 Mi
Run: 57h 04m 47s - 289.09 Mi
Swim: 82h 53m - 231174.3 Yd
Strength: 3h 20m
Aqua Jogging: 20m
Elliptical Training: 40m
Skiing: 60h 00m
Walking: 2h 15m
Yoga: 6h 00m
Huh. I was only 400 miles short of my 2011 bike total... Interesting. And I would have never guessed, but I swam more this year. Even with barely swimming for 3 months this summer with a broken foot. I guess that tells me that I have *finally* found a swim team that I like and do consistent practices with.
Running is understandably much lower - nearly half of 2011. Thank you broken heel for that one. But hey, look at all the skiing time :)
Monday, December 17, 2012
Santa's Stampede 10k Race Report
This winter, I signed up for the local Winter Distance Series, which is a monthly race comprised of 5/10k in Dec, 5/10 mile in Jan, and 5/10 mile in Feb. I signed up for the longer distance of each race in an effort to keep me honest this winter. Last winter I signed up for the local duathlon series and I discovered that it wasn't nearly scary enough to keep me training. You can run 3 miles on zero training and bike 11 miles on little training. You can't run 10 miles with zero training. This forces me to run this winter, which is probably a good thing considering my heel rehab and IMCDA this June.
Registration and Packet Pick-Up is crazy easy for this race. If you register at Runner's Roost you save the Active.com registration fee. You can pick up your packet early at the RR store by my office. Or you can pick your packet up the morning of the race. Easy and stress free!
Will and I were doing this race together. He was doing the 5k (his first!) and I was doing the 10k (oddly enough, my first!). My hope was that we could run the first part together and then I'd go off and run the longer 10k while he turned around to the finish. Unfortunately, the race was not set up that way. The 5k was at 9 AM and the 10k was at 10:30 AM. Ugh. And we had a packed schedule Saturday with brewery anniversary parties and uncle's 60th birthdays, so we had to drive separate and Will took off when he was done with his 5k. Very fuel efficient (eye roll). On the positive side, this meant I got to play cheerleader for him and other people in my tri club. I had a big sherpa fail, though, as while I was set up to take a finish line photo, the camera had other ideas and went to sleep on me. That meant no photo of Will. Boo. Fortunately, the race photographer got shots of him running. *phew*
I was FROZEN after standing outside for 40 min during the 5k. I had on extra pants and an extra jacket but I was still frozen. It was ~30 degrees and cloudy, and boy does that cloud cover make a difference. I could barely feel my toes and once Will finished we both went inside to so I could defrost. Then I decided to hit the small expo and hand out my ~40 strawberry banana Sunrype Fruit Strips to people. I’m getting better at randomly approaching people and handing out free stuff. It is still a bit awkward but generally, people are happy for free stuff. By that point Will took off and I went inside again to warm up and get ready for my race.
This was my first running race since May, which was a half marathon that I PR’d and where I probably also broke my heel. I was both excited and a bit nervous for this 10k. For starters, my longest training run was 5.7 miles, had a HR limit of 142, and included 10 minutes of walking (5 min at the start and end). I had not run 6.2 miles straight since breaking my heel and I really didn’t know how this race was going to go. I had a pep talk from my coach and we were both thinking that my I was in much better shape than I thought I was. My race plan was:
Due to some distractions (samples, freezing, visiting with friends) I got my nutrition down at 45 minutes before my race. That was maybe a bit late as I had some side cramps later on in the race. My warmup was also only 15 minutes, due to the distractions. Mainly, I was inside and warm and didn’t want to go outside into the cold. After some debate on my clothing choices, I decided to ditch my jacket but keep my gloves and headed out for my warmup. I normally never, ever warm up. And the idea of doing a warm up nearly 1/3 the total time as my race was silly to me. But those were my coach’s orders and well, she is the professional. So I did the warm up.
The race course goes along the South Platte River trail and is fairly flat. The only “hills” are where the trail crosses streets (bridges or underpasses) and one nasty hill at the finish. The path is concrete but there is some crushed gravel on the side, which I ran on when it was available.
I started towards the back, as I had no idea how my pace would align with the other racers. Holding back during the first mile was hard. I was getting passed and I wanted to GO. I held back as best I could, but in reality, it wasn’t by very much. I kept seeing paces around 11 minutes or faster, and my HR was around 160. A bit too fast. But I felt fine so I went with it.
Miles 2 and 3, I tried to latch onto some people with similar pacing but then that turned into me wanting to race people. I reminded myself to run my own race and to slow down (for now). Still got passed a bit and I had to remind myself that I would soon be passing people in a few miles.
Legs still felt good at the turn around and it was time to GO. My heart rate crept up into the upper 160’s which is higher than I wanted but my legs felt good and my breathing was fine. And I was passing people – finally! Around mile 4.5, I realized that perhaps I was running a bit too fast as I got a side cramp that was a bit stubborn. I tried some deep breathing and I slowed down slightly and that seemed to help. At mile 5 you could hear the finish line announcer and see the trail back into the race venue (and nasty hill) and I just pushed it as much as I could sustain. Run run run, remember to stay loose and have good form, breathe, and have fun. Up the nasty (but short hill) and to the finish. Breathing pretty hard and running fast, but I felt good. I found my friends at the finish and had my usual post-cold weather race asthma attack. Fun times!
My cool down consisted of the walk to my truck. Probably not the best thing, but my legs felt fine the next day (skiing).
Results:
Overall, I think I ran this race just right. Hard effort at the end, but no so hard that I hurt anything. And I was really pleased with my pace, as I was MUCH faster than I thought I would be.
Bonus: really good race photos. It doesn’t even look like I’m running….
Registration and Packet Pick-Up is crazy easy for this race. If you register at Runner's Roost you save the Active.com registration fee. You can pick up your packet early at the RR store by my office. Or you can pick your packet up the morning of the race. Easy and stress free!
Will and I were doing this race together. He was doing the 5k (his first!) and I was doing the 10k (oddly enough, my first!). My hope was that we could run the first part together and then I'd go off and run the longer 10k while he turned around to the finish. Unfortunately, the race was not set up that way. The 5k was at 9 AM and the 10k was at 10:30 AM. Ugh. And we had a packed schedule Saturday with brewery anniversary parties and uncle's 60th birthdays, so we had to drive separate and Will took off when he was done with his 5k. Very fuel efficient (eye roll). On the positive side, this meant I got to play cheerleader for him and other people in my tri club. I had a big sherpa fail, though, as while I was set up to take a finish line photo, the camera had other ideas and went to sleep on me. That meant no photo of Will. Boo. Fortunately, the race photographer got shots of him running. *phew*
 |
| Very rare and never before documented husband while running |
- Eat a normal breakfast since the race wasn’t until 10:30.
- About 45-60 min, eat a gel (I had ~100 of some First Endurance Liquid Shot about 45 min before the race)
- Warmup with easy jogging and drills for 20 min before the race. Time it so I’m not standing around getting cold.
- Mile 1: go easy and hold back
- Mile 2: go a bit faster, but still not “fast”
- Mile 3: same as above
- Mile 4 – 6: Its go time. Go as fast as you can sustain.
Given that I haven’t run the race distance, and most of my training runs were at a ~12:30 pace, I wasn’t sure I had much speed. And I was worried that if I went kinda fast, that I could sustain it. Conservatively, I set a goal pace of 11:00 min/miles and a 1:07 race finish.
 |
| post-asthma attack pic with Santa and friends |
Did a bit of expo wandering, mainly for warm drinks. The coffee sponsor ran out of coffee (!?!?) and only had hot chocolate. I got a half cup (mostly to warm myself) and I went back ~5 min later and they had run out of that as well. Lame.
Time: 1:04:38 (10:26 pace)
Stats: 65/60 AG, 436/582 OA
Friday, December 14, 2012
I get to race tomorrow!
I haven't been able to do a race since May 20th, a loooong (almost) 6 months ago. Stupid broken heel killed my summer racing plans. But tomorrow is a day for celebration as I get to return to racing.
I kind of want to put racing in quotation marks because I am s.l.o.w. And tomorrow's race is a 10k. My longest training run has been 5.7 miles, which included 5 min of walking at the start and 5 min of walking at the end. Not exactly "racing a 10k" in the slightest.
Hopefully I will discover that I am in better shape than I think I am. Hopefully.
Tomorrow's plan (per my coach) is this:
The good part is that I've somehow never done a 10k before, so no matter what, I will PR. :)
Really, this is just a test to see how I do with some speed and a medium distance race. I have no expectations other than to just enjoy being able to run and to race. That's it. Just have fun. (and not die)
The other fun thing about tomorrow is that it is Will's first 5k. Woo hoo! I was hoping that our races would start at the same time, so I could run the first half of his race with him. But the race is dumb and the 5k goes at 9 AM and the 10k goes at 10:30. Dumb! So I will show up at the 5k time and cheer on my club-mates and husband and take some photos. Then I will do my warmup and my race. Weird set up but that's what we've got.
Hurray for racing!
I kind of want to put racing in quotation marks because I am s.l.o.w. And tomorrow's race is a 10k. My longest training run has been 5.7 miles, which included 5 min of walking at the start and 5 min of walking at the end. Not exactly "racing a 10k" in the slightest.
Hopefully I will discover that I am in better shape than I think I am. Hopefully.
Tomorrow's plan (per my coach) is this:
- 20 minute warmup. This will be interesting because I NEVER warm up for a race. Ever. And the warmup is almost 1/3 of the time I'll be racing. But that's why I've hired a coach. We'll do what she says and I may be suprised.
- Mile 1 - take it easy
- Mile 2 - go slightly faster
- Mile 3 - go even more slightly faster
- Mile 4-6 - RACE. But keep focus on form and if anything hurts, back off.
The good part is that I've somehow never done a 10k before, so no matter what, I will PR. :)
Really, this is just a test to see how I do with some speed and a medium distance race. I have no expectations other than to just enjoy being able to run and to race. That's it. Just have fun. (and not die)
The other fun thing about tomorrow is that it is Will's first 5k. Woo hoo! I was hoping that our races would start at the same time, so I could run the first half of his race with him. But the race is dumb and the 5k goes at 9 AM and the 10k goes at 10:30. Dumb! So I will show up at the 5k time and cheer on my club-mates and husband and take some photos. Then I will do my warmup and my race. Weird set up but that's what we've got.
Hurray for racing!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Ironman Training, Month 1 (and other odds and ends)
First, a bragging revelation. I told someone today that I’m training for another Ironman. Not “I’m training for an Ironman.” But “another Ironman”. As in I’ve already done one. Ok, its bragging. But that’s also pretty cool.
I’ve been working with Coach Michelle for a month now (already, a month?) and incorporating some new running moves, as recommended by my PT.
MAF Running
AKA running as slow as humanly possible and then run even slower. Kinda. This actually has been really enjoyable, once I got past the first few weeks of frustration. Honestly, I kind-of felt like I was in the movie Speed, only the opposite concept. Go too fast and your Garmin won’t quit beeping. And something may blow up. Any minor distraction or loss in focus and my HR would creep (or zoom) up. It takes an incredible amount of focus to run so slowly.
Strangely enough, I really like running this way now. For starters, my sore spots aren’t sore anymore. NO TIGHT CALVES. Crazy. Also, its not boring. Before, I needed (no required) music for most runs. Now, my brain is so busy focusing on going slow (or moving more efficiently) that I don’t miss music and time flies by. I’ve been doing hour long runs in silence (except the occasional beep from my Garmin) and I’ve really enjoyed it.
I think this fully cements my status as a runner. From “only runs when being chased” to “enjoys long runs in silence.” Who am I?!?!
Glute Strength
My glutes don’t like to work. My PT did a whole bunch of exercises to try and get them to fire, and my left (injured) side would just stutter. The damn thing wouldn’t even contract, it would just stutter along. So I have a bunch of very subtle exercises to try and trick that muscle into firing, with the idea that once it gets used to working, it will decide to work when I run. Thereby saving other muscles (my lower calf) from doing all the work in compensation. I think its working as I’ve actually felt it engage a few times (speed work or hills) and it has been sore.
Video Gait Analysis
I got the results back of my video gait and a bunch of recommended drills. Things like “kitty paw”, “kick butt”, and “a skips”. All are to be done with very light footing. I try to incorporate these drills as part of my 5 min walking warmup for each runs.
ChiRunning
The PT who did my gait analysis strongly suggested I get this book and try to incorporate this style into my current running practice. I’m about 2/3 of the way through the book and have read about the theory and background, areas of focus, drills, and technique. Enough to be dangerous. The whole idea behind this technique is to let gravity do the work for you, to have a tight core and a relaxed rest of your body. Oh, and breathe. I practiced some of these techniques (breathing, peeling my feet up – heel first, keeping my ankles relaxed) during my MAF run last Sunday and it helped. I should have had a terrible run (I went skiing the day before and was sore… and I stuffed myself full of Thankgiving food the night prior). Anytime my HR would creep up I would take deep breaths and my HR would go down. If I felt a little tight, I relaxed my ankles. I practiced good /efficient feet and worked on peeling my foot up from the heel. I was almost 1 min/mile faster than the same route and distance a week earlier. Wow.
Swimming and Biking
Michelle had me to a 1,000 for time and it was sad. About 5 seconds per 100 yd slower than I should be. I’ve got a ways to go.
Biking is just fine. I’ve got trainer interval days (which aren’t as bad as you’d think) and easy cruise days. Fortunately, the easy days and coincided with nice weather, so I’ve used the bike time to explore trails around my house that I haven’t been on. Its been fun.
Skiing
And I went skiing the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The snow is terrible. Scary, actually. The open trails, where the snow was manmade and probably bulldozed into place, were ok, considering the snow was manmade. But directly adjacent to the trail was mostly dirt. It was scary. We need snow. My new rock skis (Ramp Frenzy’s) did the trick though. Easy grabbing onto crusty stuff and stable at speed, as advertised. You really have to get on it to get them to engage. Messing around means you will smear your skis all over. And your knee will be sore. Will did great, though!
I’ve been working with Coach Michelle for a month now (already, a month?) and incorporating some new running moves, as recommended by my PT.
MAF Running
AKA running as slow as humanly possible and then run even slower. Kinda. This actually has been really enjoyable, once I got past the first few weeks of frustration. Honestly, I kind-of felt like I was in the movie Speed, only the opposite concept. Go too fast and your Garmin won’t quit beeping. And something may blow up. Any minor distraction or loss in focus and my HR would creep (or zoom) up. It takes an incredible amount of focus to run so slowly.
Strangely enough, I really like running this way now. For starters, my sore spots aren’t sore anymore. NO TIGHT CALVES. Crazy. Also, its not boring. Before, I needed (no required) music for most runs. Now, my brain is so busy focusing on going slow (or moving more efficiently) that I don’t miss music and time flies by. I’ve been doing hour long runs in silence (except the occasional beep from my Garmin) and I’ve really enjoyed it.
I think this fully cements my status as a runner. From “only runs when being chased” to “enjoys long runs in silence.” Who am I?!?!
Glute Strength
My glutes don’t like to work. My PT did a whole bunch of exercises to try and get them to fire, and my left (injured) side would just stutter. The damn thing wouldn’t even contract, it would just stutter along. So I have a bunch of very subtle exercises to try and trick that muscle into firing, with the idea that once it gets used to working, it will decide to work when I run. Thereby saving other muscles (my lower calf) from doing all the work in compensation. I think its working as I’ve actually felt it engage a few times (speed work or hills) and it has been sore.
Video Gait Analysis
I got the results back of my video gait and a bunch of recommended drills. Things like “kitty paw”, “kick butt”, and “a skips”. All are to be done with very light footing. I try to incorporate these drills as part of my 5 min walking warmup for each runs.
ChiRunning
The PT who did my gait analysis strongly suggested I get this book and try to incorporate this style into my current running practice. I’m about 2/3 of the way through the book and have read about the theory and background, areas of focus, drills, and technique. Enough to be dangerous. The whole idea behind this technique is to let gravity do the work for you, to have a tight core and a relaxed rest of your body. Oh, and breathe. I practiced some of these techniques (breathing, peeling my feet up – heel first, keeping my ankles relaxed) during my MAF run last Sunday and it helped. I should have had a terrible run (I went skiing the day before and was sore… and I stuffed myself full of Thankgiving food the night prior). Anytime my HR would creep up I would take deep breaths and my HR would go down. If I felt a little tight, I relaxed my ankles. I practiced good /efficient feet and worked on peeling my foot up from the heel. I was almost 1 min/mile faster than the same route and distance a week earlier. Wow.
Swimming and Biking
Michelle had me to a 1,000 for time and it was sad. About 5 seconds per 100 yd slower than I should be. I’ve got a ways to go.
Biking is just fine. I’ve got trainer interval days (which aren’t as bad as you’d think) and easy cruise days. Fortunately, the easy days and coincided with nice weather, so I’ve used the bike time to explore trails around my house that I haven’t been on. Its been fun.
Skiing
And I went skiing the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The snow is terrible. Scary, actually. The open trails, where the snow was manmade and probably bulldozed into place, were ok, considering the snow was manmade. But directly adjacent to the trail was mostly dirt. It was scary. We need snow. My new rock skis (Ramp Frenzy’s) did the trick though. Easy grabbing onto crusty stuff and stable at speed, as advertised. You really have to get on it to get them to engage. Messing around means you will smear your skis all over. And your knee will be sore. Will did great, though!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
running slow is hard!
Today's run:
It turns out, it's impossible to run with a heart rate of 142 up a hill.
I forgot my MP3 player today. Turns out, that wasn't a problem since my Garmin was beeping at me nearly constantly to slow down. I attempted to lower my HR by slowing down (like I did Sunday) but it really wasn't working. I let my garmin beep at me 3-4 times, then I'd run one of my strides, and then I'd walk until my HR went down to ~138, then I'd run again. And repeat the scenario.
I was really focusing on running slow and smooth but my watch kept beeping at me. Very frustrating. Hopefully this gets easier over time.
- 5 min warmup walking
- 30 min with a HR limit of 142, with 8 strides
- 5 min cool down walking
It turns out, it's impossible to run with a heart rate of 142 up a hill.
I was really focusing on running slow and smooth but my watch kept beeping at me. Very frustrating. Hopefully this gets easier over time.
Monday, October 29, 2012
learning how to run
Running is a complicated thing. You think to yourself, you just run and its that easy. But apparently (for me), its not.
I've been running regularly since 2008, so I'm not a novice. I try to run ~20 miles a week. My longest training run has been 16 miles. So I should know what I'm doing. Except, I just found out that I don't.
I have chronically tight calves. They hurt. And they make my right foot go numb. I keep getting my calf worked on (dry needling, massage) to loosen it up. Then a few runs later, it's like I was never treated. I'm 99% sure my calf caused my heel fracture. I was discussing my most recent calf tightness with my PT and she suggested I go and see her friend that does video running gait analysis. We're thinking I'm doing something wrong (root cause) and that is causing all these calf issues and related injuries.
Video gait testing went something like this:
After the treadmill video session, I was asked to do a few tests:
After a prelim evaluation of the video, I felt like I got a D- in running. I am STILL heel striking (in Newtons! Imagine how sad it would be w/out them!) and worse, I am not engaging my muscles when I run. Most people get nice and pretty calf contractions as they run. I have calf muscles (I see them when I do calf raises!) but when running the back of my leg is smooth. There's no calf contraction. I'm also not engaging my glutes. STILL.
Sucky.
So I have more PT exercises to work on. And in 3 weeks I get the full video evaluation and corrective measures. And I'm going to work with my normal PT to evaluate my neural transfer. I master my PT exercises pretty quickly (meaning they become too easy) and I KNOW I have muscles. There could be something weird going on between my brain and my feet that makes it so I'm not engaging those muscles.
I'm also working with a new triathlon coach, and she's introducing MAF heart rate training. You take your target fat-burning-zone heart rate (HR) and set that as your maximum HR for workouts. This teaches your body to use fat as fuel. And I suppose it does something to increase your fitness, as it teaches you to run faster at a lower HR. Eventually. I'm skeptical, but at this point, running slower is probably good for me.
Yesterday was my MAF test, which consisted of the following:
slow enough controlled without having to do much walking. The first lap wasn't too bad. I had to focus a bit to keep my HR down, but it wasn't awful. Same for the next lap. The third lap required a bit more focus. I was literally saying "slow, light steps" and trying to be very efficient and not waste energy to keep my HR down. The last lap really required 100% focus. Any momentary lapse and my HR zoomed up to >150 bpm, which required 5-10 sec of walking to bring it back down.
Essentially, it was a test to see how slowly something could resemble a run while keeping my HR down. It was tricky, mentally. But afterwards, I didn't have my usual calf tightness. There may be something to this.
I've been running regularly since 2008, so I'm not a novice. I try to run ~20 miles a week. My longest training run has been 16 miles. So I should know what I'm doing. Except, I just found out that I don't.
I have chronically tight calves. They hurt. And they make my right foot go numb. I keep getting my calf worked on (dry needling, massage) to loosen it up. Then a few runs later, it's like I was never treated. I'm 99% sure my calf caused my heel fracture. I was discussing my most recent calf tightness with my PT and she suggested I go and see her friend that does video running gait analysis. We're thinking I'm doing something wrong (root cause) and that is causing all these calf issues and related injuries.
Video gait testing went something like this:
- run ~10 minutes on the treadmill at a comfy pace to get used to running on a treadmill
- run at above pace with your preferred shoes on while being videotaped from the back and side
- remove shoes and repeat video from the back and side.
After the treadmill video session, I was asked to do a few tests:
- stand on a box, balance on one foot, squat down and tap your heel on the floor down in front of you (evaluates glutes)
- balance on one foot and do toe raises w/out setting your heel down (evaluates ankle)
After a prelim evaluation of the video, I felt like I got a D- in running. I am STILL heel striking (in Newtons! Imagine how sad it would be w/out them!) and worse, I am not engaging my muscles when I run. Most people get nice and pretty calf contractions as they run. I have calf muscles (I see them when I do calf raises!) but when running the back of my leg is smooth. There's no calf contraction. I'm also not engaging my glutes. STILL.
Sucky.
So I have more PT exercises to work on. And in 3 weeks I get the full video evaluation and corrective measures. And I'm going to work with my normal PT to evaluate my neural transfer. I master my PT exercises pretty quickly (meaning they become too easy) and I KNOW I have muscles. There could be something weird going on between my brain and my feet that makes it so I'm not engaging those muscles.
I'm also working with a new triathlon coach, and she's introducing MAF heart rate training. You take your target fat-burning-zone heart rate (HR) and set that as your maximum HR for workouts. This teaches your body to use fat as fuel. And I suppose it does something to increase your fitness, as it teaches you to run faster at a lower HR. Eventually. I'm skeptical, but at this point, running slower is probably good for me.
Yesterday was my MAF test, which consisted of the following:
- 5 min walk
- 10 min easy jog to warm up (during which my Garmin was FREAKING out, showing a HR of 180. dumb technology)
- 25 min of running with a max HR of 142, keeping track of 1 mile splits.
- 5 min walking to cool down
Essentially, it was a test to see how slowly something could resemble a run while keeping my HR down. It was tricky, mentally. But afterwards, I didn't have my usual calf tightness. There may be something to this.
- Lap 1: pace 12:37, avg HR 141, max HR 146
- Lap 2: pace 12:50, avg HR 142, max HR 145
- Lap 3: pace 13:22, avg HR 142, max HR 148
- Lap 3: pace 13:47, avg HR 141, max HR 153
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