Oh yeah....

So, remember when I said that I'd have to run faster intervals now that my 5K time shows I can sustain a faster pace?  I was RIGHT!  Today's run assignment from Helene was to run a little over 4 miles.  The first mile at a 11 min pace, the second at 10:30 pace, the third at 11 min and the fourth at 10:30.... Then a short 5 min cool down.

My friend/co-worker Megan ran with me at the parkway and it was a GORGEOUS morning.  A little cold and windy by the lake, but sunny (and very bright as you can see me squinting below)!

We ran and by the end of the first mile my sweater was tied around my waist!  The headband stayed around my ears until about 3 miles in - it was still a little chilly even while running.  What a great run... not easy but felt ok and I used my sister's Garmin 305 for the first time so I could see pace real time.  The first few miles we were all over as far as pace but the last mile at 10:30 I was able to run a consistant pace and overall that mile was 10:31!  My knee got tight the last 1/4 mile but the most discomfort I had was in my hips just from the last few days.

Monday - Day off workout wise but I went to see Jamie at a local bike shop to play with the bike shoes issue.  He set me up with a different shoe and cleat to try.

Tuesday - Swim: Met Kim at the Y at 5:45AM and did a ladder workout.  Then, after work went to a Yoga class at the Winter Training Facility (WTF) for the CNY Tri club.  AWESOME.  The instructor is going to be training with Helene as well and made me feel very comfortable.  A lot of people I knew from summer triathlon activities were there and the workout was great.

Wednesday - Bike: Assigned to workout at the WTF with the Spinnervals class.  Well, they had an instructor so it wasnt a Spinnerval DVD workout but instead we simulated the first hour of the Syracuse 70.3 course.  Now, if you know the Syracuse 70.3 course at all you will realize that the first 8-10 MILES are UPHILL.  It was an intense workout.  One thing the instructor said was "Dont cheat yourself out of a good workout."  I love that... Oh, and the bike shoes were better.  I think we are on the right track and that makes me SO HAPPY!

One other thing I got to do this week was have breakfast with my friend Carrie.

Carrie is a journalist.  She has a blog called Fitness and Frozen Grapes which I highly recommend.  I am so excited to watch her grow in her own triathlon aspirations.  She will definitely be someone to watch on the tri scene the next few years!  I have asked her to guest blog here sometime in the next month, so watch for her post!

All in all it has been a great week!  The intesity in training has been raised and I am amazed at what Helene's coaching has produced... Some days I actually FEEL like an athlete.

Goggles On!

Run!

Last week Helene scheduled me to run 3 miles on Thanksgiving day.  My Dad, sister and a cousin wanted to do a 5K that morning before we had our big dinner so I signed up with them for the Pie and Glove Run in Corning, NY.  

I had to get up at 4:30 on Thanksgiving morning in order to get down to Horseheads in time to leave for the race with everyone.  I stretched and used my Trigger Point rollers the night before to get my muscles ready and was really excited to run.  The weather was cold and sunny.  We got there with enough time to get a good warm up run in before the race started.  When I run I get pretty warm so I typically dont wear gloves and if I have a jacket it ends up around my waist.  I didnt want to run with anything extra this time so I opted for a long sleeve running base layer and a tech T over it.  I ditched the gloves before the race start as well.  

There were over 1400 runners/walkers in the race and I was up near the front of the line when the race started.  My goal from Helene was to run the 5K in 35 minutes which was a personal record and just a little faster than what I had been running in my other training runs.  I set my watch and HR monitor so I could hit start when I crossed the starting mat and noticed that my foot pod wasnt reading.  Grateful that I knew what the distance was and could figure out my speed after the race anyway, I set the watch for HR and time and pretty much ignored it once the gun went off and the race got underway.

What I wore turned out to be perfect and I felt good in the pack where I was.  I pushed a little harder than I usually run and passed a few people as we ran up and over an overpass and around the corner down some streets and to a park for the turn around.  My Dad had decided to race the race and I saw him shortly before I got to the park on his way back.  When I got to the park I looked at my watch and saw that I had only been running 15 minutes... I dismissed it and kept going.  The last mile was uphill but I kept going and ran around a few people that slowed to walk.  At the top of the overpass you could see the finish and I spotted my Dad cheering.  I crossed the finishline and hit my watch to stop the time.  

Seriously, I couldnt believe the time I saw.  My official race time was 31:14.... that meant my overall mile pace was just over 10 minutes per mile.  FAR faster than I have EVER run.  Thanks Helene for the spin workouts getting my legs used to turning over faster, also for those run intervals that I love so much (uggg)!  Only four weeks of training and I can already see improvement.  I know that things will level out, but right now it is so rewarding to see the improvments!  I was/am so proud of myself.  Several years of running and I finally hit the 10 min mile.  

Oh, and my Dad won 2nd in his age-group!  He is an amazing runner!

Goggles on my friends!

Committed

Well friends, its official.  I have committed to my race!  On Thursday last week, I woke up early and the first thought on my mind was "I am signing up today"!  Thus early that morning, before the day really got started, I completed registration for my goal race in July!

The registration site had a feature where you could share with friends that you had signed up for the race and I put my coach's information in to receive an email.  Her response? I quote: "Woo Hoo."

I am grateful for a "recovery" week this week (week 4).  Yesterday I swam a short hard swim and spent some time practicing flip turns. Today I have a bike workout on the trainer and tomorrow I am running a pre-Thanksgiving dinner 5K with my dad while my sister and a cousin walk it.  :)  Looking forward to participating in a race!  I worked a local 5K this weekend and remembered just how much I love the excitement and environment of the running/athletic community.

So, that said -  you should lace up your shoes and go for a run this week!  

Goggles On!

Little bumps....

This has certainly been an interesting week training wise...

Monday - Long swim
Got in the pool and at lap 4 had a wave of panic wash over me as I was swimming.  I kept going, but it took me a few laps to get my breathing to ease and the tightness in my chest to relax.  Then it happened again, and again, and again.  Seriously, I dont know why.  I kept telling myself I was in a POOL, with lifeguards, other swimmers, and I was FINE.  The inexplainable panic was frustrating, but I am very proud that I was able to calm myself down without stopping, putting my feet down, or taking the goggles off.  I also was faster and had an easier time kicking properly and my pull was better.  Swam 2200 yards total which is further than race distance.

Tuesday - Bike Intervals
Tuesday I got on my trainer for some long interval training.  Katie had a ride scheduled that day too so we set up our trainers side by side in the living room, turned on Home Alone and rode together.  Our workouts were different, but the assigned ride time was the same.

The ride was tough, but I am happy with the increase in my cadence (number of times I pedal per minute).  My feet fell asleep but I stayed clipped in the whole ride and just kept going!  

Wednesday - Interval Run

Today I had to run.  I met Megan at the canal and we did speed interval workout.  I have to say that I wasnt excited to run this morning.  I didnt feel great after staying up late last night and when I woke up this morning I had a sore neck/shoulders from sleeping funny.   Once I started though, it got better, and after that last interval I was happy I ran.  :) 

Last night I did a long triggerpoint/grid session on myself and today my knee didnt bother me AT ALL.  Instead I felt tightness in the calf of my other leg, but nothing some additional stretching couldnt take care of after I finished.  I have a friend that is a physical therapist who gave me lots of daily stretching to do and it is so nice to see it pay off!  

So, in spite of the challenges that were the first half of this week, I am determined to do this.  Tomorrow is race registration day and after that there is NO turning back.  I will be committed.  I already have a lot invested in this adventure and it truly is an adventure.  

Goggles On my friends!

Week Two's Top Ten

So yesterday was the last day of week two and I learned some things and hit a few milestones.  Here are my top ten from this week:

1. I learned I need to be doing flip turns every time I swim.  I still havent gotten them completely mastered - my sinuses burned after my long swim on Thursday from the combination of chlorinated water and bad flips! When I do get a flip right it feels so cool!

2. Swam the race distance (1.2 miles) on Thursday and felt great!  The cute lifeguard helped motivate me as I could see him every time I swam a lap!

3. Ran my longest distance ever and with a personal average mile record!  Four mile long run on Friday - and I got to run with two co-workers on a gorgeous morning on the Erie Canal path!  11:46 average mile pace for me over 4 miles is great!  No stopping, no walking, just running!  Woo Hoo

4. Had my bike shoes looked at by another bike fitter and he agrees with Andy that the shoes are not a good fit for my feet.  So, we still have some work to do there this week!

5. Rode an hour with my cadence at or above 90 for the first time ever.  Its harder than it seems to keep your legs going that fast!  I had to be in an easier gear than I usually ride in, but I did it and its a great starting point for the rest of training as I build!

6. Ran twice yesterday - It was such a gorgeous day, I couldnt stay inside.  Interval speed work in the morning with Kim and then in the afternoon - after icing and a long nap - a  light jog around Green Lake with my friend Katie.

7.  The goal for water consumption is 96 oz. per day!  Can I just say that 96 oz is a LOT of water!

8.  Stretching is vital.  In trying to get my knee pain to subside, I have lots of stretching to do, multiple times per day.  It makes a difference.

9.  Nutrition. Nutrition. Nutrition.

10.  Taking time out and doing something fun (and even out of your comfort zone) is refreshing.  Saturday night I went swing dancing.  I met some new friends and had a fun night of laughing at my lack of rhythm and enjoying the beautiful dancing of others who seemed to have recieved a double dose of rhythm!

Week One Complete

This morning I got on my bike trainer and pounded out my last workout for the week.  I rode an hour long interval workout with the sliding glass door ajar (it snowed this morning!) and a movie playing.

For some reason this ride wasnt as frustrating as the first time I got on the trainer.  I have yet to figure out why but I am not complaining!  Perhaps it was because I was more comfortable on my bike after the refit that Andy at Veloved did for me on Thursday.  My feet still fell asleep, but the rest of me was much more comfortable.  Thanks Andy!

Something else happened today that hasnt happened before... and though you may call me crazy I was excited.  My head sweated so much while I was riding my intervals that beads of sweat actually dripped off my face!  That may seem trivial to some, but for me it was empowering.  I am not even sure why but it makes me happy when I think about it and it kept me working hard during the hard intervals today.

During the last few days, I have run into several women that I had a part in coaching this past summer as they completed their first sprint triathlons.  These women have since made fitness a part of their every day lives.  They look fantastic - not only physically, but emotionally too - there is a confidence about them that wasnt there before.   I am so very proud of them!  It has made me think about the lessons I may learn this year. I am sure they will be many and not all easy, but certainly all beneficial.  :)

Goggles On!

Swim, Bike, Run....

Three days of training are now under my belt!  :)

Tuesday I swam intervals with my friend Kim (who even though she isnt a morning person met me at the Y at 5:45AM).  Kim let me use her Garmin 910 in the pool and I have to say I loved it!  I am not a great electronics person, but it was so much easier to keep track of each interval's time with the watch.  My goggles tend to fog (anyone have a solution to keep them from fogging that actually works?) and I cannot see the clock without taking them off (see earlier post "Goggles On").  I was also grateful to  have my first workout of the training season be with a friend.  We rocked the workout and I hope she braves the early morning with me again soon! 

Wednesday I got on the bike trainer for the first time.  I have decided that even though it is convenient, I am not a fan of riding and not going anywhere!  Without the wind, it gets HOT riding in place.  I had a hard time getting my cadence up to 90 and keeping it there so I have a lot of work to do (though I am sure I will have lots of time to practice).  It was also weird to not wear my helmet while I was on the bike!  :)

Today, I ran with Helene and Andy.  Andy did an updated bike fit before we all went out to run, so I was warmed up by the time we started the real workout.  It was really cold and wet today, but the rain kind of stopped while we were outside.  I did my best to dodge the puddles.  Andy ran off ahead and I chased him as best I could during the faster intervals Helene had me do.  I cant remember the last time I ran that hard.... The first interval had me gasping, but I made it through it and the other four as well.  Helene's coaching and words of encouragement were great motivators.  I am sure I will hear what she said in my head next time I run (and throughout the coming months as well!).  

I am blessed.  

I have a body that lets me swim, bike and run.  

I have friends to workout with and who encourage me along the way.  

I have a great roommate (and very good friend) who has the weekly countdown to our race on the fridge.  Its 37 in case you were wondering!

I have a coach (and very good friend) who knows how hard to push me, how to motivate me, and tells things just like they are. 

I have an awesome bike mechanic (and very good friend!) who cares about my feet falling asleep when I ride and is doing everything he can to make it stop!  

Tomorrow, I swim again and then I am having coffee with Maura (see earlier post).  Its going to be a good day people!

Goggles On!