Under The Weather

Have been taking it easy the past week...I'm a little under the weather. I don't want to push it and have been trying to rest, so no running for a week. Although, on Saturday we rode our Mtn Bikes down to Starbucks/Fred Meyer to run an errand - seemed to me that riding our bikes would take far less effort than me trying to run 3 miles. Which in reality shouldn't be a problem, but MAN I have been tired!

So, I'm hoping to get to the gym tomorrow morning before work and hopping on a treadmill and pushing out 3 miles...we'll see how that goes. My last run was on the road and to the track and somewhat slickery. So tomorrow should be more comfortable.

Even though I have been more consistent in the last couple of weeks, I still feel like I'm slacking. Tom tells me that I'm doing great and whoever else might know that I'm running like a fool. So I should just quit being so hard on myself - if I am feeling a little sick, I'm a little sick. That's it. Rest is good. Really it is - I'll make friends with that concept some time!

Here's to tomorrow morning!

Run, Baby, Run!

Tempo

Each time I attempt to run a specific workout on the treadmill I somehow am able to mess it up or just plain give up...NOT TODAY!

Today's Tempo Run was totally awesome...yeah, on the treadmill even. 1 mile warmup, 3 miles @12:34 and 1 mile cooldown. I got into my rhythm pretty easily and just settled in for the long haul. Really, running on a treadmill almost feels like I'm running twice the distance, but it was good - even got close to my target pace - 12:39 mile - so yeah, not bad!

My body tried to send the "you don't want to do this" signals past 2 miles and I was not going to stop. For that I did gain myself a nice little blister on my pinky toe. Socks had some stray threads rubbing...OUCH!

Looking forward to my long run on Saturday!

Took a rest...

My last run was last week on Monday. It was evident on Wednesday that I would not be doing a run, my hip was messed up and needed some TLC. Normally, I would be fretting because I am not running (or riding for that matter). I have finally decided if my body is not happy I shouldn't push the running too much.

Every morning last week when I woke up and got out of bed my hip was feeling not that great and not getting better with each day - especially since I had gone to my chiropractor and was snapped back into place in several areas including my low back which my chiropractor thought might have been giving me my problem. By Friday things did not settle down, so I called and made another appointment and went in after work. My hip was truly not behaving so my chiropractor probed about my hip region which turns out to be a very ticklish spot for me. She found that it was nicely out of alignment...which gave the dull ache. She worked her magic and the ache and soreness went away...just some lingering ache for going to long without attention, but all is well again.So good that this morning I went to the gym and did my Monday morning run and it felt really good...I even kicked up the speed just a little - I'm always pushing it! I'm looking forward to my tempo run on Wednesday.

Even though I missed just a couple of days of running, I just plain missed running. I'm not pre-treating with my inhaler anymore and it just feels so good to be moving that I missed those two days terribly!

Rest is good though...this week will be awesome - Looking forward to getting back on track!

Going long...

After having a hard time figuring out my speedwork on Wednesday my long run this morning was the BEST! Crazy cold and running the last half by myself and all, but it really felt great!

Had a visit with my allergy/asthma doc this week and per his advice I didn't pretreat with albuterol before my run this morning. I was having doubts about my not using my inhaler before Tom and I got started, but it turned out alright. I am thinking that having a puff or two of albuterol might not help as much as I think. Also, Dr. D said that my lungs/breathing will only get better with my running, so I'm pretty excited about that. Only had a little coughing once I finished and was back home, so really, all is going well!

Last week Brittany (at Starbucks) said I was a machine or something like that after I told her we just finished our run. Which I thought was pretty funny. One definition according to Merriam Webster is - One that resembles a machine (as in methodical, tireless or consistently productive). I suppose I'm a machine...I like a plan and I like sticking to a plan, I'm usually productive and this running stuff has certainly gotten me a little on the crazy side of productive. When Spring rolls around I'm not sure how I'm going to incorporate cycling and still keep up with running. Oh and add swimming too...CRAZY!

A year ago I was happy to be running a couple of miles...now I'm doing six and on my way to seven next week will work up to doing at least ten by the time I'm done with this current training plan. Having things to work toward is really helping too.

Right now I'm just looking to get to the Spring Classic Du in April. Tom and I may run the 8K Shamrock Run in March - that would be a perfect event a few weeks after I complete this training and move to maintenance training.

2010 is going to be a BLAST!

November Running Stats

Well this past month of running has gone pretty well - didn't really skip anything, but I think I may have postponed a run because I wasn't feeling 100%. Overall I ran 41.6 miles which equals 8:55:59. That's pretty good for me...I tend to quit half way through because I make myself believe that I can't possibly do what the running plan is suggesting. There are just over two months of training left and I hope to continue doing what I'm doing because it seems to be working. I need to take a look around at what I should be doing once I finish my plan and I'm running that 8K distance. More research!

This morning was just a two mile run. You would think that after doing six miles for a long run that a two miler would be easy. For some reason that wasn't so. It takes a while for me to find my rhythm for the day and on the treadmill sometimes it take all of the time I have to figure that out. So by the time I'm feeling pretty good I'm done. Sure, I could do more, but I am trying not to deviate from the plan too much. Sometimes I throw in a short run just for the fun of it...I'm sure that won't hurt anything, but I like my rest! There will be a day that I'm adding an extra day of running, so I'm not going to push it too much.

Wednesday is speedwork on the treadmill. I couldn't finish the tempo run, but I think this might be different. I hope at least. Speedwork is my least favorite of all the training runs...blah...with my asthma it's hard to get a good session in and not feel like I'm going to die or something.

Sooo.....1 mile warmup then 3x800's @ 5:24 with 400 recovery in between and then 1 mile cooldown. These are the kinds of work outs that I don't necessarily like to do on the treadmill, but what else can I do? It's dark at the track in the morning and the evening. At least on the treadmill I can control the speed to a point.

And the training goes on....

Run Baby Run!

Tempo

Check out the run chart...it is so very cool to see progress - I LOVE IT!

This week I do a tempo run on the treadmill...YIKES! It is to be 5 miles...YIKES!

I can do it...I can do it...I WILL do it!

Run Baby Run!

Accessories...

Today I was at the bike shop rifling through the socks - because you can never have too many socks - and found the socks that I have been wanting since my birthday. What a sad thing, wanting socks. Anyway, these weren't just any socks, these were Run-Girl-Run socks and they did not have my size when I went in on my birthday. Today I found the socks in my size. It's really the little things in life.

The other sad thing is that they MATCH my new running shoes.

I swear, it's an illness...

So, did you ride this weekend?

Did I ride this weekend? Nope...haven't ridden in many weekends. Tom and I got out one Sunday afternoon for a short loop a few weeks ago, but I don't remember when that was.

Anyway, have been hitting the treadmill quite a bit and running on the road or trail on the weekends. I like that the chart is multi-color now - well, two colors at least. When I add my tempo runs and intervals there will be FOUR colors! Woo hoo! Okay, it's the little things that keep me going.

Today I got to do three miles on the treadmill. I say "got to" instead of "had to" because it sounds better and I had a huge mental block. Two miles no problem...three miles...hmmmm, I'm not so sure. The three miles went by pretty quick, so quick that I almost ran out of time. Yeah, no I didn't increase the speed except when I realized that I wouldn't have enough time to finish the last "lap". Note to self...program 45-50 minutes for future easy runs. Looking forward to 5 miles on Saturday!

Run Baby Run

Shoes

I think I have a problem...I like athletic shoes. These are three of the latest pairs that I have purchased since March 2008. The sad thing is I have 3 more pair that are in different stages of use - from well used to not so much because I thought they would be good for running and they really were not.

That would be the case with the first pair of shoes in the picture. The Asics felt pretty good, but training in them for Livestrong was a chore from the beginning to end. I'm pretty sure that with all the training and then eventually all the cycling that I did after Livestrong caused a stress fracture which I did not find out about until December of last year and was told that running would have to wait until after the new year.

The second pair are my well loved New Balance 768 Stability running shoe. These shoes were awesome! Running became so much more fun with these shoes! Training in these was so much different than with the Asics it was amazing. Just in the last month or so I have really enjoyed running - even on the treadmill...WOWIE!

Today, Robin and I went to Fit Right NW so I could buy new pair of running shoes New Balance 760 Stability running shoes along with a pair of speed laces which I will start to rotate with my current pair. New shoes for my long runs and older shoes for treadmill runs. I'm excited to run in these shoes I almost can't wait until Saturday for my "long" run.

Before the year is over I'll have to donate the shoes I'm not using to my podiatrist who collects shoes for a charity that he is involved in. No sense for me to keep more shoes than is necessary.

Run Baby Run!

Technique...

Crazy things happen when you start to focus on running techniques. On Saturday we did our run on the track near our home and after shuffling along for nearly two miles and starting to notice my left calf was becoming a little sore. I read something about lifting your knees while running, so I did and by-golly if that didn't change pretty much EVERYTHING! The last mile felt really good and I finished feeling good.

Here's to paying attention to running tips!

This or That

I want this...

But this is more likely...

Not as much fun as the slick, fast bike...but more pocketbook friendly. A time trial bike would be so cool though...

I like to dream big [sigh]

COUNT DOWN BEGINS (EARLY)

Okay, so the Spring Classic Duathlon is still a ways off, but to keep myself motivated I decided to put a countdown clock on my blog as a reminder of what I have planned for 2010. It’s not likely that I will forget what I have planned for next year…but slowing down with my training might be happen.

This is week 3 of my 8K running plan. Tom and I ran the Salmon Creek Trail on Saturday and got myself a decent time. I hadn’t run 3 miles for a while, so it was interesting to see how the run would go. It felt good, no whining as I am prone to doing and very little pain. I was a little disappointed that my breathing was somewhat labored, but that isn’t anything new really. The temp was perfect hovering around 55 degrees and the trail was not that busy, another plus.

At the end of this particular run, after we settled in at Starbucks, I proclaimed that I LOVE running….WOO HOO! It’s true! I know I can do it and I have felt good after each run that I have done since starting the plan and I actually feel like I’m getting somewhere. Now I look forward to each run whether I am on the treadmill or the road. The track is a little boring, but at least it is accurate and I know exactly how far I have gone. The only problem with the track is that I have lost track of how many laps I have completed in the past and I’m sure that I’ll lose track in the future.

The only other thing that I know I need to do is buy another pair of running shoes to rotate with my current pair. They are starting to wear a little so this is a good time to get another pair – kind of thinking ahead a little I guess. I don’t want to get to the point where the shoes are just unusable and I don’t have a pair of shoes to run in. OOOH…transitioning a new pair of shoes for the next season – what a plan! Looks like a trip to Fit Right Northwest is likely before the month is over.

So, the countdown clock is here as a reminder that I have something to work toward. As time goes on I know that I’ll be running more miles in the middle of the week and the thought of spending 6, 7 or 8 miles on the treadmill is not far from my mind. I’m having trouble with the thought of 3 miles which is what I might have to do this coming Wednesday…blah. No matter, I’m having fun with my running and wishing I was riding instead, but I am satisfied with the next best thing.

Run, baby, run!

Run Chart Update

I like what I see...things are going REALLY well!

Run, baby, Run!

Run Every Day Revisited

Yeah, so Tom and I will be heading to LA Fitness this afternoon after work - YAY! A week ago I posted about how I don't think I was quite at the point of obsession that would make me want to run everyday. Today, I think I want to run...I ran yesterday...I run tomorrow - it's nearly madness or is that obsession?

If there are few treadmills open I'll skip it, but I'm thinking of hopping on one of those death machines and at least doing a mile. Maybe a FAST mile...naaah.

Back on Track

It has been a week since I started my 8K running plan....and I'm STILL on track!

Seriously though, it has been a few weeks since the Century and the last organized ride and I'm starting to feel somewhat rested. Enough to be running again at least. So, I'm on week two of my current 16 week running plan. WHY do I start running plans that go thru the holidays?! I think I tried this last year also and had to put off seriuosly running until the beginning of the year...oh wait, that's not tru, I had a stress fracture...yeah, that was it. That was a set back for sure.

So far all is well right now. I haven't experienced any pain in my foot, so I'm going for it! It would have been fun to do the Run Like Hell had we known about it...Sally said it was fun! Maybe next year

Feeling better and having a pretty good time with the running...so all is well.

Run, Baby, Run!

Run Chart

OOH - Check it out...I've been running! Things are looking up...

run every day?

Nonrunners cannot see how they can afford the time to run every day. But runners cannot imagine getting through a single day without it. ~~

Hmmm...I haven't quite decided if I lean more toward the nonrunner or runner. I know that I have just enough obsession to run when I need to, but haven't quite reached the point of running EVERY day. I enjoy running more and more all the time, but to do it everyday would definitely take away from the other activities that I have chosen to embrace.

As long as I am able I'm going to run - even if I NEVER get faster. At least I can say I got out there and did it!

Spring Classic Duathlon here I come!!!!

Starting Up Again

Yup, I've taken some "rest" time for the last couple of weeks - it was easy too because with the weather being crummy I haven't wanted to get out early and ride to work. No bike commuting gives me more opportunity to hit the gym right after Tom heads out for work and then if I want I can go back after work.

This morning I decided it was time to start on my 5K soon to be 8K training. My Saturday morning run was awful and my right thigh was giving me some trouble so we cut the run part short, but had to continue walking since we were on the road. I was a little bummed, but I'm finally getting used to the fact that every run will be different and how I feel will make a huge difference. So, this particular morning I wasn't feeling all that happy...so my run suffered. Also, I was running with Tom so I think that threw me off a little. His pace is MUCH faster than mine, so I felt like I was going faster than my body really wanted to. This morning on the treadmill felt good even though it is a treadmill, but like Shawn says, the treadmill is "cake" compared to a cycle trainer. He's right about that - I have dreaded getting back on the treadmill, but then I don't want to stop running. I am slowly making friends again with that machine! The one thing I look forward to is the fact that I can at least do road runs on the weekends or go to the track (now talk about boring). If I haven't already lost my running partner, I'll still have the opportunity to get out on the track on Wednesday mornings. We'll see how things come along I guess.

My ultimate goal is to continue running thru the rest of this year - playing catch up after a month or so of not running is no fun. I am already looking forward to the Spring Classic Duathlon - I swear I'm turning into a maniac! Oh well, just like Tom says "All this training keeps me out of bars"...yeah, like that is a problem!

run, Run, RUN!

SO MUCH FOR....

REST.

Who am I trying to kid? Yeah, I'm tired....wore out...in a crazy sort of way. However, on my way home from work yesterday I was thinking to myself how great the late afternoon was and that I should go for a run. Mind you, I have not gone out for a run since September 23, that's like 3 weeks ago!! At least my distances have been consistent, that has to count for something! Anyway, I got home from work and got changed into my running gear and off I went. Note to self, don't take so much time off from running ever again! I have rediscovered muscles that I forgot I had and a little soreness from the measly 2 miles that I ran. I'm a whiner.

Today after work I'm off to the gym for a spin class.

Obsession - it's okay right?

Crazy Wore Out

Wowie! It's October and it seems like the year zipped by, but then at the same time the start of the year seemed to just creep by slowly...let's see what might have made this year go by quickly...

January - 1st Run (Portland)
February - Worst Day Ride (Portland)
April - Monster Cookie Metric Century (Salem)
May - RACC (Clark County)
June - Pioneer Century (Canby), Blue Lake Duathlon (Portland), Tour de Blast (Toutle)
July - 4th of July 5k (Ridgefield), Cycle Oregon Weekend (Monmouth)
August - All Women's Event (Blue Lake), Vine Ride (Newberg), Mid Valley Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour (Albany),
September - Vancouver Bicycle Club Time Trial, Peach of a Century (Salem)
October - Harvest Century (Hillsboro)

On top of that, we did a lot of bike commuting, riding with friends and I did a fair amount of training runs and rides for the duathlons. At the beginning of this year I was fortunate enough to make an adjustment in my work schedule to allow for training runs and rides during my lunch break. Those were limited, but it gave me a jump on what I needed to do before Spring arrived so I could switch my runs to the road. I think it would be safe to say that this year has been a little tiring. 

I'm glad that we did all the events that we did and I am also glad that we cut out the events that we consider "junk" events. Events that were once fun, but now just are plain annoying because sometimes riding around people that don't ride often on open city streets can be downright frustrating. I'm sure that it would be different if we were to ride with a group of friends, but more often than not, the urban rides have turned out to be just Tom and I. Which is kind of sad because we had so much fun with our buddies on those rides.

There is a toss up on which event was the most challenging - my first Duathlon or the Century. I trained for six months to do the Du, but I rode all season to get ready for the 100 miles. The Du took just over 2 hours and the Century was over 8 hours...I wasn't nearly as emotionally spent at the end of the Duathlon, rather I was more exhilerated, so I'm going to say that the century was most challenging. I still haven't decided whether or not I had fun on that ride or not....and we are more than two weeks past it now. I'm pretty sure that we'll do another century, but probably not the Peach. That's just too far to travel to ride all day long and STILL have to drive home a distance more than 20 miles. We would definitely go back and do the metric century. It's not that the whole ride was challenging, just the last 45 miles - hills, hills, hills and wind, wind and MORE WIND. I guess I haven't gotten over this ride yet. Ask me again in another week or so...

My favorite event, hands down, the All Women's event where Robin and I teamed up and "won" our division. I think it helped that we were the only ones signed up for that particular division! It was all good though...I got to run and then cheer on my best teammate ever.

I am forever hooked on multi-sport events now. After saying over and over again that I don't swim - I have started swimming and have been entertaining the thought of doing a sprint tri in 2011. Hmmm...still making friends with the idea of swimming in open water. We'll see how well things go in a POOL enclosed in a nice climate controlled building with a jacuzzi nearby before I make the move to open icky, murky water...I'm a little concerned.

This year has been a fun year and it's not quite over yet, but as far as events go, it is. It's time to start looking to 2010 and put together a list of events that I plan to participate in and need to train for. The cycling events are easy, we start with 30-40 mile organized rides and work our way up throughout the summer. So another century might in the plan for late summer. I'm looking to add another Duathlon to bring the total to 3 for next year and then of course all the cycling events and at least a 5k fun run here and there. Now that I have discovered Time Trials, I think we'll be doing those more often, just to see how things progress thru the cycling season.

First, I'm taking a little time off for some much needed rest and then gradually starting up again next week. I haven't run in a couple of weeks, so I'll start up my new running plan next week and add stuff as the weeks come and go.

This year was filled with so many fun events and I'm looking forward to next year and making it just as crazy fun and tiring again!

My inspiration for Swimming...

I'm just going to sing this song while I'm at the gym using the pool...

how long would it take for me to get kicked out?!

Swim, Swim, Swim!

I'm not that great of a swimmer, but today after work I managed to do one pool length of freestyle - last week I could only manage about 1/2 a length of the pool, my gosh, swimming is hard work! I did other strokes 3 other times, but freestyle is what I'm shooting for. I think that it will take a year and a half to get up to a half mile. That's a lot of laps in the pool at around 100' per length to make up a half mile...oye.

I see a new challenge in my future...keep on swimmin'-swimmin'-swimmin!

OH NO...I'm HOOKED

Last night Tom and I rode the final Time Trial of the season put on by the Vancouver Bicycle Club. It was a blast! I don't know what possessed me to even want to do it, but I set up a short list of goals for the year way back when and only got one completed before last night. I'm pretty sure now that I don't want to do a race at PIR...that would be waaay to stressful, but a Time Trial...that's just me against the clock. The only thing I gotta do is strip my bike down of items that would creat too much drag and too much weight to have to heft down the road, now if I could only get rid of my excess weight hmmm...

So we arrive at the Port Offices and start getting situated and wandered over to see about registering. Well, the guy was more than happy to get us signed up and handed me the clip board with an EMPTY sign-in sheet...NO ONE ON THE LIST! I asked if #1 goes first and he said yes so I then tried to get Tom to take the clip board, but he wouldn't, so I ended up wearing #1 YIKES! I spent a little time being a little anxious over the fact that I would be starting first, but then I decided that it doesn't really matter because at least this way I can keep an eye on other people on the course as they start to pass me...I knew that much for sure.

Since I was to start first, I started to get a little nervous about starting...HOW do I start a Time Trial? I mosey on over to the start in the first position where there are a couple of bike club members and they explain that one will be holding my bike by the saddle and the other would wedge his foot under my front wheel to stop me from rolling away. Oh, okay...got it...now I clip in and wait. The countdown starts at 20 seconds...that just long enough for me to start freaking out again. Calm thoughts...countdown ends and I get a big push off!  With 30 seconds between riders I thought for sure that Tom would be not too far behind, but the next rider that I saw was #3 passed me in no time at all, almost as if I were standing still. It was all good now because finally I had someone to look at for a while...until he sped off like a maniac. It was a while before anyone else passed probably another mile or so. Surprisingly, Tom was not one of the people that passed. In fact, he passed me after the turn around...stinker. It was all good, I now had someone to look at - I'm a visual person and need to see other people to know how I'm doing. I finished the course in 33:52. Not a bad time, but if the wind weren't so nasty in the first 5 miles it would have been much better. I'm pretty happy with my time AND I loved being out there.

The other thing that I noticed was that probably 1/2 the bikes out there were Tri Bikes or had aero bars attached...VERY COOL! I think I just might want a Tri Bike....

Wet Run

After being wishy-washy about running this morning I went out and did it anyway. I gotta get over the fact that it is raining and just do it. The rain wasn't so bad so the run wasn't so bad. I shorted myself about a 1/3 of a mile though. I didn't map out my route very well, OR I forgot what I mapped out and ran whatever was going thru my mind. Oh well. If I had to choose to run or ride in the rain I would definitely choose to run. That way I'm only messing up my clothes and not my clothes AND my bike. Every wet ride requires a bike bath on top of me cleaning up. Who wants to do that?

As I was looking back at my running log for this past year I counted how many days per month I ran between from April thru August. I averaged about 5 - 6 days a month. That's half of what I really should be doing - which is kind of crazy because I was supposedly training to do the Blue Lake Du and then kind of training for the All Women's event. Very interesting. I think if I actually run as much as I should be I would do MUCH better. Wouldn't that be something?

So I'm going to make an effort to run at least 3 times a week and kind of follow the training plan that I got from runnersworld.com. I just might improve a little...just maybe.

Looking forward to duathlons in 2010!

Creative Running

Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, "I've never seen anyone run like that before." It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative.  Bill Rodgers, 4 time Boston Marathon winner



Yeah, I don't think that I create a very good spectacle while running...I'm pretty sure that people say I've never seen anyone run like that before when they see ME. At least I get out there and do it! The video is my back-up!

RUNNING...YEAH BAY-BEE!

Today was the first time I felt like a runner! For real and everything. Running in the dark might have something to do with that so I don't feel so self conscious about how I might appear to unsuspecting folks who happen to see me on the road or the track or trail.

This morning was so cool though...I waited until it wasn't nearly as dark as usual and took off for a two miler - I'm starting my new 8K training plan - and it was comfortable. All the way down and around the corner and to the neighborhood that I run thru (for the street lights). When I popped out at Bliss Road I decided to run on the crappy path that parallels the road. I may not do that again, it is so uneven and bumpy, but I did it and felt somewhat swift...light on my feet. Amazing!

I love feeling like I'm getting somewhere with all the effort I have been trying to put into this activity!

run-ride-run baby!

Been a slow week...

Haven't done a whole lot as far as training...things are starting to slow down a little. I am continuing to bike commute as much as possible, but as soon as fall arrives I'm not sure how many days I'll have to ride to work. Thought I would run more this week, but haven't and I need to get back on track with my push ups.

Still need to continue logging miles to get ready for the Peach in September though, so I still have something to work toward. I'm looking forward to seeing how long it takes to do 100 miles. We are figuring on 7 to 7.5 hours. We'll see when the day comes! Then our last organized ride for the year will be the Harvest Ride in October which will start at the Washington County Fairgrounds this year. I am hoping for a more relaxed ride this year even though it is a 75 miles. Check out the ROUTE. The route takes us through some areas that we have not covered before - it looks that way at least. New routes are always fun.

When we started the cycling season oh so many months ago I wanted the season to last a long time. Now it looks like it is winding down a little. I'm looking forward to a little rest and running though, so that's all good. We did a lot of fun rides though and cut out most of the urban rides that happen around Portland. We'll probably do the Bridge Pedal next year though...gotta have at least one chaotic day out of the whole year.

The next year will be filled with with running, riding and hopefully swimming! For me it's all about challenging myself beyond what I think I can do and having a good time in the process - even if there is pain and a little suffering!

running chart

I have never posted a pic of my running chart because it is so pathetic...but at least I have SOME miles on it...so that is something.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm starting to train for an 8K (4.97 mi), just for distance. I haven't seen any 8K races out there, but in case I do, I'll be ready! I will slowly work my way up to a 10K which I thought I could do this year, but boy was I kidding myself! I didn't have nearly as much time to devote to the running plan and had to abandon it and focus on getting my 5K time a little faster or at least feel more comfortable. Which I do feel comfortable running 3 miles - so all is good!

I am looking forward to the Fall and Winter when I will switch my focus to running and keep my cycling in the background with riding my trek on the trainer in the garage when the mornings are too wet and gloomy to ride. What I'll probably do is change my start time at work to get a little extra time at lunch to get on the treadmill OR we'll actually join a gym and I can get some treadmill time in there. I can't believe that I'm excited about running on the treadmill.

Here's to running an 8K....

I'm psyched!

Unofficial Rest

This hasn't been the best of weeks...if you go to my other blog you will see why.

So this week was just a couple of days of riding AND a couple of days of push ups. OH, I haven't mentioned the push ups...Yeah, the deal with that is if you go to www.hundredpushups.com you will find out all the information needed to "train" to do 100 push ups, consecutively after six weeks - WHOA...SIX WEEKS?! Well, I'm in the middle of week four and am struggling a little bit, so I'll probably do a week of training over again. Just for fun because I really like the trembling arms from all the effort I have to put into reaching the minimum goal for the "Maximum Set" at the end of each session.

Anyway, once I get my motivation back - any day now - I'll hit the road again. I have to admit that it is harder now that Tom isn't supposed to run because of a lingering injury from a fall that occurred at the end of February. It might be two or three more months until he pulls on those running shoes again, so I'll have to do some early morning runs and/or after work runs at the track with Tom walking on the track. I'm a little bummed, but at least he can still get out and walk. My hope is that we will participate in a holiday run in Ridgefield and possibly the First Run in Portland.

We'll see....I'm always looking for something to do and keep myself in a shape less round and pudgy as I have been in years past. Also, I hope to not put on my "winter coat" and if I can manage to do that, I hope to NOT celebrate in January for not gaining weight! It's a constant battle!

I'm psyched!

Future Goals

The summer isn't over yet and I'm already looking forward to planning my activities for next year. I have already started with my 8K training, just adding a little distance instead of going all out for a 10K. An 8K seems doable with the time that I have available to run. So, I'm looking forward to reaching that goal.

There is a Spring Classic Duathlon in April and I'm looking to do that one...hopefully Mark & Robin will team up with us...Mark & Tom and Robin & I. Tom and I would be the runners and M & R the cyclists. It would be best that way since they don't run and I'm on my way to actually enjoying this running stuff. It's amazing what the right shoes will do! We'll probably do the Blue Lake Du as individuals, just so I can see if I can better my time and then the All Women's event in August. On top of the multisport events I'm hoping to do a couple of 5K races here and there for training and then there is always the cycling events.

Now that we are starting to become a little more selective about what rides we do I'm sure that we'll cut out all of the urban rides that are in Portland and stick to the longer distance rides. Those fit our riding style of go go go!

So while my training for the first Duathlon is long past...there will always be opportunities to get faster & stronger - well at least stronger...we'll see about faster.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

CRAZY IDEAS...

I've done this...

Do I really want to do this?

It almost is crazy to think that I am considering swimming after saying over and over that "I don't swim. Oh, in a lake, yeah, no I don't swim."

Over the weekend Tom and I were in Albany and the hotel we stayed at had a pool. Tom thought I should get a swim suit so we could swim a little. Oh, are there swim suits available mid-way thru summer? No, just the ugly ones or the huge ones or the teeny bopper ones. Nothing for "normal" people. So no swimming this time. Anyway, during our travels around Albany I had asked Tom if he was interested in trying a triathlon, and he said he had thought about it. Crazy thing is I have been thinking of it myself. YIKES!

Not only do I need to train more for my running....I would have to add swimming. Last time I checked we don't have a pool in the backyard and we don't have a membership at one of those gym places that would have a pool. Also, I don't have a suit that fits. So yeah, sign me up!

Doing all these athletic-y activities has been good though, I'm losing some weight (and gaining it back) and getting stronger and more motivated. So I guess we'll do a tri, but not until 2011 - I want to better my individual Du time before moving on to the next challenge.


I'M CRAZY PSYCHED!

REST

Now that the All Women's event is past I find that I have to rest. Not because I want to, but because I'm a train wreck! This week I managed to tweak my back, so pretty much all outdoor activities that would require swift movement is OUT. I'm a little bummed, but sometimes I need these little reminders that rest is important. Along with my messed up back I had twisted my ankle during the second run at the All Women's Du and while it is no longer painful, it is still swollen, so no running either. Okay, so I get it...just hang out and recuperate. No pushing for the rest of the week.

This Sunday is a new ride for us, the Mid-Willamette Valley Bike Club's Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour out of Albany. We are opting for the 68 mile tour because that one includes lunch, something that is very important to Tom. I would have been happy with the 40 mile route, but I don't think that I'll regret changing my mind.

Next week will be a good week to start bike commuting again and maybe even get out and run a little too. I got onto runnersworld.com and looked at a new training plan for an 8K - not sure how far that is, but sounds good. It's more than 3.1 miles and less than 6.2 miles I know that for sure. That will be my goal for next year along with shaving time off. Running really has become more enjoyable now that I have the right shoes for my particular running style. I never thought I would ever say that and Tom is surprised to hear those words coming out of my mouth too...look at me, I'm growing!

Even though August has just started I know it will be over before we know it. I'm going to enjoy every day as much as possible because...

I'm psyched!

All Women's Video

Finally, got some video with my new FLIP camcorder...been trying to link this to the sidebar, but I'm not getting it...ho hum. This is 2hours in 2 min 27 sec...just the highlights!

All Women's Sprint Tri & Du at Blue Lake

Today was the big day! Robin's first taste of Multi-sport events and my second Du!

Just doing the runs and not having to do the ride was a little easier, the only thing that became a problem was the fact that it was a little warm...warmer than when I run normally which has been either early in the morning or in the "cool" of the late afternoon. With the high temps over the last week, today promised to be cooler, but the temps rose steadily throughout the morning.

My first run time was a little slower than Blue Lake in June and my second run time was slightly better, BUT over all the difference between the two runs was not 6 minutes...so that was an improvement. During my second run I managed to twist my ankle a little, but not so much that I had to stop. I was happy that I didn't go down.

Robin did a great job on the ride, she ROCKED the course with an 18+ mph average! She had it pretty easy going to and from the course since I had her use my mtn pedals/shoes for this event. Big fat cleats bolted to the bottom of road shoes...not good, boooo! When we saw her returning to the relay transition area it was a little surprising to see her coming our way...SO COOL!

The coolest part was that there were two Du teams racing and we came in with the fastest time - 2:01:30!!! So that got us medals!! Seriuosly, that is the only way we would get an award, as a TEAM and with the other team no where in sight. So bad, but hey, we got first!!!

I couldn't imagine having anyone else as a teammate...Robin really did great even though she was unsure how things worked during the event. She was also commenting that next year we'll have to beat our time. Hmmm, could she also be hooked? I know I am! Here's looking forward to Blue Lake & the All Women's events in 2010! I'M SUPER PSYCHED NOW!

Make a Smilebox photobook

***UPDATE***

After looking at the results at racecenter.com it turns out that the other team was in a different division! We were the only ones in our division...STILL ROCKED THE COURSE!

Confirmation Card

Got mine in the mail yesterday!

Did a couple of runs out on the road - EARLY morning runs this week. I'm pretty excited about the Du. I won't be at work tomorrow so I can decide what I want to do as far as what beverage and other nibbles to bring along. I'll probably bring a bag with a few items in it to leave in the transition area...it will definitely feel different being a part of a team. I think my second run might just be a little better than when I did the full thing in June. While Robin is out on the bike course I'll have that time to keep loose and relaxed for the second run. Hopefully I won't add an additional 6 minutes as I did during the Blue Lake Du.

Oh well, this is all for fun and also for the challenge of it all. When I look back to 5 years ago, I was nearing the last week or so of my radiation treatments at this time back then. No way would I have ever thought that I would be participating in a multi-sport event 5 years later...it's just amazing.

There are times that I feel that this life that I'm living is not real. Who would have even imagined that I would be riding my bike for miles and miles and miles and that I would get to the point that running isn't all that bad? MAN! God is good and I am thankful for all that I have endured before, during and after treatments. If I hadn't I wouldn't have a clue of what I am capable of doing! Life is sweet and...

I'M PSYCHED!

One Week

and we'll be running and riding and running again...WE would be Robin and I!

Did a 3 mile run this morning and man, that felt good! Half way thru my run I was thinking I need to step up the pace I need to get done faster...I can't let Robin down! More importantly, I can't let myself down. Negative self talk is bad and when things start to hurt or if I'm not breathing so well, the negativity sets in quick! Things were much different this morning and nothing really hurt, I didn't focus on my breathing because I figured I was actually breathing okay and hadn't passed out yet....then when I decided it was time to pick it up a little it didn't hurt!!! That just probably is an indicator that I could do MORE. Dang it!

Well, this year it's all about doing the stuff I set my mind to. Next year I'll do more as far as training goes - actually add in the strength training part even though I don't know HOW, but I gotta give it a try. What would it be like if I did the training as outlined in my multi-sport book? Hmmm...I'll find out at Blue Lake 2010 - if all goes well. This multi-sport thing, it's ADDICTIVE!

I'm PSYCHED!

Not much longer...

and Robin and I will be tearin' up the course at the All Women's Event! Alright, so we won't be tearin' up anything, but we will have a fun time! We are officially registered and the confirmation cards will be sent next week...packet pick-up on Friday and a few days to run.

It will be a fun morning...run ride run baby!

With the All Women's event a couple of weeks away, it seems that my training has really been hit or miss. I am riding a lot, did a little bit of running, and managed to lose a few pounds since the Tour de Blast. If Robin does do the event with me then all I have to do is run...two 5K's! That would be fine since I went all out on the bike portion of the Blue Lake Du...maybe not so smart. No matter, I FINISHED! I'll have to continue riding and doing the core exercises that I started last week - every little bit helps!

The heat hasn't helped, but I'm trying to do more riding in the heat at least. That will help, then I can't let myself whine about how hot it is while I'm doing this or that. I haven't tried running in the heat yet, I probably will do that next week at least a couple of times.

This weekend is Cycle Oregon Weekend so no running to be done...although I could pack my running gear and run early on the campus...now there is a good idea!

I'm PSYCHED!

Just a little more training...

That's all, just a little more. Twenty-two more days and I'll be running and riding and running again...I can't wait!

While training for Blue Lake and got to three weeks away from the event the days felt like they flew by. Now it just feels like time is slowing down somehow. It's all good, my goal is to ride to and from work at least 3 days a week so that there are a couple of days to run after work. Then on the weekend I'll do another easy run which probably should be a tempo run, but I'm thrilled to get out and run at all let alone at a pace I think I can keep throughout a race. Monday has been my rest day but I'll be switching that around until after the All Women's event.

It's been a while since I said so, but I'm PSYCHED!

4th of July Fun Run

Today was the Ridgefield 4th of July fun run...I have not trained or anything since the Du and the fact that I could mostly run the whole thing is a huge accomplishment, especially since this was quite the hilly route. I forgot to stop my timer on my watch and I'm figuring that I probably did it in under 38 minutes...but we'll have to check and see later.

With all the hills I think I did pretty decent - and it was fun! I am used to running in the cooler hours of the morning (5 a.m.) so it was a little warm running at 8 a.m. It would be a wise thing to run a little bit later in the day on the days that are not 85+ for the summer runs. I am finding that I like to push myself more and more all the time. Now I know what I need to work on - speedwork and hills! Tom did well and came in under 30 minutes (he thinks). After maybe 3/4 of mile I told him to go and run his own race - I'm glad that he did. Then I could focus on doing my own race. I know that I will never do a super great run, but working at it and trying to improve over the last run is what I am interested in. Also, I know that we'll pass after he makes the turn around and I'm going to the 1/2 way mark. I also like having someone cheering me on at the finish...that's cool!

The next Du/Tri is less than a month away and I'm hoping to get my team together for a fun morning.

I'm psyched!

Second Wind Frazz

FRAZZ

(click comic)

How many days do I have?

Until the next Du/Tri? I have all of July to TRAIN!

This week I started up with my bike commuting again, so that has been good. I have to rely on walking to get to the store or when I want to visit Starbucks (Target) for my coffee. I don't miss going to my regular Starbucks so much even though school is out and it is much quieter these days.

Today I decided to do a quick run after arriving home - my ride home was pretty good with my average hovering around 15mph while going into the wind and the run felt surprisingly good. This is just the beginning of ramping back up for the All Women's Tri/Du event at Blue Lake - hope to have a team for this one because it will be totally fun!

Since riding the Tour de Blast I have decided that it would be good to drop some weight. That would greatly increase my ability to ride up hills, run like a fool and all other things that require me to move fast. So I have started to track my food intake on The Daily Plate (again). This is a handy tool that allows me to see what all I'm eating and helps me to make better choices so that I can reach my goals. It's not so much that I'm on a diet, but just making sure that I get the kind of foods that I should be consuming each day and balancing my carbs/fats/proteins. Today I did pretty well, with all the calories that I burned riding to and from work along with the walking to the store and to Mali's shop, I managed to have so many calories available at the end of the day for dinner which we usually try to keep pretty light and healthy.

Aaah, food....we have a new favorite that we tried this week Sushi Roll in a Bowl - I don't know why I didn't think of this myself. The first time I saw it was in the June issue of Prevention Magazine and I have been wanting to try it for at least a month now. It's a really fun recipe to do, it's almost like making salads, only instead of lettuce sushi rice is used. The rice is surprisingly easy to make and will easily feed four people. We had a few of our favorite sushi type items, cucumbers, carrots, shrimp, smoked salmon and a couple of other things and had a fun time making dinner together...it's a new favorite so it will probably be a regular feature since it is so easy.

So hopefully in the next month I will gain some strength, lose a few pounds and most of all stay PSYCHED!

Du #2

Or a Tri - as a team. Last week was a week off from serious running, riding and other things I should be doing to prepare for multi-sport events. I decided to ride to work today and make it a sprint, as much as I physically could. The ride was good and I feel a little tired still, but I can't stop completely. It's part of my obsessive nature. I really want to do the All Women's Du (or Tri relay) so I'll be ramping up the training again in the next couple of weeks. There is a 5K race in Ridgefield, so that will be a possibility, just to get out with a bunch of runners. Runners who are much faster than I am, but I need that so I know what I am capable of.

It is possible that I do a lot, but that's okay, I have all winter to rest ;)

I'm PSYCHED!

TIREDNESS

I didn't realize how tired how would feel after doing the Duathlon. Turns out my body is pretty fatigued. I spent the last 6 months getting ready for this and now that it is all over I can be tired. Seems weird that the tiredness only just now started. There have been other things that have caused me to slow down, but not to the point that I will put off a run or riding to work. I figure my "reward" is rest for this week. Did one brief run this week and Tom and I went for a ride this morning a short one (just 13 miles). It's all good though, because I don't feel the urge to push myself right now. I am reserving that for the next multi-sport event, the All Women's Triathlon/Duathlon on August 1st. With just over 5 weeks until this next event, I'm hoping to get a team put together and make it a relay - share the wealth of fun! I had a lot of fun during the first one and it is an experience that cannot be compared to anything else.

This was a fun event to do just to see if I could do it and see just how much effort I would have to put into finishing. Turns out I had to put a fair amount of effort into running the second run, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was a slow run, but really I didn't feel so different than when I ran my first 5K for the LIVESTRONG Challenge a year ago.

I like being active and challenging myself to do better. Nothing about the things I choose to do is decided on a whim. Since I had my brain tumor diagnosis 5 years ago, it has been my goal to experience as much as possible and not take life for granted. I would rather spend life being adventurous and have all these memories to look back on than to worry about my health. There is no reward in that.

Here's looking forward to more multi-sport events....I'm Psyched!

What's next?

Next up for me is this event - once again at Blue Lake. That is one of my favorite places!

Next Time

Now that I have completed my first Duathlon I can honestly say that it was very cool. The whole thing is just so exciting, watching other athletes running around getting their gear set up and warming up for their event. Duathlons are really fun and challenging – doing a triathlon would just about kill me since it involves swimming and not just a short little jaunt, but a ½ mile in a LAKE. EEUUWWW – lake water, being splashed all over the place. I might swim decently, for short distances, but a pool is more my speed. So, choosing the duathlon was a no brainer.

 

Yesterday we talked about what to do as far as training for a better result next time. I’m all happy and excited that I finished with no stopping, but with the right elements in training I could possible break the 2 hour mark. I’m getting “old” so I don’t expect to do much better than 2 hours, although there were some other women out there who were “old” like me and they were doing pretty good time! I suppose with all things, practice, practice, practice! That would bring results.

 

So, what will I do to be better duathlete?

 

MORE RUNNING – Well, that’s somewhat obvious. My running has improved quite a bit since the beginning of the year and I felt pretty good on my first run on Saturday and my time was better than I expected! The second run reminded me of our first 5K run that we did for the Livestrong Challenge. My legs were fatigued during that run almost as much as they were for this event. So, I think that I’ll need to work on speedwork and maybe hill work….both would help a lot and I could possibly improve both runs. Right now my pace is just under a 12 minute mile…good for still being a beginning runner, but I know I can improve on that. I want to get closer to an 11 minute mile before this year is over – then next year we’ll see what happens.

 

CYCLING – Well, I just need to continue working on riding faster on my compact crank. We had a 16.33 mph on the bike course, but I know we could do better. Still, it took us 44 minutes to finish the course…much quicker than I thought could happen.

 

STRENGTH – Probably my least favorite training activity. I know how important it is, and yet I don’t do as much as I should or could when I do get to doing some weight training. I have read over and over the benefits of strength blah blah blah…it’s a really nice theory. I hope to test it out sometime soon.

 

NUTRITION/HYDRATION – Ugh…always hard to eat well and drink enough fluids, but I know I can do better especially with my nutrition. I try to make good choices, but with the summer months coming up and the potential to eat away from home more often, it might be hard to find the kind of foods that I should be eating…ho hum. It’s so much easier to pick hamburgers or greasy Mexican food, but we do alright. Just trying to not overeat wherever we end up.

 

REST – I really need to get to bed at a decent time and try to get as much sleep as possible so my body can repair itself while I’m snoozing.

 

I suppose I can treat the next month or so as an experiment since the All Women’s Sprint Tri/Du is on August 1 and I plan to participate in this event also. Until then I’ll be working hard!

 

I’m PSYCHED!

 

2009 Blue Lake Sprint Du

Make a Smilebox slideshow

BLUE LAKE ROCKS!

Today was the big day! It was the most fun I have had in a long time. Nothing about the day worried me, because all I focused on was finishing each leg of the Du. Pretty smart on my part!

The purpose of this event for me was to challenge myself even more than I have in the past as a celebration of being 5 years past my brain cancer diagnosis. The Livestrong Challenge was not coming to Portland so I needed to find something to do that would give me a sense of accomplishment - I don't know how I stumbled on Blue Lake, but it just must have meant to be. I toyed with the idea of doing a Duathlon for a while, as a way to get in better shape, and this was just the perfect time to do it. During the time of year where the heat has cranked up yet, but just far enough into the year to do the training. Since this was our first Du I wasn't sure exactly what to do to prepare besides running and riding and the occasional strength training routine so I just went with my willy-nilly, kind of following a plan plan and did alright.

We did the first run at a nice easy pace so as not to overdo it before the ride. I'm not a great runner, so I was happy to be at the way back end of the group...back far enough to see the other runners, but not so much that we were last.

The Ride...well, I LOVE to ride so the ride was easy, and even more fun since this was a race. It was fun going FAST, and even more fun going fast AND passing other cyclists. There were a fair amount of people passing me too, a lot of people on tri-bikes with aero bars...SO COOL. I didn't mind being passed by those people...they were serious about their race. Made pretty good time with the ride and kept my average up above 16mph until we got back to Blue Lake and the average went down a little because of our having to get off the bike to go back to the transition area. The only thing I would change with the ride is not using my road pedals and shoes, definitely will change out the pedals to my mtn pedals for an easier run going thru the transition area.

Second run...I was not surprised at how slow I went...I can't even say it was a run or a jog...maybe a shuffle. All I thought about was that it was only 3 more miles and I already know what to expect so no surprises on the run. What I was happy about was that I kept running. My goal was to continue "running" no matter how slow and stopping briefly to take a drink at the water station (need to figure out how to run and drink at the same time). Oh and there was one spot on the route that was a short little downhill which had gravel and rocks...I walked that too. The second run definitely took longer, but the no stopping part was the best. I know that I can do it!

At the beginning of the second run Tom was hanging back a little as I was slow to start and at one point I just told him to just go and run his own pace. It was a liberating feeling having my own race to run as he ran his own - not relying on him for pacing and all that. While I was on my own I kept thinking about how much harder it was being a cancer patient and all the stuff I had to do...doing this event was easy by comparison. Not that it was, but mentally it seemed easier. Everything about going thru cancer is mostly about attitude...I had the I can do this attitude then and I still have that attitude now. It's magnified because of the cancer. That's pretty cool.

In the end it was a great experience, I wasn't sure just how much I would like multi-sport events. They are a blast! All sorts of people, fast, slow, in between, big, small, athletic, not so athletic. The whole race atmosphere is somewhat intoxicating...exciting!

The next Du will be at Blue Lake (again) on August 1 - the All Women Tri and Du. I'm planning to do that one and hopefully get a couple of my athletic friends out there with me....

I'M PSYCHED!

****UPDATE****

Results were posted... 2:11:13 overall time

Run #1 - 36:28
Tran #1 - 4:22
Bike - 44:05
Tran #2 - 4:02
Run #2 - 42:16

Not too shabby for my first Duathlon!

Countdown Begins...

My Race Day Packet (click the pic)

Got my transition bag all ready to go.

along with the scurrying around and making sure that I (we) have all that we need for the Du. I have already packed my bag for the transition area which includes my shot blocks, two bottles of Gleukos, towel, cycling shoes inhaler....camera...better get that in there. I have pain reliever in the car and another water bottle. I have already downed a couple of quarts of water and on my way to floating my way thru the event. Not to say that it will be easy....just a lot of hydration going on!

It turns out that Kristan M. will not be able to make it (as of today at 1pm when I left) it would be too much to try to get someone to cover her for a couple of hours. Also, she may consider doing the All Women Duathlon at Blue Lake in August. I might be able to round up a couple of people for that one for sure. I should not get ahead of myself, I may not enjoy this at all, but the reality of it all is that I think I will. I'm not expecting to do anything spectacular, but to finish. That in itself will be a huge accomplishment

As I was hanging out at work I was looking up all sorts of race day prep advice on the web and I found a really cool training plan called the "Low-Key" Duathlon Training plan. It pretty much is what I did...fitting in at least 3 runs per week and continuing my riding and doing the speed work and tempo this and that. I may do alright after all. The main thing that I figured out was that I what I did end up doing kind of was close to what this plan lined out. No set schedule which is good...although, I like a good plan, but with all the cycling that we have been doing it was hard to keep to the schedule as it was.

So with all the tips that I managed to find, we will make a trip to our favorite coffee spot and have a treat and ready ourselves for what I have been focused on for so many months now

Blue Lake here we come! I thought this day would NEVER come! I'm TOTALLY PSYCHED

Sprint Du just a couple of days away...

I'm feeling pretty good right now...considering that my "training" has been spotty for the last couple of weeks. There will be a couple of people from work joining us on Saturday - one will actually do the Sprint Tri. Aahh, swimming, not a favorite of mine. I'll stick to land sports thank you very much.

My level of excitement will certainly build over the next couple of days probably to the point where I will feel terror the morning of the event. Good thing the Du has a 8:00 mass start. So really, I won't have a lot of time to think about it. Just need to make a list of the things that I want to pack with me that day. Just got my Gleukos yesterday so I'm set as far as my hydration fluid of choice - After I pick up my packet on Friday I might have a little time to get over to Performance and get a few more Shot Blocks (margarita flavor) and then figure out exactly what I want to wear - no swimming so it should be fairly easy. I'll need to choose a jersey with nice big pockets to pack my shot blocks at least...easy to get to or may I should go with Gu...hmmmm. Ah well, once I figure it out I'll change my mind again!

This will be fun, especially since my friends Kristen & Kristan - church Kristen and work Kristan will both be doing Blue Lake. I'll get a chance to visit with Kristen since we'll be carpooling to the event and then she'll do the Sprint Tri. Hopefully Tom and I will find Kristan during the set up part and the 3 of us will muddle thru the event together. Kristan and I have already decided that the first two parts will be a no-brainer....but the second 5K - we'll see....

If I really enjoy the suffering I may considering doing the All Women event on August 1. All of the time that I put into this just helps me to realize that being active is good for the mind and the body. I'm more fit than a year ago and I ALWAYS feel better emotionally after a ride or a run. The run takes a little longer to recover from, but it's always good having done a good run. Usually after a run I don't feel so much like a loser...I have a problem with that. Next year might be the year that I try to increase my mileage to a 10K distance. I'm not sure how well that is going to happen, more distance requires more time and sometimes I feel like I don't have any time to devote to longer runs. I'll have to try to work that out at some point. Things usually work out somehow.

Here's to this Saturday and as always - I'm PSYCHED!!!

Registered

Okay, so last night I got Tom and I registered for the Du - now all I can do it do my best to finish. Since the nice weather came, my running has slacked off and really, training has been on the light side. I am getting out and running and all that, but just not the amount I would like.

So my next post will probably be a post event report. As much as I feel like I have accomplished so much in the last few months, I have to admit that I really miss riding more than I enjoy running - and I am starting to enjoy the running (that's the weird part). So, as summer starts and we look to the events we think we might do, I am thinking that a 5K here and there wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Really, I'm PSYCHED!

Just around the corner

The Blue Lake Event is just a couple of weeks away and I'm done obsessing. I came to the conclusion a few days ago that when we do this all I need to do is focus on whatever element we happen to be doing at that particular time. That might just be the only thing that will keep me sane.

I don't expect to go terribly fast - well maybe on the bike - but I hope to finish strong. I have been doing so much riding recently and I'm trying to keep up some running (including speedwork) here and there. Also have done a few running/riding combos so I know what to kind of expect when we get there. Hmmm...nothing ever came from the strength training, maybe next year! It's all a mental game and I know that I can do it. Nothing is going to stop me now!

Part of me is looking forward to getting this event behind me so I can concentrate on riding enough through the remainder of the summer to do a Century this fall. We have decided to do the Peach of a Century at the end of September. This ride starts at Chemeketa Community College in Salem and since we have already ridden the Metric Century, we have an idea of what to expect during that ride.

We'll see how the racing at PIR goes...those might not happen, but I think I'll be able to convince Tom to do a couple of VBC time trials before the season is over.

Run-Ride-Run Baby....I'm PSYCHED

MORE training

Yesterday was a ride to work and ride home then run afterwards kind of day. Mixing things up a little since my first plan was to run before riding to work...I'll have to do that next week. It's all good, the running is slow going, but I realized at one point that I don't need to focus on the big picture - just the one thing that I'm doing...yeah...what I'm doing. It's all craziness and there is so much happening in the next few weeks leading up to the du...I'm definitely looking forward to doing this and see how the whole thing turns out. The good thing is that I have no thought of NOT doing it, that would be silliness...to kind of train for so long and decide not to do it. That would be bad. Time to get ready to ride to work!

I'm psyched!

Frazz

Run-Ride-Work-Ride-Ride

So this morning I decided I would do a run before riding to work...it was so awesome! My lungs were cooperating which was nice and my breathing was not so labored as it can be. It was nice to run early in the morning too. I haven't done that since last summer. My route was just under 2.75 miles, I probably would have had my 3 miles if I had gone down the private road by our house, but a car was coming, so I continued on home. I was happy with my time 32:21 or something like that I had a good pace going and I know that my 5K time would be pretty good or good enough for race day.

I took my time during my "transition". Had to hydrate a little, change out of my running clothes and pull on my cycling shorts, jersey and all that and choke down a few margarita shot blocks. With the weather being decent and just having run I contemplated riding without my jacket and wearing my arm-warmers, but I figured that it was still chilly enough and I would be going MUCH faster riding than running which would chill me a lot faster, so I put my jacket on. Tom would be proud.

My ride to work was uneventful and I was feeling pretty good...gotta love the endorphins! I'm looking forward to more running and riding and hopefully adding the last running in before the big day is here. I'm pretty sure that I'll do alright. I'm not expecting to do all that great, just finishing would be a huge accomplishment. If I survive Blue Lake I'll go back on August 1 for the All Women's Sprint Tri & Du races.

SO PSYCHED!

~the last ride in my title would be for the short ride to Mary's for her party tonight - makes no sense to drive my car a quarter mile after riding to and from work~

Blue Lake

Yeah, so yesterday I was pokin' around on the Blue Lake website and was curious about the times that previous racers had. The slowest was just over two hours...I have a goal now!

Even with my training "lite" I think I'll do okay - it's gonna be "Eyes on the Prize" time for sure. I know that I can run a pretty decent 5K so the first one won't be bad, all I have to do is just relax and get the second one done and expect up to 10 minutes more added to my first time.

In the last few weeks my allergies have not helped and messing up my back a month ago or so slowed me down a little. I'll have to shoot for a 10K distance next Spring. That will probably be my limit. If not, I don't mind running 5K's those can be nice and fast!

Looking forward to doing a couple of 5K races around the area, but not until after BLUE LAKE BABY!

I'm psyched!

Training Continues...

This week was very uninspiring...but I at least got a couple of runs in. Yesterday was the litmus test...Kristen and I did a ride-run yesterday. That was a good thing to do because it wasn't JUST a ride home from work - which can be hard if I make that way - we went for a 12.5 mile ride and then came back to my house and did a road run about a couple of miles.

It wasn't bad, but I know that I need to step this up a little. Probably something I should have been doing a couple of weeks ago. No matter, it's all good, had a pretty good time and I feel like if I get rested (I wasn't yesterday) I might have a pretty good chance at doing a decent run at this when June 13 is here.

After we came back I felt pretty good, but I know that I still have to run that FIRST 5K so we'll see how that goes.

Even with some doubt I am PSYCHED!

feeling tired

This week Tom and I managed to get out for a couple of runs and we both rode to work. I must not be resting enough...my body just feels tired!

Tomorrow is the 34 mile RACC which will be fun we (Tom & I, Mark & Robin and Matt & Kristen) will all ride together for the first half and then split after we get to my old house. The gals will continue on the 34 and the men on to 65 miles - well, that's the current plan. We'll see how things go tomorrow, the weather is not looking terribly promising.

I think over the next couple of weeks I'll start running in the morning and do a little trainer time...and maybe run just a little more just to get used to doing all three elements!

I'm looking forward to doing this Du and I know that I will finish, but I hope to finish strong. I worked hard on my running (even though I'm slacking right now) to have everything go in the toilet at this point.

Ride - Run

Yesterday after I got home from work on my bike – riding into the wind up Hwy 99 into Salmon Creek and into the wind going down 139^th Street – Tom and I did a very brief, but quick run to start getting used to the whole Run-Ride-Run idea. I’m not that worried about the first 5K, that won’t be much of a problem, but I am a little concerned about the second 5K.

My ride home is 6 miles which is half of what I’ll be riding in the Du, but there are hills involved so that kind of evens out in the end, not really. The distance we ran last night was just 1 mile and for that mile I was able to do it in 11:09 – not bad for having short legs and all. The only thing is I need to run 2.1 miles beyond that so I’ll need to increase the distance over the next few weeks. More speed work would be good too. That’s been helping so I’m pretty sure a few more sessions on the track will help out!

Our modified training schedule will be messed up this weekend. The Monster Cookie Metric Century is this Sunday so I’ll be resting up on Saturday and not running until next week. I would like to do a long run next week and continue doing speed work and maybe throw a tempo run into the mix too. Of course, all of that depends on how much we are cycling and how often I ride to work. I know that I should be making the time to run, but it has been tough since we have not been riding much and the weather has been so good! There will be balance, soon enough though. We’ll do the RACC on May 2 and then I’ll have the remainder of May to really work on my running and probably should temper my riding so that I’m not going all out at the beginning of the race which is so easy for me to do.

I have a massage appointment after work today – looking forward to a little relaxation!

I’m REALLY psyched!