I hopped back on the workout train finally. A week ago Saturday I had my first meeting with the Cinderella Challenge Training Group. This is a group that has a training ride each Saturday in preparation for the all-women Cinderella Ride in April. I am planning on doing the Challenge (same route as regular ride, with an extra 20 miles of hills thrown in), because I just really really REALLY want to be a rock star on the bike. And I am so not there right now.
I showed up to the first meeting totally unprepared--I just figured it would be a "Hey, this is what to expect, lets ride the bikes a bit, Cumbaya, blah, blah, blah." Wrong! They informed us we were doing a 21 mile ride. Wha? So, I took off with the first group and we rode around Fremont and had a little hill in there. I am not a great group cyclist, and the leaders kept giving me tips. I have space issues, and group cycling is all about riding close together.
The following day I did an hour and fifty minute run at the Los Gatos Creek Trail. It was the only dry time that day, so I lucked out. My prep for the Kaiser 1/2 (which is in 2 weeks--HELLO!) hasn't been the greatest. I had originally planned on doing Hal Higdon't training plan, but the rain and cold made running outside not very appealing. Instead, I had my trainer set up and did 3 bike workouts during the week and one 2 mile run squeezed in there.
My second training ride on Saturday went well. The leaders decided to split us up in groups based on speed. I asked some of the ladies which one was the slow group anda couple were a little indignant, "There is no SLOW group. There is Fast and FAST FAST."
Fine, fine, whatever, just put me in the non-time trial style group. The ride was 32 miles, some climbing, and a bit wet. I felt pretty strong though. Or rather, on my way to getting strong. Did I mention that I really, really, REALLY want to be a rock star on the bike?
On Sunday my plan was to run 2 hours. Also on the agenda was breakfast with the hubby and going to Trader Joes. My problem with Sunday runs is I usually get a late start on them and by the time I get home, it is time to make dinner and poof the weekend is over. So, my plan was to kill two birds and run to Santana Row where I could meet Hubby for brunch. I tried to figure out a route, and the decided I would just run to Santana Row and then run around the neighborhood there it to make up for whatever time was left.
Unfortunately, I managed to get a little lost. I took one road, and knew I had to make a left on Pruneridge, but somehow got my streets mixed up. Gradually I found my way to The Row, and it took exactly two hours. I was done by 12:15, had a lovely brunch at Left Bank (why hello, $5 Mimosas), and looked at couches with the hubby at Design within Reach and Crate and Barrel.
We went to Trader Joes, Chain Reaction Bike Shop, checked out and open house in our complex, and even managed some Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. All in all, a great, productive weekend.
This week's goal is to make it to one spin class. Oh, and bike early Saturday morning since I can't make it to the group ride. And get some speed work done on the track. That's it.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Note to self...
um...yeah...remember that 1/2 marathon you signed up for in February? You may want to like seriously start training for that...like, try running for more than 45 minutes...just a thought...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
2010---off to a good start and not (too) slackery.
Because I am all about cliche New Years resolutions, I am in full force so far in 2010. I have ran 2 - yes 2!- races this year AND did a spin class this morning. This year is going to be THE year for greatness. The two races were also a good barometer of my fitness level going into the new year.
On New Year's morning I met up with a bunch of friends to do the Los Gatos Resolution run. It is a 5 mile run to Lexington Reservoir. I have done the route a few times and was prepared for the hills. The run was ok. I wasn't fast and wasn't super slow. They only had enough goody bags for the first 300 finishers, and I didn't make it in time for a bag. Not that I was all bent out of shape---it just was a little humbling to know that I wasn't fast enough for a goody bag.
Yesterday I did the Brazen New Year's Run at Lake Chabot. I had heard about the race a few weeks ago and was THIS close to signing up for the 1/2 marathon. I slacked off though and didn't register until a few days ago and knew that a 10k would be far enough.
That race was the hardest one I have done since the Pacifica Trail Run 2 years ago. It was ridiculously hilly, muddy, and profanity-inducing. I did it in a pathetic hour and 31 minutes. Slowest 10k ever.
This morning I joined my friend Diane for a Spinning class. Yikes--60 minutes of sweat and torture. I must have been delusional or was high from exercise-induced endorphins because I signed up with 24 hour fitness again.
This week will be getting on my 1/2 marathon trainig plan and starting my swim class. I just have to be dedicated to making working out a habit.
On New Year's morning I met up with a bunch of friends to do the Los Gatos Resolution run. It is a 5 mile run to Lexington Reservoir. I have done the route a few times and was prepared for the hills. The run was ok. I wasn't fast and wasn't super slow. They only had enough goody bags for the first 300 finishers, and I didn't make it in time for a bag. Not that I was all bent out of shape---it just was a little humbling to know that I wasn't fast enough for a goody bag.
Yesterday I did the Brazen New Year's Run at Lake Chabot. I had heard about the race a few weeks ago and was THIS close to signing up for the 1/2 marathon. I slacked off though and didn't register until a few days ago and knew that a 10k would be far enough.
That race was the hardest one I have done since the Pacifica Trail Run 2 years ago. It was ridiculously hilly, muddy, and profanity-inducing. I did it in a pathetic hour and 31 minutes. Slowest 10k ever.
This morning I joined my friend Diane for a Spinning class. Yikes--60 minutes of sweat and torture. I must have been delusional or was high from exercise-induced endorphins because I signed up with 24 hour fitness again.
This week will be getting on my 1/2 marathon trainig plan and starting my swim class. I just have to be dedicated to making working out a habit.
Monday, December 14, 2009
2009: A Year of Racing that Wasn't...
As the holidays are upon us and the New Year approaches, people start making there resolutions. If you are a triathlete, most likely you will be making race-olutions. What is a race-olution? For me, it is a time when I reflect on the past year, and start thinking about my goals and races for the following year. It is a time to envision PRs, crazy scary distances, and perhaps getting better at a certain sport(s).
2009 for me can best be summed up as a year of good intentions but bad circumstances. I also had a slight hangover this year from the intensity of 2008 in which I participated in 17 races. Of those races, 3 were half-marathons, 7 were triathlons, and one was swimming Alcatraz. The big events of 2008 were crashing my bike at Barb's, but eventually finishing my first 1/2 ironman at Big Kahuna.
I went into 2009 with a semi-realistic goal of improving my 1/2 iron time by attacking Barb's again. I was going to be an awesome cyclist. I was going to crush my half marathon times and finally break a 2 hour race. I was going to be a lean, mean, racing machine.
Unfortunately, 2009 turned out to be quite sucktacular in terms of races and enhancing my athletic prowess. I tweaked my back in early February, putting a damper on my training for the Mermaid 1/2 in March. The Mermaid half was a brutal race this year what with the rain and wind, and I had my slowest half ever. I squeezed in a couple 5ks in, and did the Cinderella ride again. Towards the end of April, I really started to amp up my training for Barb's in August. Unfortunately, I attempted to bake that fateful batch of cookies in May and dislocated my knee and spent my summer in physical therapy and being grouchy on the couch.
arggg. Once I was given the green light to run again, it was very tough for me to get back into the groove. I did a couple races post knee injury, but they were all lackluster. My training was sporadic, and as a result my race experiences were bland.
The problem? My heart was not in it. I also took on a new job in November and my focus turned to my new responsibility and the idea of training was super overwhelming.
So, basically, my goals for 2010 are the same as 2009: Improve my half-ironman time; be a better cyclist; and be a lean mean racing machine. It is also a time to think strategically about my racing calendar. Here is a general idea, though nothing is set in stone because life can sometimes take you off track:
January
-Start January 1 with the Resolution Run in Los Gatos. A nice 5 mile hilly race that I will do with some mermaids. I am also thinking about doing another race in Castro Valley on January 2, as my nieces live up there and would be fun to get them involved.
-Swim class at De Anza.
-Spinning class.
-Work on increasing mileage for 1/2 Marathon in February.
February
-Kaiser half marathon (no goal time. It is on Super Bowl Sunday and is a great way to rationalize eating buffalo wings and Tostitos cheese dip while watching the game)
-Mermaid 10k in San Francisco (no goal time as well, since this will be a week after Kaiser half marathon)
-Mid February start to amp up cycling
-Join Team Mermaid and torture my core
March
-Continue bike, run, swim training
-St patricks 5k in Los Gatos. Goal: 5k in less than 30 minutes
April
-Cinderella bike ride: do the long route (80-90 miles)
-TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN for wildflower
-Mermaid run---do the 1/2 but as a training run, not a race.
May
-Wildflower 1/2 marathon. Goal time: 7 hours 30 minutes. Ideally 7 hours, but not sure what a realistic goal is.
-Remainder of May take it easy to recover
The summer I would like to concentrate on cycling. My friend and I are thinking about doing a 2 day bike ride that goes from Seattle to Portland, so I will definitely need to train for that.
August: recover from bike ride and start training for a marathon in October.
September: Mermaid Olympic Tri. Goal: PR for olympic distance.
train for marathon
October: Silicon Valley Marathon. I am really wanting to do a marathon again, and I like the idea of one that is small and not far away. Goal: beat my Eugene time. Ideally, race a 4:30. Yikes!
November: recover, recover, recover. Turkey trot.
December: reflect on 2010 and maybe take it easy with yoga.
OK, so this may be a little ambitious for 2010...but we will see. I am ready to be strong again. I am ready to say, "Take that 2009!"
2009 for me can best be summed up as a year of good intentions but bad circumstances. I also had a slight hangover this year from the intensity of 2008 in which I participated in 17 races. Of those races, 3 were half-marathons, 7 were triathlons, and one was swimming Alcatraz. The big events of 2008 were crashing my bike at Barb's, but eventually finishing my first 1/2 ironman at Big Kahuna.
I went into 2009 with a semi-realistic goal of improving my 1/2 iron time by attacking Barb's again. I was going to be an awesome cyclist. I was going to crush my half marathon times and finally break a 2 hour race. I was going to be a lean, mean, racing machine.
Unfortunately, 2009 turned out to be quite sucktacular in terms of races and enhancing my athletic prowess. I tweaked my back in early February, putting a damper on my training for the Mermaid 1/2 in March. The Mermaid half was a brutal race this year what with the rain and wind, and I had my slowest half ever. I squeezed in a couple 5ks in, and did the Cinderella ride again. Towards the end of April, I really started to amp up my training for Barb's in August. Unfortunately, I attempted to bake that fateful batch of cookies in May and dislocated my knee and spent my summer in physical therapy and being grouchy on the couch.
arggg. Once I was given the green light to run again, it was very tough for me to get back into the groove. I did a couple races post knee injury, but they were all lackluster. My training was sporadic, and as a result my race experiences were bland.
The problem? My heart was not in it. I also took on a new job in November and my focus turned to my new responsibility and the idea of training was super overwhelming.
So, basically, my goals for 2010 are the same as 2009: Improve my half-ironman time; be a better cyclist; and be a lean mean racing machine. It is also a time to think strategically about my racing calendar. Here is a general idea, though nothing is set in stone because life can sometimes take you off track:
January
-Start January 1 with the Resolution Run in Los Gatos. A nice 5 mile hilly race that I will do with some mermaids. I am also thinking about doing another race in Castro Valley on January 2, as my nieces live up there and would be fun to get them involved.
-Swim class at De Anza.
-Spinning class.
-Work on increasing mileage for 1/2 Marathon in February.
February
-Kaiser half marathon (no goal time. It is on Super Bowl Sunday and is a great way to rationalize eating buffalo wings and Tostitos cheese dip while watching the game)
-Mermaid 10k in San Francisco (no goal time as well, since this will be a week after Kaiser half marathon)
-Mid February start to amp up cycling
-Join Team Mermaid and torture my core
March
-Continue bike, run, swim training
-St patricks 5k in Los Gatos. Goal: 5k in less than 30 minutes
April
-Cinderella bike ride: do the long route (80-90 miles)
-TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN for wildflower
-Mermaid run---do the 1/2 but as a training run, not a race.
May
-Wildflower 1/2 marathon. Goal time: 7 hours 30 minutes. Ideally 7 hours, but not sure what a realistic goal is.
-Remainder of May take it easy to recover
The summer I would like to concentrate on cycling. My friend and I are thinking about doing a 2 day bike ride that goes from Seattle to Portland, so I will definitely need to train for that.
August: recover from bike ride and start training for a marathon in October.
September: Mermaid Olympic Tri. Goal: PR for olympic distance.
train for marathon
October: Silicon Valley Marathon. I am really wanting to do a marathon again, and I like the idea of one that is small and not far away. Goal: beat my Eugene time. Ideally, race a 4:30. Yikes!
November: recover, recover, recover. Turkey trot.
December: reflect on 2010 and maybe take it easy with yoga.
OK, so this may be a little ambitious for 2010...but we will see. I am ready to be strong again. I am ready to say, "Take that 2009!"
Friday, October 16, 2009
Watch it kid!
The good news? I have ran 4 days in a ROW this week. 4! Whoo hoo! Plus, I have biked 3 times since Saturday. Yesterday I even did a gradual brick workout. I biked an hour and a half and chilled at home for an hour and then ran 3 miles to my ww meeting (yeah...back on the ww...don't wanna talk about it. Knee injury over the summer brought on a severe case of the jeans-don't-fit-any-moresies). Plus, after ww meeting I ran .8 miles to meet hubby for takeout at Panda Express (not exactly gourmet, but surprisingly low point options there). That means I worked out for over 2 hours yesterday. Hooray!
The bad news? I didn't have the guts to attempt Mt. Eden on my bike ride. Not quite ready for climbs yet.
As I was riding yesterday, I started thinking of the mantras I repeat to myself to get through a challenging workout. I find that a lot of them relate to disney or storybook characters:
Open water: Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming." (particularly when I feel all alone out in the ocean and start thinking about the "S" word.)
Climbing awful hills on my bike: The Little Engine That Could: "I think I can. I think I can." (though, I think to myself: "I know I can. I know I can." Once I have any doubt on a hill climb, that is when I usually topple over)
The beginning part of the run after bike transition with legs like jelly: The Toirtoise and the Hare: "Slow and steady wins the race." (more like, slow and steady at the beginning so I don't bonk at the end).
Also, my getting back out there made me realize another thing: kids are so flippin' annoying. They don't pay attention and are oblivious to the world around them. When I am on a trail, I truly believe that the dogs on the trail have more common sense than the kids. In the past year, there have been 3 incidents where I have been almost seriously injured from a kids actions. TWO happened in the last week. Here are the incidents:
1) While biking home last spring I was riding on Homestead Ave, and a few high school kids were walking on the sidewalk. There were two boys and a girl and they were acting all...teenagery. The boy, who was a real winner, was probably trying to flirt with the girl and he jokingly pushed her. off. the. sidewalk. into. MY. bikelane. I screamed as I swerved my bike to avoid her and nearly ran into an SUV. The kids just started laughing.
2) Last week I was riding on Prospect road and realized I missed my turn. It was fairly heavy traffic time and difficult to make a left turn. I pulled into a high school to turn around. I was in the right lane in the school lot to get back on to Prospect Rd. and as I was going straight I saw a kid in an SUV making a left into the school. He didn't quite understand that his monstrously large vehicle needed to stay to the left when he got on school grounds and he crossed over into the right lane basically face to face with me. I slowed down my bike thinking, "He has to see me. He has to see me...dear god he DOESN'T see me!" Finally he hit the breaks when he saw me. I put the brakes on my bike and managed to not fall off. I faced him in his SUV which was a foot away from me. He just drove off with a blank teenage boy expression while all the kids who were outside just started laughing (WHAT THE HECK with the laughing? Are you kids so flipping descensitized by Michael Bay movies that you don't recognize the seriousness of POSSIBLE REAL LIFE CARNAGE?) and said, "Nice driving man." A concerned mom in a corolla who was behind him the whole time rolled down her window and asked, "Are you ok honey?" "Yes," I mumbled while the adrenaline wore off.
3) This week I made the mistake AGAIN of working out while youths are walking home from school. so dumb. I was running on Homestead darting past elementary school kids (luckily none of them had those backpacks on wheels thingies). And one boy must have recognized his friend who was 20 feet ahead of me because he sprinted past me to catch up to this guy only to stop dead in his tracks right in my path. I was going pretty fast downhill and wasn't able to stop in time and I wound up bumping into this boy (luckily neither of us hit the asphalt). And this, dear reader, is where I realized that I am truly an adult because I turned around and said, "Watch it kid!" like a crotchety old lady scolding kids playing in her yard.
Moral of the story: don't try to be near schools when kids have just gotten out. They are all giddy with the excitement of no more school and aren't as intelligent as, say, a golden retriever.
The bad news? I didn't have the guts to attempt Mt. Eden on my bike ride. Not quite ready for climbs yet.
As I was riding yesterday, I started thinking of the mantras I repeat to myself to get through a challenging workout. I find that a lot of them relate to disney or storybook characters:
Open water: Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming." (particularly when I feel all alone out in the ocean and start thinking about the "S" word.)
Climbing awful hills on my bike: The Little Engine That Could: "I think I can. I think I can." (though, I think to myself: "I know I can. I know I can." Once I have any doubt on a hill climb, that is when I usually topple over)
The beginning part of the run after bike transition with legs like jelly: The Toirtoise and the Hare: "Slow and steady wins the race." (more like, slow and steady at the beginning so I don't bonk at the end).
Also, my getting back out there made me realize another thing: kids are so flippin' annoying. They don't pay attention and are oblivious to the world around them. When I am on a trail, I truly believe that the dogs on the trail have more common sense than the kids. In the past year, there have been 3 incidents where I have been almost seriously injured from a kids actions. TWO happened in the last week. Here are the incidents:
1) While biking home last spring I was riding on Homestead Ave, and a few high school kids were walking on the sidewalk. There were two boys and a girl and they were acting all...teenagery. The boy, who was a real winner, was probably trying to flirt with the girl and he jokingly pushed her. off. the. sidewalk. into. MY. bikelane. I screamed as I swerved my bike to avoid her and nearly ran into an SUV. The kids just started laughing.
2) Last week I was riding on Prospect road and realized I missed my turn. It was fairly heavy traffic time and difficult to make a left turn. I pulled into a high school to turn around. I was in the right lane in the school lot to get back on to Prospect Rd. and as I was going straight I saw a kid in an SUV making a left into the school. He didn't quite understand that his monstrously large vehicle needed to stay to the left when he got on school grounds and he crossed over into the right lane basically face to face with me. I slowed down my bike thinking, "He has to see me. He has to see me...dear god he DOESN'T see me!" Finally he hit the breaks when he saw me. I put the brakes on my bike and managed to not fall off. I faced him in his SUV which was a foot away from me. He just drove off with a blank teenage boy expression while all the kids who were outside just started laughing (WHAT THE HECK with the laughing? Are you kids so flipping descensitized by Michael Bay movies that you don't recognize the seriousness of POSSIBLE REAL LIFE CARNAGE?) and said, "Nice driving man." A concerned mom in a corolla who was behind him the whole time rolled down her window and asked, "Are you ok honey?" "Yes," I mumbled while the adrenaline wore off.
3) This week I made the mistake AGAIN of working out while youths are walking home from school. so dumb. I was running on Homestead darting past elementary school kids (luckily none of them had those backpacks on wheels thingies). And one boy must have recognized his friend who was 20 feet ahead of me because he sprinted past me to catch up to this guy only to stop dead in his tracks right in my path. I was going pretty fast downhill and wasn't able to stop in time and I wound up bumping into this boy (luckily neither of us hit the asphalt). And this, dear reader, is where I realized that I am truly an adult because I turned around and said, "Watch it kid!" like a crotchety old lady scolding kids playing in her yard.
Moral of the story: don't try to be near schools when kids have just gotten out. They are all giddy with the excitement of no more school and aren't as intelligent as, say, a golden retriever.
Monday, September 28, 2009
It's funny that all that time training on the couch didn't prepare me for this.
Yesterday I did my first triathlon (non-relay) of 2009. How did it go?
Slow. Painful. Fun.Ish.
I will preface this by saying my training for this race was less than minimal. I spent a good deal of my summer recovering from my knee injury, watching Bravo on the couch (yea Real Houswives and Top Chef), and occasionally jumping in the pool or running around the track. I was on my bike 4 times this summer. Four. With no hill training.
I still signed up for Mermaid Santa Cruz because, well, just because. It was quite nice to not be super neurotic and antsy for once. I decided to pick up my bib on race day. I showed up to the race an hour before my wave was going. Usually when I race, I make an effort to pick up my race number the day before and get all my gear in check. And I try to get to the transition super early for a good spot. This race, overall I was all about the, "Meh."
Hubby was with me, which was nice. Luckily this time when I got back from the bike he didn't ask me, "Where were you? That took a long time." Yeah, that happened at Cal Poly Tri 2008. He was on the otherside of the transition area and when I go off my bike and said that to me. It didn't go over too well. Remember that Far Side Cartoon, of what dogs hear and all dogs here is "blah blah b;ah Rusty blah blah"? Well, this is the Jill version.
What Hubby Says: "Where were you? That took a long time."
What Hubby means: "I was worred about you. I thought you injured yourself."
What Jill hears: "Blah Blah Blah you sure are slow blah blah."
Maybe I should write a Men are for Mars the Triathlete Edition.
Anyways, it was nice to have him there at the finsih. We stayed in Santa Cruz Sunday night and enjoyed the Boardwalk craziness (I love how that place never changes. It still looks how it did in the Lost Boys. And so do the people.) and happy hour at Aquarius. We ordered room service and were planning on getting The Hangover on Pay per view, but it was $15. Yikes,
So, here is a short summary of the race.
Swim: hard. long. crowded. There were women in that water that I don't think ever went in the ocean. I used to think people doing breastrstroke were annoying, but people were doing backstroke. I am sorry, but how can you SEE when you are on your back? It was aquatic bumper cars in there.
transition: after the swim, you have to climb 154 stairs to the transition area. Needless to say, I took my time. No more injuries, please.
Bike: First time ever during a race that I walked my bike up a hill. I had a feeling I wasn't going to make it up the monster hill in the beginning. I was in the wrong gear going up and panic starting hitting me. I had riders on my left and riders on my right and everyone was riding crooked up this beast. I had a feeling if I fell, it would be cyclist dominoes. I dug my heels toward the ground with each pedal stroke.but.it.was.not.happening. I was only half way up the hill and I knew what was going to happen. So, I shouted to the fellow riders:
"I'M GOING DOWN!"
I braced myself for the feeling of road meeting flesh, but miracle of miracles, I managed to unclip and get my foot on the ground and stop mermaid carnage from happening. Whoo hoo. From that moment on, I vowed to walk the hills. And that is totally ok. For this race.
Run: Slow. Difficult. Uphill.
So, there we have it. I am not calling what I did yesterday a race, it was more of a weekend away with Dennis with an early morning workout.
And that is totally ok. For this race.
Slow. Painful. Fun.Ish.
I will preface this by saying my training for this race was less than minimal. I spent a good deal of my summer recovering from my knee injury, watching Bravo on the couch (yea Real Houswives and Top Chef), and occasionally jumping in the pool or running around the track. I was on my bike 4 times this summer. Four. With no hill training.
I still signed up for Mermaid Santa Cruz because, well, just because. It was quite nice to not be super neurotic and antsy for once. I decided to pick up my bib on race day. I showed up to the race an hour before my wave was going. Usually when I race, I make an effort to pick up my race number the day before and get all my gear in check. And I try to get to the transition super early for a good spot. This race, overall I was all about the, "Meh."
Hubby was with me, which was nice. Luckily this time when I got back from the bike he didn't ask me, "Where were you? That took a long time." Yeah, that happened at Cal Poly Tri 2008. He was on the otherside of the transition area and when I go off my bike and said that to me. It didn't go over too well. Remember that Far Side Cartoon, of what dogs hear and all dogs here is "blah blah b;ah Rusty blah blah"? Well, this is the Jill version.
What Hubby Says: "Where were you? That took a long time."
What Hubby means: "I was worred about you. I thought you injured yourself."
What Jill hears: "Blah Blah Blah you sure are slow blah blah."
Maybe I should write a Men are for Mars the Triathlete Edition.
Anyways, it was nice to have him there at the finsih. We stayed in Santa Cruz Sunday night and enjoyed the Boardwalk craziness (I love how that place never changes. It still looks how it did in the Lost Boys. And so do the people.) and happy hour at Aquarius. We ordered room service and were planning on getting The Hangover on Pay per view, but it was $15. Yikes,
So, here is a short summary of the race.
Swim: hard. long. crowded. There were women in that water that I don't think ever went in the ocean. I used to think people doing breastrstroke were annoying, but people were doing backstroke. I am sorry, but how can you SEE when you are on your back? It was aquatic bumper cars in there.
transition: after the swim, you have to climb 154 stairs to the transition area. Needless to say, I took my time. No more injuries, please.
Bike: First time ever during a race that I walked my bike up a hill. I had a feeling I wasn't going to make it up the monster hill in the beginning. I was in the wrong gear going up and panic starting hitting me. I had riders on my left and riders on my right and everyone was riding crooked up this beast. I had a feeling if I fell, it would be cyclist dominoes. I dug my heels toward the ground with each pedal stroke.but.it.was.not.happening. I was only half way up the hill and I knew what was going to happen. So, I shouted to the fellow riders:
"I'M GOING DOWN!"
I braced myself for the feeling of road meeting flesh, but miracle of miracles, I managed to unclip and get my foot on the ground and stop mermaid carnage from happening. Whoo hoo. From that moment on, I vowed to walk the hills. And that is totally ok. For this race.
Run: Slow. Difficult. Uphill.
So, there we have it. I am not calling what I did yesterday a race, it was more of a weekend away with Dennis with an early morning workout.
And that is totally ok. For this race.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
And I ran (not so far away)
yup---you read right. Last night I went to my first Mermaid workout in 2 1/2 months (some of the ladies were eyeballing me like, "who's the new girl?"---not in a judgy way though) and -to quote Forest Gump -"I.WAS.RUNN-ING!"
Yea! My feet and lungs were exhausted, but my soul was so happy to be back on familiar turf (AKA The Los Gatos Creek Trail). I ran nonstop for about 35 minutes and briefly thought "Maybe Big Kahuna in October." Though, the aquabike and not the 1/2 ironman may be more me speed.
Last night I had the HARDEST time fall asleep. I think that my body was all jazzed up from moving and I just couldn't relax. I kept looking at the alarm clock on my bed: 10:06. 10:45. 11:30. 12:05. 12:05? As in midnight? Ugh. it is so weird when you can sleep, because you literally spend two hours doing nothing productive.
Monday and today I rode my bike to work. It is a good route (about 18 miles round trip) and the only downfall is I have bad hair for the rest of the day. Oh well.
Yea! My feet and lungs were exhausted, but my soul was so happy to be back on familiar turf (AKA The Los Gatos Creek Trail). I ran nonstop for about 35 minutes and briefly thought "Maybe Big Kahuna in October." Though, the aquabike and not the 1/2 ironman may be more me speed.
Last night I had the HARDEST time fall asleep. I think that my body was all jazzed up from moving and I just couldn't relax. I kept looking at the alarm clock on my bed: 10:06. 10:45. 11:30. 12:05. 12:05? As in midnight? Ugh. it is so weird when you can sleep, because you literally spend two hours doing nothing productive.
Monday and today I rode my bike to work. It is a good route (about 18 miles round trip) and the only downfall is I have bad hair for the rest of the day. Oh well.
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