Hey, we're under half a year until the race! Sorry for the delay in posting...the holidays, training, and life all got in the way.
Biggest Challenge This Month:
Now that I'm pretty used to the multiple workouts a day thing, I'd say it's ramping up the difficulty and length of the training sessions. I'm pretty consistently doing 2800m in the pool, and I'm up to 2:30 on the bike and 1:40 on the run. Fortunately, coach does a great job of giving intervals during those long sessions, and it helps keep my mind off the duration.
Another challenge this month was training during the holiday season. I'm happy to say that I kept going right on through (including a hill run on Christmas!), so I didn't lose any progress going into next month.
Oh, and finding reasonable accommodations in Coeur d'Alene! Happily, I did finally get a place reserved this month, so that's one stress off my mind.
Biggest Success This Month:
I learned to flip turn! Though I'm still awful at it, there have been a few successful ones in there, and I'm not getting water up my nose the majority of the time.
There was also the success at the Thanksgiving race, and a couple runs in the last week where I've really seen the improvement in my fitness.
How I Feel About Training:
Excited to see the change in my results! It also helps that the weather has taken a brief but dramatic turn for the better, and I've gotten to be outside the last couple days.
I also got some pretty cool running and biking gear from my family, so I'm eager to see how it all does. So far, everything I received has been great!
How I Feel About The Race:
Obviously still pretty nervous, as I started thinking about it during my run yesterday, and was completely stressed out by the length. I'm definitely making progress, though, and my training distances are now nearing (or surpassing, in the swim) half the race distance. Mentally, that's a big thing for me to know: even on a training day when I'm already worn out from previous days, I could finish half the race.
What's Next?
More strength work, and continued building of duration and distance. I don't have any races on the horizon right now, so it's just a matter of getting in the hours and staying healthy.
6 Months Out Theme Song:
Swim
Bike
Run
Work
Eat
Sleep
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Wild Goose Turkey Chase
I just got back from my run today. Yes, I ran on my birthday. We just saw a story on Michael Phelps in which his coach said he trains on his birthday, so I figured I'd better get out there if I'm planning on winning any gold medals.
Today called for a hilly run, so I hit the trails at a nearby park. It was a nice, peaceful, snowy run in the woods, and I was just listening to some music and enjoying the afternoon. The trail was slippery, so it was a slow pace, and I was looking down at my feet a lot. I came around a corner, and saw movement on the trail in my peripheral vision. I pulled up, and suddenly saw what it was.
A GIANT wild turkey. Seriously, the thing must have been up to my waist. And after another look, I saw there was another one right behind it. And then I scanned the woods. Three, four...all the way to 17 turkeys surrounding me. I waited until the two on the trail moved away, then slowly walked through. Around the bend, there were another 6, bringing it to 23 turkeys. Good thing it wasn't whatever their version of Thanksgiving is, or I might have been dinner.
On my way back, I usually take another trail, but I looped back that way to see them again. They were gone, leaving nothing but their huge 4-inch turkey tracks in the snow.
Today called for a hilly run, so I hit the trails at a nearby park. It was a nice, peaceful, snowy run in the woods, and I was just listening to some music and enjoying the afternoon. The trail was slippery, so it was a slow pace, and I was looking down at my feet a lot. I came around a corner, and saw movement on the trail in my peripheral vision. I pulled up, and suddenly saw what it was.
A GIANT wild turkey. Seriously, the thing must have been up to my waist. And after another look, I saw there was another one right behind it. And then I scanned the woods. Three, four...all the way to 17 turkeys surrounding me. I waited until the two on the trail moved away, then slowly walked through. Around the bend, there were another 6, bringing it to 23 turkeys. Good thing it wasn't whatever their version of Thanksgiving is, or I might have been dinner.
On my way back, I usually take another trail, but I looped back that way to see them again. They were gone, leaving nothing but their huge 4-inch turkey tracks in the snow.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Race Report - Flying Feather Four Miler
Thanksgiving morning took us out to Dublin again this year for the Flying Feather Four Miler. Last year, we showed up right about as the race started, and had to fight our way through a huge pack. It wasn't chip timed, so our finish times weren't all that accurate.
This year, the race limited the number of entrants, and also decided to use chip timing. Nice moves both, and I thought it was a better race overall.
The plan this year, as dictated by my coach, was to go out easy, then hit the last three miles hard. After a 10 minute warmup, we got in the corral and awaited the start.
For the first mile, I tried to ease into the race, but didn't do a very good job of it. Even so, I felt pretty good until the end of the second mile, where I started to get a stitch in my side. I had to back off until it went away, and then just hung on until the finish. A girl tried to outsprint me at the end, but I managed to hold her off around the corner.
I think I worked pretty hard at this one, and it was about 6 minutes faster than last year. Taking into account the couple minutes we spent getting to the start line in 2007, I'd guess it was about a 4 minute PR. I think this was also my best placement in any good sized race.
Mile 1: 8:17
Mile 2: 7:56
Mile 3: 8:10
Mile 4: 8:06
Total: 32:49
30/112 Age Group
273/1896 Overall
This year, the race limited the number of entrants, and also decided to use chip timing. Nice moves both, and I thought it was a better race overall.
The plan this year, as dictated by my coach, was to go out easy, then hit the last three miles hard. After a 10 minute warmup, we got in the corral and awaited the start.
For the first mile, I tried to ease into the race, but didn't do a very good job of it. Even so, I felt pretty good until the end of the second mile, where I started to get a stitch in my side. I had to back off until it went away, and then just hung on until the finish. A girl tried to outsprint me at the end, but I managed to hold her off around the corner.
I think I worked pretty hard at this one, and it was about 6 minutes faster than last year. Taking into account the couple minutes we spent getting to the start line in 2007, I'd guess it was about a 4 minute PR. I think this was also my best placement in any good sized race.
Mile 1: 8:17
Mile 2: 7:56
Mile 3: 8:10
Mile 4: 8:06
Total: 32:49
30/112 Age Group
273/1896 Overall
Friday, November 21, 2008
T-Minus 7 Months
Wow, already time for another monthly update. That seemed quick.
Biggest Challenge This Month:
Getting used to two workouts a day! Even in my heaviest marathon training, I've never had to do more than one session a day, and now that's the norm. I'm averaging about 10 per week right now, with a pretty even mix among the three sports.
Biggest Success This Month:
I was pretty happy with the effort I put out in my heart rate tests. It's been interesting getting used to that style of training, and I think it will pay dividends.
With the early onset of winter around here, my biggest success has probably been getting my bike on the trainer for some long rides, and continuing to go out for runs despite the cold. This will be my first winter with any serious training, since all my marathons have been in the fall.
How I Feel About Training:
My body is a little beat up right now, but I'm in the last few hard days before falling back next week, so that's expected. I don't look forward to the trainer or the cold, but to this point, I'm getting them done. My swimming is coming along - there's another test in the near future there, so it'll be interesting to see if I've improved.
How I Feel About The Race:
Glad that it'll be outdoors, and above freezing. :)
I'm pretty sure I could swim 2.4 miles right now, though it might not be pretty.
I know I can train and do 26.2 miles of running.
It's still tough to visualize biking for that distance, though.
What's Next?
I'm signed up for the 4 miler on Thanksgiving. The plan is to build for the first mile, then go hard for the remainder of the race. It's a fairly big race, so it's not like I'll be competing for a place or anything. My only other 4 miler was this same race last year, and I don't have a time from that one. So, I'm not really sure how to gauge my performance other than "somewhere between my 5K and 5 mile pace".
Edit - Hmm. I guess they did have results last year after all! How about that. I ran a 39:05, for a 9:47 pace. That's a little deceptive, though. It wasn't chip timed, we showed up late, and the start line was a huge bottleneck, so it was some time before I hit the start. Still, it's something to go on. I heard a rumor that this year's is chip timed, but now I can't find anything about that.
Two days later, I've got my second swim test, another 10x100 all-out bundle of fun. It's somewhere in the space between anticipation and dread. :)
I'll also be going past 2 hours on the trainer, and getting close to 3, I'd imagine.
7 Months Out Theme Song:
"You've Got To Make It Through The Winter", from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
If I heard it right, the lyrics go like this:
You've got to make it through the winter
And hope for some racing in the spring.
You've got to make it through the winter
The time will come when cowbells will start to ring
Just be patient till the spring.
(clarinet solo!)
(till the spring)
(till the spring)
(till the spring)
Hurry up, spring. Hurry!
Biggest Challenge This Month:
Getting used to two workouts a day! Even in my heaviest marathon training, I've never had to do more than one session a day, and now that's the norm. I'm averaging about 10 per week right now, with a pretty even mix among the three sports.
Biggest Success This Month:
I was pretty happy with the effort I put out in my heart rate tests. It's been interesting getting used to that style of training, and I think it will pay dividends.
With the early onset of winter around here, my biggest success has probably been getting my bike on the trainer for some long rides, and continuing to go out for runs despite the cold. This will be my first winter with any serious training, since all my marathons have been in the fall.
How I Feel About Training:
My body is a little beat up right now, but I'm in the last few hard days before falling back next week, so that's expected. I don't look forward to the trainer or the cold, but to this point, I'm getting them done. My swimming is coming along - there's another test in the near future there, so it'll be interesting to see if I've improved.
How I Feel About The Race:
Glad that it'll be outdoors, and above freezing. :)
I'm pretty sure I could swim 2.4 miles right now, though it might not be pretty.
I know I can train and do 26.2 miles of running.
It's still tough to visualize biking for that distance, though.
What's Next?
I'm signed up for the 4 miler on Thanksgiving. The plan is to build for the first mile, then go hard for the remainder of the race. It's a fairly big race, so it's not like I'll be competing for a place or anything. My only other 4 miler was this same race last year, and I don't have a time from that one. So, I'm not really sure how to gauge my performance other than "somewhere between my 5K and 5 mile pace".
Edit - Hmm. I guess they did have results last year after all! How about that. I ran a 39:05, for a 9:47 pace. That's a little deceptive, though. It wasn't chip timed, we showed up late, and the start line was a huge bottleneck, so it was some time before I hit the start. Still, it's something to go on. I heard a rumor that this year's is chip timed, but now I can't find anything about that.
Two days later, I've got my second swim test, another 10x100 all-out bundle of fun. It's somewhere in the space between anticipation and dread. :)
I'll also be going past 2 hours on the trainer, and getting close to 3, I'd imagine.
7 Months Out Theme Song:
"You've Got To Make It Through The Winter", from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
If I heard it right, the lyrics go like this:
You've got to make it through the winter
And hope for some racing in the spring.
You've got to make it through the winter
The time will come when cowbells will start to ring
Just be patient till the spring.
(clarinet solo!)
(till the spring)
(till the spring)
(till the spring)
Hurry up, spring. Hurry!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Serenadipity
Serenadipity (n) - The convergence of life and a random song on one's iPod.
Example: During my hour and a half hill workout on Friday, I had my iPod on shuffle, and this song came on:
Have you ever experienced serenadipity?
Example: During my hour and a half hill workout on Friday, I had my iPod on shuffle, and this song came on:
Have you ever experienced serenadipity?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2008 CSTM
My coach posted an excellent summary today of a book arguing that talent takes a back seat to good old fashioned hard work when it comes to athletic achievement.
So, how do we gauge this? Who, I ask, is more naturally talented than a celebrity? Finding this list led me to draw up an inspirational list of famous people I've beaten in a marathon. (Discounting course, condition, age, and other minor details)
So, in no particular order, a partial list of the 2008 Celebrities Slower Than Me:
Katie Holmes
Mario Lopez
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Oprah Winfrey
Sean Combs
David Lee Roth
Lynn Swann
Al Gore
You're next:
Sarah Palin
Meredith Baxter
Will Ferrell
Who's on your list?
So, how do we gauge this? Who, I ask, is more naturally talented than a celebrity? Finding this list led me to draw up an inspirational list of famous people I've beaten in a marathon. (Discounting course, condition, age, and other minor details)
So, in no particular order, a partial list of the 2008 Celebrities Slower Than Me:
Katie Holmes
Mario Lopez
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Oprah Winfrey
Sean Combs
David Lee Roth
Lynn Swann
Al Gore
You're next:
Sarah Palin
Meredith Baxter
Will Ferrell
Who's on your list?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Triditarod
Cold? Check.
Wind? Check.
Following dogs? Check.
Saturday's ride was debated from the start. Meredith thought I was crazy to ride outdoors, but I really wanted to get out there, since in Ohio, you never know how even remotely reasonable weather will last in this time of the year. So, I bundled up in booties, gloves, mitten covers for the gloves, a coat, a hat, a helmet on top of that...and I went out for my 90 minute ride.
I was supposed to start getting used to nutrition on the bike with this ride. My first nutrition turned out to be a vanilla Clif Shot gel sample from some past race that had gone bad. At least I hope it had gone bad. If that's what they actually taste like... *shudder* I had to spit it out and dump the rest in a trash can.
Once done with that, things were well, and only got better. I hit my first of two low-cadence portions on a nice flat road, and I let my legs loose on it. Quickly, I was up over 20 mph, and feeling good. Also feeling good? The dog on a farm I passed. It decided to run along the road with me (who was hoping there was an invisible fence installed). And the race was on.
At first, Mr. Dog held the advantage. He got about a 10 foot lead on me, and at 22 mph, was holding me off. So, I pedaled a little harder...23...24. The gap narrowed, and he appeared to get tired. Finally, as I passed him and put a few feet in between us, he gave it up. Score one for humanity.
Again, I underestimated the effect of the wind out in the flat farmland. When I turned to come back home, it hit me, and the second low-cadence section was a grind. I wish I had video of one farm's windmill, which was spinning like crazy, and pointing exactly the same direction I was riding. That may have been the same farm with miniature ponies out front. I couldn't figure out a way to have them pull me, but given more time, I think I could come up with something.
Eventually, my 90 minutes came to a close, as evidenced by the joyous little song on my Garmin. The only problem? I was still 20 minutes from home. So, my 90 minutes turned into a 1:51 ride. When I finally got home, I was beat.
On Sunday, I was not looking forward to my 70 minute run. Funny enough, it ended up being a very good, comfortable run in zones 1-2. I wound up covering a little over 7 miles, which isn't bad for me in those zones. Chalk up one good workout for the weekend to bring some positive energy for the week ahead!
Wind? Check.
Following dogs? Check.
Saturday's ride was debated from the start. Meredith thought I was crazy to ride outdoors, but I really wanted to get out there, since in Ohio, you never know how even remotely reasonable weather will last in this time of the year. So, I bundled up in booties, gloves, mitten covers for the gloves, a coat, a hat, a helmet on top of that...and I went out for my 90 minute ride.
I was supposed to start getting used to nutrition on the bike with this ride. My first nutrition turned out to be a vanilla Clif Shot gel sample from some past race that had gone bad. At least I hope it had gone bad. If that's what they actually taste like... *shudder* I had to spit it out and dump the rest in a trash can.
Once done with that, things were well, and only got better. I hit my first of two low-cadence portions on a nice flat road, and I let my legs loose on it. Quickly, I was up over 20 mph, and feeling good. Also feeling good? The dog on a farm I passed. It decided to run along the road with me (who was hoping there was an invisible fence installed). And the race was on.
At first, Mr. Dog held the advantage. He got about a 10 foot lead on me, and at 22 mph, was holding me off. So, I pedaled a little harder...23...24. The gap narrowed, and he appeared to get tired. Finally, as I passed him and put a few feet in between us, he gave it up. Score one for humanity.
Again, I underestimated the effect of the wind out in the flat farmland. When I turned to come back home, it hit me, and the second low-cadence section was a grind. I wish I had video of one farm's windmill, which was spinning like crazy, and pointing exactly the same direction I was riding. That may have been the same farm with miniature ponies out front. I couldn't figure out a way to have them pull me, but given more time, I think I could come up with something.
Eventually, my 90 minutes came to a close, as evidenced by the joyous little song on my Garmin. The only problem? I was still 20 minutes from home. So, my 90 minutes turned into a 1:51 ride. When I finally got home, I was beat.
On Sunday, I was not looking forward to my 70 minute run. Funny enough, it ended up being a very good, comfortable run in zones 1-2. I wound up covering a little over 7 miles, which isn't bad for me in those zones. Chalk up one good workout for the weekend to bring some positive energy for the week ahead!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Everyone Knows It's Windy
Except me. I went out for a ride today, and was feeling really good for the first 30 minutes or so. I felt like I was cruising pretty easily, and keeping a good pace.
Then I turned.
Roads that last week were an easy 17-18 mph became 10-11 today. It was all I could do to keep my cadence over 90, like my coach asked me to do. I guess I should have known that the first couple roads were too good to be true.
The other part of the prescribed ride, though? The important part? I did just fine, thank you very much.
On the way home, I was spinning my way along, and passed a guy on a mountain bike wearing a backpack. I didn't think anything of it until a minute later, when he passed me back, pedaling furiously! I'm self confident enough that I didn't feel any need to race him, despite his obvious attempt at it.
But...I did anyway. One big gear later, and he was nowhere to be seen by the next stoplight. :)
Then I turned.
Roads that last week were an easy 17-18 mph became 10-11 today. It was all I could do to keep my cadence over 90, like my coach asked me to do. I guess I should have known that the first couple roads were too good to be true.
The other part of the prescribed ride, though? The important part? I did just fine, thank you very much.
On the way home, I was spinning my way along, and passed a guy on a mountain bike wearing a backpack. I didn't think anything of it until a minute later, when he passed me back, pedaling furiously! I'm self confident enough that I didn't feel any need to race him, despite his obvious attempt at it.
But...I did anyway. One big gear later, and he was nowhere to be seen by the next stoplight. :)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
T-Minus 8 Months
I actually missed it yesterday, but I wanted to start a series of these posts so I can look back and see my progress. Yesterday marked 8 months out from Ironman.
Biggest Challenge This Month:
I think the biggest challenge in October was simply getting back to training. After Muncie, I took a fair amount of time off other than a little pre-Reach the Beach training. Swimming, especially, has been tough to recover; my form left me quickly after a couple months of neglect, but is starting to come back a bit now.
Biggest Success This Month:
Since there haven't really been any "epic" workouts or anything so far, one success has been building up a little bit of a base without the usual nagging injuries I seem to get when starting out.
However, the biggest success for me has been finding some mental toughness to get in nearly all my workouts. I'm usually pretty bad at this, but maybe the magnitude of the race has scared me into it. Other than the week I was sick, I've only missed one workout without making it up later.
How I Feel About Training:
Pretty good so far! I'm really excited to be working with my coach Liz, and look forward to seeing what's next. I'm starting to feel my body adapting to the training, and not just by being hungry and sleepy. :)
How I Feel About The Race:
It's still a long way off, and doesn't seem very real at this point. The longest I've ever trained for anything to this point is probably about 4 months. Watching Meredith train hard and speed through her race has inspired me to want to be faster, and not just plod across the line. That said, I'll gladly accept a 16:59:59 finish if that's what it takes.
What's Next?
Heart rate training next week. I've never done anything with a heart rate monitor before, so I'll be really interested to see how it goes. I'm also trying to convince my coach to let me run a 4 mile race on Thanksgiving.
Also very important: finding a place to stay in Coeur D'Alene. If anyone out there has a good recommendation for lodging for two (hopefully not excessively pricey), let me know!
8 Months Out Theme Song:
"Eight Days A Week", The Beatles
Chosen because it is also the answer to the question, "How often will Dave be swimming/biking/running from here on out?"
Biggest Challenge This Month:
I think the biggest challenge in October was simply getting back to training. After Muncie, I took a fair amount of time off other than a little pre-Reach the Beach training. Swimming, especially, has been tough to recover; my form left me quickly after a couple months of neglect, but is starting to come back a bit now.
Biggest Success This Month:
Since there haven't really been any "epic" workouts or anything so far, one success has been building up a little bit of a base without the usual nagging injuries I seem to get when starting out.
However, the biggest success for me has been finding some mental toughness to get in nearly all my workouts. I'm usually pretty bad at this, but maybe the magnitude of the race has scared me into it. Other than the week I was sick, I've only missed one workout without making it up later.
How I Feel About Training:
Pretty good so far! I'm really excited to be working with my coach Liz, and look forward to seeing what's next. I'm starting to feel my body adapting to the training, and not just by being hungry and sleepy. :)
How I Feel About The Race:
It's still a long way off, and doesn't seem very real at this point. The longest I've ever trained for anything to this point is probably about 4 months. Watching Meredith train hard and speed through her race has inspired me to want to be faster, and not just plod across the line. That said, I'll gladly accept a 16:59:59 finish if that's what it takes.
What's Next?
Heart rate training next week. I've never done anything with a heart rate monitor before, so I'll be really interested to see how it goes. I'm also trying to convince my coach to let me run a 4 mile race on Thanksgiving.
Also very important: finding a place to stay in Coeur D'Alene. If anyone out there has a good recommendation for lodging for two (hopefully not excessively pricey), let me know!
8 Months Out Theme Song:
"Eight Days A Week", The Beatles
Chosen because it is also the answer to the question, "How often will Dave be swimming/biking/running from here on out?"
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cold Play
No, not the band. The weekend!
It was good news for Meredith this weekend, as the temperature in Columbus fell off a cliff to the 60s. She, after all, was running the Columbus Marathon on Sunday!
Before we got there, we had a Saturday of fun and rest. Our niece was playing in a soccer game conveniently located in a town just over an hour by bike from our house. My scheduled workout? A 75 minute bike ride. Charlie and I got up early and left the house about 7:45 AM. Now, I've never really trained in the winter. And I *certainly* haven't ridden a bike in cold weather before. Just a few minutes out, I found myself wishing that I had more than three layers on, or at least something to break the chilly morning winds. Once I got going, my core was fine, but my fingers and toes were not! (This led to a trip to my local Roll store to pick up some booties for future rides.)
I'd never ridden this way before, so it was sight unseen as to how the little back roads I was taking would look. The course ended up not being too bad, though it was uphill most of the way, and on a one way ride, there's no "at least it'll be downhill on the way back" with which to comfort yourself. One of the roads got a little rough, too, but was more of an "uggityuggityuggityuggity" rough, as opposed to the end of the Muncie race's "ka-CHUNK ka-CHUNK ka-CHUNK" of crack repairs. A few stretches, though, were new blacktop, which just feels like heaven on a bike.
Meredith met me out at the...um...pitch?, and got me some warm clothes (whew, much better) in which to watch the soccer match. After that, it was back home for the first lazy Saturday in a long while, and a chance to watch our Buckeyes beat up on Michigan State.
Sunday was marathon day, and we were downtown really early this year for the 7:30 start. I'll let you read Meredith's report for the details, but suffice it to say that she ran a great race, and hit her goal of 3:30. I was really proud of her for achieving it after putting in so much hard work.
And what better way to celebrate than to go out for a run of my own? I hit the trails at a local park for an hour run. Let's just say that cross country is not my strength, and I may have booed out loud when I came upon a couple flights of unexpected stairs on one of the trails. After an hour, I had gone just over 6 miles, which isn't too bad for the terrain and for trying to keep it at a fairly easy pace.
Today's my first brick (bike-run) of the training plan, which I'm actually looking forward to quite a bit. Next week begins the harder training, as well as heart rate testing. I'm not exactly sure what that will entail, but the words "Here be dragons" from old maps come to mind...
It was good news for Meredith this weekend, as the temperature in Columbus fell off a cliff to the 60s. She, after all, was running the Columbus Marathon on Sunday!
Before we got there, we had a Saturday of fun and rest. Our niece was playing in a soccer game conveniently located in a town just over an hour by bike from our house. My scheduled workout? A 75 minute bike ride. Charlie and I got up early and left the house about 7:45 AM. Now, I've never really trained in the winter. And I *certainly* haven't ridden a bike in cold weather before. Just a few minutes out, I found myself wishing that I had more than three layers on, or at least something to break the chilly morning winds. Once I got going, my core was fine, but my fingers and toes were not! (This led to a trip to my local Roll store to pick up some booties for future rides.)
I'd never ridden this way before, so it was sight unseen as to how the little back roads I was taking would look. The course ended up not being too bad, though it was uphill most of the way, and on a one way ride, there's no "at least it'll be downhill on the way back" with which to comfort yourself. One of the roads got a little rough, too, but was more of an "uggityuggityuggityuggity" rough, as opposed to the end of the Muncie race's "ka-CHUNK ka-CHUNK ka-CHUNK" of crack repairs. A few stretches, though, were new blacktop, which just feels like heaven on a bike.
Meredith met me out at the...um...pitch?, and got me some warm clothes (whew, much better) in which to watch the soccer match. After that, it was back home for the first lazy Saturday in a long while, and a chance to watch our Buckeyes beat up on Michigan State.
Sunday was marathon day, and we were downtown really early this year for the 7:30 start. I'll let you read Meredith's report for the details, but suffice it to say that she ran a great race, and hit her goal of 3:30. I was really proud of her for achieving it after putting in so much hard work.
And what better way to celebrate than to go out for a run of my own? I hit the trails at a local park for an hour run. Let's just say that cross country is not my strength, and I may have booed out loud when I came upon a couple flights of unexpected stairs on one of the trails. After an hour, I had gone just over 6 miles, which isn't too bad for the terrain and for trying to keep it at a fairly easy pace.
Today's my first brick (bike-run) of the training plan, which I'm actually looking forward to quite a bit. Next week begins the harder training, as well as heart rate testing. I'm not exactly sure what that will entail, but the words "Here be dragons" from old maps come to mind...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Good Ol' Charlie Brown
If I said that my race number from Muncie was still on my bike, would that give any indication of how much I've ridden since July? Okay, there were a couple little rides in there, but they involved things like stops at Starbucks for hot chocolate...I'm not sure that counts.
Today, the number came off, the helmet went on, and Charlie and I hit the road again. My first ride of Ironman training was a 60 minute easy ride, and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day for a spin on the bike. The temperature was just a little brisk, the sky was completely blue, and the wind stayed to a minimum. I decided to reprise the course for my first ride in the Muncie training plan and ride out past Abercrombie headquarters.
Since it was just an easy ride, I didn't go into aero position very much; I just took in the day. Other than a few cars starting left turns into me before hitting their brakes, the traffic was light, and I was able to pick a high cadence and stick with it. Because the traffic was a little too light, I had to push my way over one-footed to the crossing buttons for one of the stoplights, or I never would have gotten across. 32 minutes out, I hit my turn and headed back home. My cadence meter decided to flake out on me (18 rpm? Really? That must be the biggest gear ever if I'm going 19 mph on flat ground!), but I tried to keep it light and easy back through town, and hit the driveway at 59 minutes.
One thing I learned today: Cool Mint Chocolate Clif Bars are my new favorite bike fuel. Today's ride wasn't one that really needed a mid-ride bar, but riding at 1:00 without lunch demanded some calories. This flavor will definitely be making the trip with me on all future long rides.
I didn't realize how much I had missed riding. It's so nice to do a workout that isn't in the same 4 miles that most of my runs take place in, or in the pool. Now, if I can just keep enjoying my bike this much, I might just make it through those six hour rides I'll be doing in the spring!
Today, the number came off, the helmet went on, and Charlie and I hit the road again. My first ride of Ironman training was a 60 minute easy ride, and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day for a spin on the bike. The temperature was just a little brisk, the sky was completely blue, and the wind stayed to a minimum. I decided to reprise the course for my first ride in the Muncie training plan and ride out past Abercrombie headquarters.
Since it was just an easy ride, I didn't go into aero position very much; I just took in the day. Other than a few cars starting left turns into me before hitting their brakes, the traffic was light, and I was able to pick a high cadence and stick with it. Because the traffic was a little too light, I had to push my way over one-footed to the crossing buttons for one of the stoplights, or I never would have gotten across. 32 minutes out, I hit my turn and headed back home. My cadence meter decided to flake out on me (18 rpm? Really? That must be the biggest gear ever if I'm going 19 mph on flat ground!), but I tried to keep it light and easy back through town, and hit the driveway at 59 minutes.
One thing I learned today: Cool Mint Chocolate Clif Bars are my new favorite bike fuel. Today's ride wasn't one that really needed a mid-ride bar, but riding at 1:00 without lunch demanded some calories. This flavor will definitely be making the trip with me on all future long rides.
I didn't realize how much I had missed riding. It's so nice to do a workout that isn't in the same 4 miles that most of my runs take place in, or in the pool. Now, if I can just keep enjoying my bike this much, I might just make it through those six hour rides I'll be doing in the spring!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Belated Beginning Report
I really hope getting back to training keeps me healthy. Ever since Muncie, I haven't been able to make it more than a few weeks without problems.
I'm now working with a coach, Elizabeth (Fedofsky) Waterstraat, who's a pro triathlete based out of Chicago. Very excited to see what her training can push me to accomplish!
On Monday, Ironman training kicked off with a 2200m swim. Close to a mile and a half for the first workout, eh? I was a little worried since I hadn't been in the pool for a while, but it actually went pretty well. Even then, I was starting to feel a little sick, and my stamina tapered off before I finished, but finishing wasn't any problem.
The problem came the next morning, when I woke up with a massive cold, which (as always) turned into sinus issues. Sigh. So, I've been laid up with that until yesterday, and I think today I can finally get back to my plan.
Coeur D'Alene, here I come. Take two.
I'm now working with a coach, Elizabeth (Fedofsky) Waterstraat, who's a pro triathlete based out of Chicago. Very excited to see what her training can push me to accomplish!
On Monday, Ironman training kicked off with a 2200m swim. Close to a mile and a half for the first workout, eh? I was a little worried since I hadn't been in the pool for a while, but it actually went pretty well. Even then, I was starting to feel a little sick, and my stamina tapered off before I finished, but finishing wasn't any problem.
The problem came the next morning, when I woke up with a massive cold, which (as always) turned into sinus issues. Sigh. So, I've been laid up with that until yesterday, and I think today I can finally get back to my plan.
Coeur D'Alene, here I come. Take two.
Monday, September 29, 2008
I'm No Financial Expert...
But wouldn't a...um...slightly more generous bailout package do more good?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Last Weekend of Freedom
Well, it's almost here. Ironman training officially starts Monday. We've got a wedding to attend and shoot this weekend, so Sunday will be my only day of rest before it gets underway.
Let's hope it goes better than this guy's training:
Let's hope it goes better than this guy's training:
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Race Report - Reach The Beach 2008
Or, "Piscataway home to Columbus?"
Thursday morning, nine of our twelve teammates gathered at Port Columbus airport to begin our journey to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. We picked up Bob in Cleveland, where we connected for our flight to Manchester. There, Steve joined us by car (he drove 7 hours to meet us), and one van stuck around Manchester to pick up Mandy, our final teammate, that evening. We got some groceries (okay, peanut butter M&Ms), and drove up towards the mountains.
After checking into our home away from home, the beautiful Profile Deluxe hotel (also our namesake), our van went up to Cannon Mountain to get signed in for the race. It was cold up there! We went through the orientation meeting, got our shirts, and got back to the hotel. Usually, we all go out to a bar/restaurant across the street for some pool, darts, and other entertainment. This year, though, we were pretty tired, and just got some dinner and went back to get some rest before the big day.
Morning broke, bringing more cold weather, low overcast skies, and some light rain. The race course changed this year, and actually ran right by our hotel. The team grabbed some plastic chairs and brought them out to the curb to cheer on the early teams. The first waves of runners started at 7:30 AM, while we weren't due to start until 2:40 PM. It's a long time to sit around watching other people run, but we always seem to make it an entertaining time. Unfortunately, Meredith had caught a cold, so she missed some of the entertainment while taking a nap.
Finally, 1:30 rolled around, and we packed up for the long hours ahead. A quick trip back up to Cannon Mountain, and we were ready to cheer Mandy on for the first leg of the race. Each twelve person team is packed into two vans. We were van two, so while van one stuck around for support, we jumped ahead a bit to grab some lunch and fuel up for the evening. We found a Quizno's on the course, and sat outside watching more runners go by. Meredith hadn't brought a sweatshirt, and it was so cold that we bought her one there. (It's got a moose on it, and says "Live Free Or Die!")
I was leg seven, the first runner for van two. So, before I knew it, I was standing at the transition area at the Attitash Ski Resort, ready to take the handoff. (The baton is actually a slap bracelet. Remember those?)
I'm the slowest runner on our team, so I'm always eager to hit my estimated times. It was nearing twilight as I began my run, and it had just begun to drizzle. Leg 7 was a 7.2 mile run that went up through "The Notch", as the locals told me afterward. It was too dark and foggy to see any of the scenery, though. Almost immediately, two men passed me, and were gone. A couple more trickled by within the first couple miles. As we wound around the side of the mountain, a pair of women passed me, and I managed to hold on to their pace for a bit. They would gain on me on the uphills, but I was flying down the downhills while they were playing it safe, and kept I ending up right behind them. Eventually, though, they pulled away, and one other woman passed me as well. The course instructions told me I'd be turning at mile 5, but that turn ended up being more like 6.7 miles into the run. Thank goodness I knew my road names this time! During my run, the drizzle also turned into a steady, heavy rain. It didn't feel too bad, but it's really distracting when you have a headlamp on illuminating the drops right in front of your face. By the finish line, I could see a headlamp behind me, but I managed to hold them off. The transition area was a blur of flashing lights and sound after a dark run in the woods, and it took me a few moments to find Bridget, our next runner.
Leg 7 - 7.2 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 1:04:00
Actual Time: 1:04:00 (8:53/mile)
Roadkill: -7 (+0, -7)
After my first run, I found a slice of pizza at the fundraising stand for the school at which we were handing off. It tasted amazing.
The rest of our van's runs went off without a hitch, and we raced ahead to the next point at which we'd run to try and get some sleep. My next run was estimated to start at 4:00 AM, and we arrived there at 1:30 AM, so we wouldn't get much. I decided to sleep in the van, because I was worried that I wouldn't hear my watch alarm. Soon enough, we got the call from van 1 that they were on their way, and I had to hurry to get ready for my run.
My second run, leg 19, was a 4.4 mile run, with some hills. The first half mile or so began uphill, but then the next three miles were a nice steady downhill. This leg, other than extremely high humidity, was beautiful running weather...felt like mid 50s, and no rain. Again, I was passed twice early, but then it finally happened. Five legs into my RTB career, I finally caught a runner! I'd add two more before that downhill was over. After the descent, though, we took a sharp right and began a sharp uphill. Another runner was in sight ahead of me, and I tried to chase her down on the hill. My stomach, however, decided it had had quite enough, and mutinied. I never (quite) lost my lunch, but had to walk a bit to get everything settled, and got passed by one more guy. After that incident, I managed to coast into the next handoff, and was excited about my time. I had worked hard during that leg, and it showed.
Leg 19 - 4.4 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 40:00
Actual Time: 36:17 (8:14/mile)
Roadkill: 0 (+3, -3)
When I finished, I was informed that one of our runners was missing. They had to leave the last transition area without him to pick me up and drop off our next runner, so we headed back. Eventually, we found him standing with a couple members of our other van. He had overslept, and received quite the abuse for the rest of the race over it. :) Thankfully, the leg after mine was over 9 miles, so we still had time to get down there and do the next handoff without interruption.
The next set of legs are really kind of a blur, as I was dozing off during a few of them. I think sleep deprivation was setting in for all of us.
I do distinctly remember doing a U-Turn and stopping at a Dunkin Donuts during Meredith's run. She was giving us a thumbs up, but after she saw what we were doing, I'm not so sure it was her thumb anymore...
Morning broke again during our legs, and we handed off to the other van in a suddenly hot and sunny day. Far from buying new sweatshirts, now we were all putting on sunscreen and trying to stay hydrated. We all tried to find some shade and get a little rest before we brought the race down to the shore. My last leg was 2.5 miles, and it ended up being a nice flat/slight downhill run for the entire distance. My goal was just to bring it in under 8:00 miles. My calves had cramped up pretty badly from the first two legs, so I had to work at it. I only saw one other runner on this leg of the race, and I passed her pretty easily. The transition area finally appeared, and I handed off just under my goal.
Leg 31 - 2.5 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 20:00
Actual Time: 19:35 (7:50/mile)
Roadkill: +1 (+1, -0)
We wound down through the coastal towns, and before we knew it, we were cheering Nathan in for the last few steps of the entire 200+ miles. Most of us took the opportunity to hop in the ocean (who needs an ice bath?), and enjoy the afternoon before heading back for pizza and some much needed sleep. Our team did very well this year. We finished in 25:45:37, a 7:23/mile average. That was good enough for 29th place out of 356 teams finishing the course.
But then, the adventure really started.
Our Contintental Airlines flight from Manchester went off without a hitch, getting us to Newark around 11:30 on Sunday. We were scheduled to have a connecting flight just before 2:00 PM. The staff informed us that there was a mechanical problem with our airplane, and the flight coming in from Mexico City would now be our plane. So, we waited three more hours in the terminal. Then, they said that the flight crew had been on duty too long, so they were cancelling our flight. Didn't they know that three hours earlier?!
Everyone scrambled to the customer service counter, and our team scattered. Five of our teammates who absolutely had to be home the next morning rented a car and drove the 8+ hours home from Newark...ugh. The rest of us took the hotel vouchers and spent the night in Piscataway, NJ at the Radisson. Down in the lobby, there were a multitude of women in short, short dresses, and had obviously had some...um...work done. We were guessing either prostitutes or adult film stars, but Google says it was a pro wrestling convention/dinner. Everyone but Meredith and I got on a flight to Cleveland at 6:00 AM, while we were back on the same 2:00 flight in the afternoon.
We made sure to use up all our meal vouchers on lunch, ice cream, and anything else we could find. Eventually, we were left with $16, and I went to McDonalds and told them to give me as many bottles of water as it could buy. The cashier didn't look amused, but I got 7 bottles out of it to bring home. :)
At 2:00, the Continental rep announced that some of the flight crew never showed up. We thought sure that we were spending another night in Piscataway, but eventually they found a replacement. Only 28.5 hours after arriving in Newark, we were finally on our way home.
When we got to Columbus, we found that the storms in Ohio had knocked out the power for half the city, including our house. The estimate was potentially a week to get it back, but thankfully, we woke this morning to blinking alarm clocks and a working fan.
Hey, it wouldn't be Reach the Beach without stories. It was another great year!
Thursday morning, nine of our twelve teammates gathered at Port Columbus airport to begin our journey to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. We picked up Bob in Cleveland, where we connected for our flight to Manchester. There, Steve joined us by car (he drove 7 hours to meet us), and one van stuck around Manchester to pick up Mandy, our final teammate, that evening. We got some groceries (okay, peanut butter M&Ms), and drove up towards the mountains.
After checking into our home away from home, the beautiful Profile Deluxe hotel (also our namesake), our van went up to Cannon Mountain to get signed in for the race. It was cold up there! We went through the orientation meeting, got our shirts, and got back to the hotel. Usually, we all go out to a bar/restaurant across the street for some pool, darts, and other entertainment. This year, though, we were pretty tired, and just got some dinner and went back to get some rest before the big day.
Morning broke, bringing more cold weather, low overcast skies, and some light rain. The race course changed this year, and actually ran right by our hotel. The team grabbed some plastic chairs and brought them out to the curb to cheer on the early teams. The first waves of runners started at 7:30 AM, while we weren't due to start until 2:40 PM. It's a long time to sit around watching other people run, but we always seem to make it an entertaining time. Unfortunately, Meredith had caught a cold, so she missed some of the entertainment while taking a nap.
Finally, 1:30 rolled around, and we packed up for the long hours ahead. A quick trip back up to Cannon Mountain, and we were ready to cheer Mandy on for the first leg of the race. Each twelve person team is packed into two vans. We were van two, so while van one stuck around for support, we jumped ahead a bit to grab some lunch and fuel up for the evening. We found a Quizno's on the course, and sat outside watching more runners go by. Meredith hadn't brought a sweatshirt, and it was so cold that we bought her one there. (It's got a moose on it, and says "Live Free Or Die!")
I was leg seven, the first runner for van two. So, before I knew it, I was standing at the transition area at the Attitash Ski Resort, ready to take the handoff. (The baton is actually a slap bracelet. Remember those?)
I'm the slowest runner on our team, so I'm always eager to hit my estimated times. It was nearing twilight as I began my run, and it had just begun to drizzle. Leg 7 was a 7.2 mile run that went up through "The Notch", as the locals told me afterward. It was too dark and foggy to see any of the scenery, though. Almost immediately, two men passed me, and were gone. A couple more trickled by within the first couple miles. As we wound around the side of the mountain, a pair of women passed me, and I managed to hold on to their pace for a bit. They would gain on me on the uphills, but I was flying down the downhills while they were playing it safe, and kept I ending up right behind them. Eventually, though, they pulled away, and one other woman passed me as well. The course instructions told me I'd be turning at mile 5, but that turn ended up being more like 6.7 miles into the run. Thank goodness I knew my road names this time! During my run, the drizzle also turned into a steady, heavy rain. It didn't feel too bad, but it's really distracting when you have a headlamp on illuminating the drops right in front of your face. By the finish line, I could see a headlamp behind me, but I managed to hold them off. The transition area was a blur of flashing lights and sound after a dark run in the woods, and it took me a few moments to find Bridget, our next runner.
Leg 7 - 7.2 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 1:04:00
Actual Time: 1:04:00 (8:53/mile)
Roadkill: -7 (+0, -7)
After my first run, I found a slice of pizza at the fundraising stand for the school at which we were handing off. It tasted amazing.
The rest of our van's runs went off without a hitch, and we raced ahead to the next point at which we'd run to try and get some sleep. My next run was estimated to start at 4:00 AM, and we arrived there at 1:30 AM, so we wouldn't get much. I decided to sleep in the van, because I was worried that I wouldn't hear my watch alarm. Soon enough, we got the call from van 1 that they were on their way, and I had to hurry to get ready for my run.
My second run, leg 19, was a 4.4 mile run, with some hills. The first half mile or so began uphill, but then the next three miles were a nice steady downhill. This leg, other than extremely high humidity, was beautiful running weather...felt like mid 50s, and no rain. Again, I was passed twice early, but then it finally happened. Five legs into my RTB career, I finally caught a runner! I'd add two more before that downhill was over. After the descent, though, we took a sharp right and began a sharp uphill. Another runner was in sight ahead of me, and I tried to chase her down on the hill. My stomach, however, decided it had had quite enough, and mutinied. I never (quite) lost my lunch, but had to walk a bit to get everything settled, and got passed by one more guy. After that incident, I managed to coast into the next handoff, and was excited about my time. I had worked hard during that leg, and it showed.
Leg 19 - 4.4 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 40:00
Actual Time: 36:17 (8:14/mile)
Roadkill: 0 (+3, -3)
When I finished, I was informed that one of our runners was missing. They had to leave the last transition area without him to pick me up and drop off our next runner, so we headed back. Eventually, we found him standing with a couple members of our other van. He had overslept, and received quite the abuse for the rest of the race over it. :) Thankfully, the leg after mine was over 9 miles, so we still had time to get down there and do the next handoff without interruption.
The next set of legs are really kind of a blur, as I was dozing off during a few of them. I think sleep deprivation was setting in for all of us.
I do distinctly remember doing a U-Turn and stopping at a Dunkin Donuts during Meredith's run. She was giving us a thumbs up, but after she saw what we were doing, I'm not so sure it was her thumb anymore...
Morning broke again during our legs, and we handed off to the other van in a suddenly hot and sunny day. Far from buying new sweatshirts, now we were all putting on sunscreen and trying to stay hydrated. We all tried to find some shade and get a little rest before we brought the race down to the shore. My last leg was 2.5 miles, and it ended up being a nice flat/slight downhill run for the entire distance. My goal was just to bring it in under 8:00 miles. My calves had cramped up pretty badly from the first two legs, so I had to work at it. I only saw one other runner on this leg of the race, and I passed her pretty easily. The transition area finally appeared, and I handed off just under my goal.
Leg 31 - 2.5 miles
Pre-race Estimate: 20:00
Actual Time: 19:35 (7:50/mile)
Roadkill: +1 (+1, -0)
We wound down through the coastal towns, and before we knew it, we were cheering Nathan in for the last few steps of the entire 200+ miles. Most of us took the opportunity to hop in the ocean (who needs an ice bath?), and enjoy the afternoon before heading back for pizza and some much needed sleep. Our team did very well this year. We finished in 25:45:37, a 7:23/mile average. That was good enough for 29th place out of 356 teams finishing the course.
But then, the adventure really started.
Our Contintental Airlines flight from Manchester went off without a hitch, getting us to Newark around 11:30 on Sunday. We were scheduled to have a connecting flight just before 2:00 PM. The staff informed us that there was a mechanical problem with our airplane, and the flight coming in from Mexico City would now be our plane. So, we waited three more hours in the terminal. Then, they said that the flight crew had been on duty too long, so they were cancelling our flight. Didn't they know that three hours earlier?!
Everyone scrambled to the customer service counter, and our team scattered. Five of our teammates who absolutely had to be home the next morning rented a car and drove the 8+ hours home from Newark...ugh. The rest of us took the hotel vouchers and spent the night in Piscataway, NJ at the Radisson. Down in the lobby, there were a multitude of women in short, short dresses, and had obviously had some...um...work done. We were guessing either prostitutes or adult film stars, but Google says it was a pro wrestling convention/dinner. Everyone but Meredith and I got on a flight to Cleveland at 6:00 AM, while we were back on the same 2:00 flight in the afternoon.
We made sure to use up all our meal vouchers on lunch, ice cream, and anything else we could find. Eventually, we were left with $16, and I went to McDonalds and told them to give me as many bottles of water as it could buy. The cashier didn't look amused, but I got 7 bottles out of it to bring home. :)
At 2:00, the Continental rep announced that some of the flight crew never showed up. We thought sure that we were spending another night in Piscataway, but eventually they found a replacement. Only 28.5 hours after arriving in Newark, we were finally on our way home.
When we got to Columbus, we found that the storms in Ohio had knocked out the power for half the city, including our house. The estimate was potentially a week to get it back, but thankfully, we woke this morning to blinking alarm clocks and a working fan.
Hey, it wouldn't be Reach the Beach without stories. It was another great year!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Beach Bound!
Time for some fun in the sun!
Or maybe rain. And 50 degree weather. And living free and running at 4:29 AM, if the estimated schedule holds true.
Must be time for Reach the Beach! My cold (and then antibiotic-requiring sinus infection) took me completely out of my training plan for about a week and a half, so I'm way behind on the miles I hoped to get in before the race. All those grand plans about speed work? Umm...yeah, not so much.
So, I went out and did 3 miles yesterday, at about an 8:50 pace (without stopping the watch during a couple stretch stops for my stubborn shins). Not a bad pace for my training runs, but I was putting out an awful lot of effort to get there. That has me a little worried for the 7.2 mile run that I kick off with on Friday. At this point, I'll just have to rely on the couple runs longer than that I managed before getting sick. The plan now is just to get in a couple more runs at an easy pace before we leave, and hope for the best.
And if the best includes an OSU victory to cap off Saturday evening, even better! Go Buckeyes!
Or maybe rain. And 50 degree weather. And living free and running at 4:29 AM, if the estimated schedule holds true.
Must be time for Reach the Beach! My cold (and then antibiotic-requiring sinus infection) took me completely out of my training plan for about a week and a half, so I'm way behind on the miles I hoped to get in before the race. All those grand plans about speed work? Umm...yeah, not so much.
So, I went out and did 3 miles yesterday, at about an 8:50 pace (without stopping the watch during a couple stretch stops for my stubborn shins). Not a bad pace for my training runs, but I was putting out an awful lot of effort to get there. That has me a little worried for the 7.2 mile run that I kick off with on Friday. At this point, I'll just have to rely on the couple runs longer than that I managed before getting sick. The plan now is just to get in a couple more runs at an easy pace before we leave, and hope for the best.
And if the best includes an OSU victory to cap off Saturday evening, even better! Go Buckeyes!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ken Lee
Okay, I know this is a few months old, but I hadn't seen it until yesterday. It's a clip from the Bulgarian version of American Idol. If anyone else out there hasn't seen it...enjoy! (And I actually went to high school with someone named Ken Lee, which made it doubly funny)
Monday, August 25, 2008
On The Road Again
Going places that...well, I've been quite a few times before, actually. I finally got back to a consistent workout schedule. The past week was:
4.5 miles of sprints
The Dogipot 5 Miler
3 mile hard run
8 mile "long" run
A tough swim workout.
1.5 miles of 400s to help keep Meredith going during her long run.
And the reward for all that moderately hard work?
A cold.
Gosh darn it. *blows nose* Here's hoping it goes away before this weekend of OSU alumni band and IM spectating.
I got my tentative leg assignments for Reach the Beach, too. I'll have 7.2, 4.4, and 2.5 mile legs, assuming I decide to actually run the right course this year...
4.5 miles of sprints
The Dogipot 5 Miler
3 mile hard run
8 mile "long" run
A tough swim workout.
1.5 miles of 400s to help keep Meredith going during her long run.
And the reward for all that moderately hard work?
A cold.
Gosh darn it. *blows nose* Here's hoping it goes away before this weekend of OSU alumni band and IM spectating.
I got my tentative leg assignments for Reach the Beach, too. I'll have 7.2, 4.4, and 2.5 mile legs, assuming I decide to actually run the right course this year...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Absence
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. An intense work schedule and lack of interesting things to write about have kept me away from the new post button.
This week will be my return to consistent training, as we gear up for Reach the Beach 2008. I'm going to pick up a half marathon plan for the last few weeks. Meredith and I hit the track on Monday, and my legs felt pretty good for not being on a consistent plan right now. I did about 4.5 miles in intervals, and found that I can hit a pretty good 400m speed (for me), but that my endurance at that speed is pretty low compared to last year when I was in marathon training. So, I've got three weeks to get that built up a little bit.
We got to use the King's Island tickets that Meredith won last year this week. Going during the week is definitely the way to go! Pretty much every ride was a 10 minute wait or less. Even better, I didn't get a nasty sunburn this time around like our last trip there. :)
We're also going to try and get down to Louisville for the Ironman in 2 weeks. We've never seen one in person, and I'd love to get a feel for the event before trying it myself!
This week will be my return to consistent training, as we gear up for Reach the Beach 2008. I'm going to pick up a half marathon plan for the last few weeks. Meredith and I hit the track on Monday, and my legs felt pretty good for not being on a consistent plan right now. I did about 4.5 miles in intervals, and found that I can hit a pretty good 400m speed (for me), but that my endurance at that speed is pretty low compared to last year when I was in marathon training. So, I've got three weeks to get that built up a little bit.
We got to use the King's Island tickets that Meredith won last year this week. Going during the week is definitely the way to go! Pretty much every ride was a 10 minute wait or less. Even better, I didn't get a nasty sunburn this time around like our last trip there. :)
We're also going to try and get down to Louisville for the Ironman in 2 weeks. We've never seen one in person, and I'd love to get a feel for the event before trying it myself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)