Forced Rest

What I thought was allergies actually turned out to be a cold. So...I've been resting this week. Definitely not my favorite thing to do, but necessary. Hopefully next week I'll be good to go again, but I'll have to still take it easy...blah. It would figure that I would have a cold during the best weather we have seen in a long time!

Ridgefield's 4th of July run is on Saturday (the 3rd) then a couple of weeks after that we will be in Monmouth, OR for Cycle Oregon weekend! I'm pretty excited about that :)

Until then, I need to lay low and take it easy. It is possible that the 4th of July run will be my first all out effort after being unwell.

33:10

 Just looked up my official time from our TT last Thursday...not too bad considering the last TT we did was May 13 (32:58) and there was some wind last week that slowed down some others that night as well.

Now that I have had a chance to use the aerobars for the intended purpose, I know now that I need to make some minor adjustments to my bike for optimal performance during the TT's. I'm going to try to raise my seat just a little so I can get a better extension on the pedal stroke....details! 

I like Thursday nights AND I like dry Thursday nights! Now if we could get a no wind Thursday...that would be PERFECT!

Runnin' Ridin' Swimmin'

I have no idea how I'm going to fit in all these activities during the week AND get rest too. Got my two days of swimming in last week and a day of running. Yesterday was the big ol' miserable Tour de Blast...blah.

I've been telling Tom that I plan to keep my run days Monday & Wednesday, but then I don't know when I'll swim if I think I'm going to bike commute. SO - here's another crazy plan...ride to and from work and then run when I get home...or this is even better (for the sake of tme) run in the early morning and then ride to and from work...swim on Tuesday & Thursday...Long run on Saturday and REST on Sunday.

Now, that looks like a good plan, but the organized events are going to mess me up!

Really...a Tri is 2011? Crazy!

Tri Training

I'm nearing the end of week 1 of pre-tri-training. I have taken it easy for the most part this week and not really gone all out and did crazy stuff. Although, I did do a brick yesterday - a run/ride/run brick...it was a short effort, but still, probably more than I should have done. Oh well - I don't do slow very well.

This week I have gone and swam (swum?) in the pool at the gym...which was not bad, overall. Monday was not great as I tweaked my neck somehow. Today I went and did another 400 yards and actually swam 2 laps (or 100 yards) of Freestyle. Not in a row, but I did it and it was good! Just like with running I'll have to not push it too much with swimming, gotta build up slowly. No problem there - swimming is not easy. Playing in the pool is easy...but actual lap swimming is not easy. I'm pretty excited though, 2 laps and going all the way from end to end without stopping...that's huge! I'm getting excited, I might yet turn into a triathlete.

So, tomorrow is long run day. I have decided to run our Fred Meyer loop. At 4.5 miles that will be the farthest I have gone since the Shamrock run. If I can run two 5K's, I think I can do 4.5 miles!

Here's to turning into a tri girl!

And I Rest

The real purpose of running isn't to win a race; it's to test the limits of the human heart. Bill Bowerman

No training today, I felt more like sleeping than rushing around and getting to the gym by 5:15. So, we are back at it tomorrow with a run in the AM and if the weather cooperates a TT after work. I have been itchin' to try out my aerobars for real on a smooth road.

Making Up Time...

Tom was excited to hear that he made 3rd place in his age division - so much so that he wanted to start figuring out where he could move a little faster. He determined a couple of things that HE could do - do more running and quicken his time in transition. The first place guy did his transitions in half the time (I think). The other thing that would definitely make a difference is that Marine Drive could be paved and smooooth. We have no control over that so we just have to adapt and move on! Tom is definitely hooked...I think he has found his sport - Duathlons. We'll get him into the pool at some point.

This morning we opted to do a road run instead of going to the gym. The morning was cool and crisp and it felt good to be on the road instead of a treadmill! We ran 2.67 miles in 32min and some odd seconds and the pace turned out to be 12:17. That's pretty average for me...so I was not disappointed with that. Not bad for having done an all out effort a few days ago :) We need to do some hill repeats soon, I signed us up to run the 4th of July 5K in Ridgefield. I didn't realize how many hills there are on the way out of town as you are heading North. Even with the hills, my time wasn't all that bad - 38:18 (12.19).

Tomorrow we go back indoors - to the gym. I think I'll get into the pool again. My new swim cap should be delivered today so I'll just have to try that out for sure! Tom will be going to spin class...and be punished by John, one of the newer spin class instructors and a coach with Wenzel Coaching. Read about him HERE.

Oh, so if anyone is wondering where I placed I signed up for the Athena's division (or what I affectionately call the "big girl" division). This division is determined by weight and I qualify! Anyway, I "won" my division. Yeah, okay, I was the only one in my division, but it works for me! Be the only participant in that division and you can't lose! There are still too many faster women in the age division I fall under so I won't be trying to compete there just yet.

Swimming, Riding, Running Bay-bee!

For Next Time...

Yeah, so after the Du I forgot to scrub my legs to try to lighten up the body markings that we had tattoed on before the start of the race. I only remembered as soon as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. The good thing is, I was not alone...

Tom forgot also and as soon as I told him that I forgot he realized that he had also...hahaha...look how vibrant the markings are, almost like they were just written on our legs. I love permanent markers!

So we put on our shorts anyway because it was such a gorgeous day and hoped that no one would say anything. We ALMOST made it out of Fred Meyer with our purchase, almost...then a cute little old lady said, "I really like your leg tattoos." Dang it! We engaged in a brief conversation with this nice woman and she seemed rather amused and awed that we would do multisport events.


We'll probably forget next time too ;)

Blue Lake 2011

Will be my first Triathlon!

Swimming has not been in my training routine, so I'm starting to figure out how to fit it in with the running and cycling. I figure that if I at least swim a couple of  times a week that would be better than not swimming at all. My goal is to get as much swimming in as possible between now and when I intend to start a real training program for my first Tri. It will not be easy and I'm fully prepared to be overwhelmed at some point either really soon or in a month or so when we are in the thick of cycling and I'm still trying to run a couple of days a week.

My hope is to recruit some of my FD6 people into doing Blue Lake next year...I know of a couple of the guys who have already done either a sprint distance or a novice distance in the last couple of months, so they will be on my list for sure!

So, today was my first time back into the pool in over a month! This morning I tweaked my neck as I was getting ready to go to the gym - so annoying. Because of that I was not able to do Freestyle, but I was able to swim 400 yards this morning with short breaks in between each length. It will be interesting to see how things go progress. It would be wishful thinking on my part to think that I might be able to do a Tri in September, but I can always work on it...it would be a stretch though.


I can't believe that I'm back in training mode! There truly is no rest for the weary...

Swim(?), Ride, Run bay-bee!

If there were a podium...

Blue Lake 2010 was very good to Tom! He would be on the podium...if they had one! Check out the times in his age division...

Males: 50 to 54

1.  David Pecora, 52 - 1:39:22
2.  Andre Perra, 50 - 1:42:36
3.  Thomas Bennett, 52 - 1:44:06
4.  Tom Teramura, 54 - 1:45:32
5.  Vince Bianchini, 52 - 1:49:15

Why, why, why...

Do I do anything? Why am I so drawn to doing biking and running events...why do I like multisport events...Why does Tom willingly participate in these things with me? WHY?!

I thought a lot about why I ride and run and train and look for ways to improve and look for events to do. A lot of my drive comes from my appointment way back when with my radiation oncologist right after I got my diagnosis and she was like, "You shouldn't ride your bike." Whoa...wait a minute - THAT was the wrong thing to say. Yeah, so I really hadn't had my road bike all that long, less than 6 months, but I already knew that no one could tell me NOT to ride. So after a mini negotiation period, I did not have to give up my bike. A small victory at the beginning of a long road that leads to today.

Since that year we have ridden in many events and a couple of years ago I decided that I wanted to start running. The Livestrong Event in Portland had a 5k and I wanted to see if I could do it. I started a running plan to work up to running 30 minutes and we were on our way to running our first running event! I ran my first 5k in 39:47 - not bad for an old slow chick...hahaha! We ran another 5K that summer and then I was done running for the year and focused on the rest of the cycling events that we usually do.

The next year with Livestrong relocating the event to Seattle I wanted to figure out a new challenge to take its place. I had kicked around the idea of doing a duathlon for a little while and last year seemed like the right time to do it. It was my 5 year event - 5 years since my diagnosis and all that. So it was a special one. My training for last year's du was what I like to call training light - but I had so much fun that I started looking for more multisport events to do...then came the All Women's event. I got to team up with Robin and got to share the multisport craze with a friend.

People and bikes everywhere!

Training for Blue Lake 2010 started last Fall. I had to get back to running since I pretty much slacked of by the end of summer. Fortunately I was able to get back into it pretty easily - though it was painful. I hope to not fall into the not running routine again...must keep running! The bike part is easy by comparison.

So our Du was yesterday and it was so fun - my times were slower than last year's, but the weather didn't help. Actually, the park was all mucked up so I was being extra careful in the muddy areas and not running on the grassy area on the second run. Wet & muddy grass is not good, it's quite slow actually, so I figured I may as well walk. I wasn't the only one...it just wasn't pleasant at all.

The first run was pretty good. Nothing terribly eventful really - this run would be my 5th time running it in my 3rd event at Blue Lake with an additional coming after the bike! I am not fond of the first run, the duathletes run it apart from the triathletes since they are in the water swimming away. The fun part about doing the first run is coming back to the park and a part of the course goes past the lake. It's fun to watch all the bobbing heads in the water!

The bike portion of the course was equally unpleasant as the roadway was recently rotomilled and it was quite rough. I couldn't get comfortable in any position - hoods, drops or aerobars...nothing was good, but my ride was only slightly faster over last year's time...surprise of all surprises!

Run #2 - slower, but not painful. I definitely did not have lead legs. All those brick training sessions paid off! The best part of this run is the course not far from the finish is lined with people who have already finished the race and they cheer on us slow-pokes which is really cool. Also, Tom had finished 25 minutes or so ahead of me so he was near the finish chute cheering me as I was "running" by - I may have been shuffling at that point.

Tom has been so great...so supportive and so willing! I'm so grateful to have a husband who wants to run and ride and participate in all sorts of events and all that stuff! We'll see if he wants to try out a triathlon next year - I may be on my own while he tries to better his duathlon time.

 Tom appearing to be worn out from the race - what a kidder!

So, I start swimming tomorrow! A day and a half of rest should be enough...I hope!

Less Than 24 Hours...

and we'll be at Blue Lake!

I'm excited and annoyed at the same time. There are changes and I am not fond of change - especially when I have been thinking of what I need to do on Saturday morning.

Stupid excessive rain has caused the change in parking and we will not be able to park the car at Blue Lake. Instead we are being directed to park at Chinook Landing a mile and a half away...this changes stuff. So I guess I'll re-think my game plan.

I am looking forward to leaving at 1:00 today and heading over to the new Fit Right Northwest Store in Portland to pick up my race packet and stuff.

I am also looking forward to trying to do better times with my running and riding. I don't think that I'll improve terribly with the running - hopefully a few minutes, but I should be able to improve my ride by a few minutes - last year I finished the course in 44:05...which was slightly surprising. I don't remember taking that long. I'll be praying for a tailwind! My last VBC TT was at 32:58 so add a couple of miles and the fact that I have aerobars now and I might post a better time.

Anyway...the past 6 months have just flown by and I can't believe that the race is tomorrow. I am looking forward to completing another multisport event as an individual and am really looking forward to starting my swimming campaign for 2011!

Race Day is a Comin'....Woo Hoo!