I miss my cross training a lot. Anyway, here's the quick recap:
Wednesday 8/25/10 - 3 miles (two brains & change)
Thursday 8/26/10 - Track workout and hills
-800yd warm up
-4 x 200 (with 200 rest)
-400 recuperation
-5 hills (with downhill as rest)
-400 cool down
About 3 miles in total. The 200s really kick my butt.
Friday 8/27/10 - 2.5 miles. I did a route that I thought was 3 miles, but I mapped it afterward and it turned out to be 2.5 oh well. I didn't feel like running much anyhow.
I REALLY WISH THE POOL WOULD OPEN!!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Beached
No swimming for me for the next two weeks. The pool is closed and I'm marooned on dry land. I'll focus on running for now-although after reading Patsy's 5K report it's tempting to just throw in the towel and start stuffing my face in earnest with chocolate eclairs and Cheez-its. I will never, ever be able to do 5k at a pace anywhere close to hers. I can accept this (generally speaking) but every now and then I question why I'm torturing myself. I could, after all just stick to low impact stuff, like cycling or yoga. I guess the masochist in me just likes to suffer. Ever onward...
Ran this AM. Did a quick (for me) 2 miles in the misty, cool morning air. 8'30" miles and for me that's practically sprinting! That's about it since the last time I checked in. Haven't been feeling great, so I've not been as diligent about training. Cheers for now sweetie, darlings.
Ran this AM. Did a quick (for me) 2 miles in the misty, cool morning air. 8'30" miles and for me that's practically sprinting! That's about it since the last time I checked in. Haven't been feeling great, so I've not been as diligent about training. Cheers for now sweetie, darlings.
Back at it (quick recap)
Hey Ladies, As promised I took Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. I also took yesterday off because Alex was sick and couldn't go to daycare. But today I did workout. Here's the recap:
400 yd warm up
4 x 400 (with 200 yd rest)
2 x 800 (with 200 yd rest)
400 yd cool down
The first three 400s felt great and I realized it was due to the lack of sun and heat. Now, I must work!
400 yd warm up
4 x 400 (with 200 yd rest)
2 x 800 (with 200 yd rest)
400 yd cool down
The first three 400s felt great and I realized it was due to the lack of sun and heat. Now, I must work!
Friday, August 20, 2010
5K
So, I took Monday and Tuesday off. I ran an easy 2 miles on Wednesday and then I did a 5K race last night. Based on my performance in the 5K in the tri, I was expecting to be able to do it in less than 23 minutes and maybe beat my all time record (22:15). I did both! I owe it all to strategy (and all those interval workouts probably help too). I was determined not to start out too fast and blow it. So, I started slow and sped up to a pace I knew I could maintain for 5K. And, as I went, I sped up without consciously trying to (my body just does it in a race). I didn't really start pushing hard until the last half mile or so. The last mile of a 5K is always hell, and this race was no exception. But, I took comfort in the fact that my suffering would soon be over. I finished strong - not sprinting but striding the last 200 yds or so. I passed a 20-something right at the finish line.
My time was 21:43. I am so pleased with myself. I feel stronger than ever and apparently, I am. I hope I can continue to run/tri/do sports for many decades to come. I'm a lot less annoyed about turning 40 now.
Oh, and I'm taking a 3 day weekend from working out (gotta give those almost-40-year-old joints a break!). I'll be back at it on Monday!
My time was 21:43. I am so pleased with myself. I feel stronger than ever and apparently, I am. I hope I can continue to run/tri/do sports for many decades to come. I'm a lot less annoyed about turning 40 now.
Oh, and I'm taking a 3 day weekend from working out (gotta give those almost-40-year-old joints a break!). I'll be back at it on Monday!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Quick report
Well, after Patsy's report on her and her mom's tri, this is a very modest update but I wanted to post it because today was great for my personal record.
We didn't go running yesterday (I just walked back home from work -- about 40 minutes) but we did go running today -- it was kind of late and the air was quite sticky so we decided to go for the 1 mile run. I was feeling good so I decided that I had to push as hard as I could. We started at our fastest pace. I could feel we were running quite fast for what I'm used to but I didn't feel I was tiring myself out and since it was just 1 mile I didn't think it really mattered. Midway I started feeling tiredness but I had to keep pushing. I noticed I slowed down at some points, though. Breathing was becoming tough at times. But I keep pushing. By the end I started picking up again because I knew I could make it. I couldn't speed up too much at the end though, but hey, we did it, I made a new record for myself 8:03, which I'm very proud of. Now I know that it can be painful, but I can go under 8:00, which is the new goal :)
Changing topics... after two days teaching my undergrads I like it :)
We didn't go running yesterday (I just walked back home from work -- about 40 minutes) but we did go running today -- it was kind of late and the air was quite sticky so we decided to go for the 1 mile run. I was feeling good so I decided that I had to push as hard as I could. We started at our fastest pace. I could feel we were running quite fast for what I'm used to but I didn't feel I was tiring myself out and since it was just 1 mile I didn't think it really mattered. Midway I started feeling tiredness but I had to keep pushing. I noticed I slowed down at some points, though. Breathing was becoming tough at times. But I keep pushing. By the end I started picking up again because I knew I could make it. I couldn't speed up too much at the end though, but hey, we did it, I made a new record for myself 8:03, which I'm very proud of. Now I know that it can be painful, but I can go under 8:00, which is the new goal :)
Changing topics... after two days teaching my undergrads I like it :)
Cazenovia Triathlon!
O.K. Here is the race report. I’m going to be typing a little fast so please excuse any typos.
Cazenovia Sprint Tri – 800 yd swim, 14 mile bike ride, 5K run
So, packet pick-up and body marking were from 6:30 to 7:30 am. Mom and I started driving at 4:45 to make sure we got to Cazenovia, NY, in time. We are equally neurotic about being on time (no coincidence) so she had no problem getting up at 4:30. The trip was about 1.5 hours (on mapquest) and I wanted to build in time for getting lost and stopping for coffee.
So, we got there before 7:00, picked up our packets, Tshirts and timing chips. The timing chips were worn around the ankles (not on shoe laces like in running races). It was a normal timing chip on a band like the bracelets you get when you’re admitted to the hospital. Anyway, we set up our transition area. I made two last minute wardrobe adjustments. I decided (1) to swim in my bikini bottoms and not my biking shorts (I was worried about sitting on wet padding) and (2) to wear my running sneakers for the biking (I had been training with my soccer sneakers which are smaller but I found I could get my Sauconies in the toe cages). The transition are had these rack things – essentially a horizontal bar which we hung our bikes from. Some people hung their bikes by the handle bars (with the back tire on the ground) others (like us) hung them from the seat with the front tire on the ground. I thought this was a clever of getting all the bikes in an upright position.
We meandered around for a while until the pre-race meeting in which we ascertained exactly where we’d be entering and exiting the transition area for each event (the transition area was long field). Then we decided to go down and watch the intermediate (Olympic) tri swimmers start. My mother was freaking out about the swim. She was so scared of the cold water. I was a little nervous too but I was trying not to get to obsessed. We could see that even the people fastest swim heats (i.e. the very experienced triathletes) had trouble staying on course in the lake. What chance would we have??? We went back to the transition area and got suited up for the swim (caps on, goggles at the ready, shoes and pants off).
I was in the 7th heat for the sprint tri and my mother was in the 9th and final heat. The heats were six minutes apart. The first heat went at 8:40. Around 8:50 we went down to the lake thinking we had tons of time but then a race official saw my orange cap (which indicated which heat I was in) and called me over to the orange cap holding pen. Orange caps were ladies in the 40-59 age range, I learned. So, we were in the holding pen for like 15 minutes. My mom was on the other side of the fence so we were talking and watching the swimmers. Then at T-minus 5 minutes, they released us into the water so we could get wet (and cold) and get our goggles on properly. The water wasn’t as cold as I’d feared but the air was cold enough that I didn’t want to get my whole body wet and stand there shivering. I just waded in about waist deep. After a while, I got my arms wet but it was just a nervous gesture. Finally, the official, after giving us instructions on where to get out of the lake, told us to start.
There was such a fray that I just waited a moment until the others in my group had started. This didn’t end up being the best strategy because I caught up with the pack almost immediately (I was whacking their feet with my hands). So, I made some lateral movements and got to a position where I was swimming between two women who were going at about my pace. After the first few strokes I felt great! I was surprised at how well I could see the other swimmers. Of course I could only see the ones right next to me but still I was aware of their paces and what strokes they were doing. There were two downsides to the swim: (1) the bouys delineating the course were orange and I was in the orange cap heat so when I couldn’t just glance up to catch sight of something orange. I had to really stop and get my head out of the water to see the bouy. And (2) there was some wind so the water was very choppy at times so I missed a few breaths and got some water in the mouth occasionally. But, overall, I felt great during the swim. I stayed on course until the last leg when I realized I had veered off a bit. There was a little bottle neck as 3-4 swimmers converged on the exit location (and I got a little knocked around by a swimmer on my left) and then we were out!
I ran to my transition area, got my shorts, socks, shoes, shirt and helmet on. I had to sit down to get my socks and shoes on (a bit wobbly after the swim). I grabbed my bike and ran towards the exit. There was a sign that said “mount” where we were allowed to get on the bike but the first like 30 yards of the course (basically exiting the park) was a steep hill so I just ran the bike up and got on after getting on the main road. O.K. so the description of the course on the website said one steep hill at the beginning followed by rolling hills. That is a LIE!!!! It was 14 miles of steep hills. I’d crest one and see another beyond. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. There was one downhill (massive and terrifying – I braked the whole way). It was hell. I couldn’t believe how many hills there were. And, given that I was on a mountain bike and I’m not a great cyclist to begin with, I was getting passed left and right. Go ahead, pass me, I thought, I’ll catch you on the run.
When the horrible, horrible bike ride was finally over, I managed to extricate my body from the bike at the “dismount” line and I returned to the transition area. I hung it back up, took off my helmet and headed toward the appropriate exit. That exit was at least 50 yards from my transition area so I did the grape vine and the thing where you run and kick your butt in order to loosen up my legs. Then I started the 5K. I felt really, really good. I think my loosening up tactic worked because I didn’t have wobbly legs or cement legs (and I expected to have both after that bike ride). I had a little calf pain for a while and my legs did feel tired but that was it. I felt super strong and, indeed, I was passing all those people who had passed me on the bike like they were standing still (they were clearly suffering from cement legs). The 5k course only had one hill before I knew it I was at the turn around point. Woo hoo. I picked up the pace a little on the way back but I wasn’t in the mood to really push it. I did push a little in the last quarter of a mile or so – and I did a strong fast finish. I felt great.
I went back to the transition area and saw that Mom’s bike was still gone so I went out to the road to wait for her. She came in and I screamed like crazy. I met her at the transition. She had had the same horrifying experience on the bike ride as I did. She was going on about how bad she felt and how she almost died and all. I felt pretty good so I decided to do the 5K with her. It helped her to have me along to talk to, especially since I knew the course – and that it wasn’t that bad. So, we did the 5K and towards the end I was getting kind of tired and thinking I really needed to get something to eat. We separated when she reentered the park (I didn’t want to go through the finish line again) and I met her after she finished. She said she had a great time but she’ll never do this tri again – too many hills!!!
I didn’t place in my age group but Mom did! I was so happy. We had a great time!
As for my times, the results were posted today:
Swim 23:09 (way slower than I thought but whatever – it was my first time) – 5th in my age division
Bike 1:05:14 (now this really surprised me because in the Binghamton tri the course was 10 miles and I did it in like 53 minutes – so as bad as I felt I was doing O.K.) – 12th in my age division
Run 23:40 (fanfriggintastic – I can’t believe it!!!!) – 1st in my age division, 1st woman overall!!!!!!
Overall, I was 7th in my age division (that’s out of 14 women). I’m very pleased with my performance and with the experience. It was so much fun!!!!
Cazenovia Sprint Tri – 800 yd swim, 14 mile bike ride, 5K run
So, packet pick-up and body marking were from 6:30 to 7:30 am. Mom and I started driving at 4:45 to make sure we got to Cazenovia, NY, in time. We are equally neurotic about being on time (no coincidence) so she had no problem getting up at 4:30. The trip was about 1.5 hours (on mapquest) and I wanted to build in time for getting lost and stopping for coffee.
So, we got there before 7:00, picked up our packets, Tshirts and timing chips. The timing chips were worn around the ankles (not on shoe laces like in running races). It was a normal timing chip on a band like the bracelets you get when you’re admitted to the hospital. Anyway, we set up our transition area. I made two last minute wardrobe adjustments. I decided (1) to swim in my bikini bottoms and not my biking shorts (I was worried about sitting on wet padding) and (2) to wear my running sneakers for the biking (I had been training with my soccer sneakers which are smaller but I found I could get my Sauconies in the toe cages). The transition are had these rack things – essentially a horizontal bar which we hung our bikes from. Some people hung their bikes by the handle bars (with the back tire on the ground) others (like us) hung them from the seat with the front tire on the ground. I thought this was a clever of getting all the bikes in an upright position.
We meandered around for a while until the pre-race meeting in which we ascertained exactly where we’d be entering and exiting the transition area for each event (the transition area was long field). Then we decided to go down and watch the intermediate (Olympic) tri swimmers start. My mother was freaking out about the swim. She was so scared of the cold water. I was a little nervous too but I was trying not to get to obsessed. We could see that even the people fastest swim heats (i.e. the very experienced triathletes) had trouble staying on course in the lake. What chance would we have??? We went back to the transition area and got suited up for the swim (caps on, goggles at the ready, shoes and pants off).
I was in the 7th heat for the sprint tri and my mother was in the 9th and final heat. The heats were six minutes apart. The first heat went at 8:40. Around 8:50 we went down to the lake thinking we had tons of time but then a race official saw my orange cap (which indicated which heat I was in) and called me over to the orange cap holding pen. Orange caps were ladies in the 40-59 age range, I learned. So, we were in the holding pen for like 15 minutes. My mom was on the other side of the fence so we were talking and watching the swimmers. Then at T-minus 5 minutes, they released us into the water so we could get wet (and cold) and get our goggles on properly. The water wasn’t as cold as I’d feared but the air was cold enough that I didn’t want to get my whole body wet and stand there shivering. I just waded in about waist deep. After a while, I got my arms wet but it was just a nervous gesture. Finally, the official, after giving us instructions on where to get out of the lake, told us to start.
There was such a fray that I just waited a moment until the others in my group had started. This didn’t end up being the best strategy because I caught up with the pack almost immediately (I was whacking their feet with my hands). So, I made some lateral movements and got to a position where I was swimming between two women who were going at about my pace. After the first few strokes I felt great! I was surprised at how well I could see the other swimmers. Of course I could only see the ones right next to me but still I was aware of their paces and what strokes they were doing. There were two downsides to the swim: (1) the bouys delineating the course were orange and I was in the orange cap heat so when I couldn’t just glance up to catch sight of something orange. I had to really stop and get my head out of the water to see the bouy. And (2) there was some wind so the water was very choppy at times so I missed a few breaths and got some water in the mouth occasionally. But, overall, I felt great during the swim. I stayed on course until the last leg when I realized I had veered off a bit. There was a little bottle neck as 3-4 swimmers converged on the exit location (and I got a little knocked around by a swimmer on my left) and then we were out!
I ran to my transition area, got my shorts, socks, shoes, shirt and helmet on. I had to sit down to get my socks and shoes on (a bit wobbly after the swim). I grabbed my bike and ran towards the exit. There was a sign that said “mount” where we were allowed to get on the bike but the first like 30 yards of the course (basically exiting the park) was a steep hill so I just ran the bike up and got on after getting on the main road. O.K. so the description of the course on the website said one steep hill at the beginning followed by rolling hills. That is a LIE!!!! It was 14 miles of steep hills. I’d crest one and see another beyond. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. There was one downhill (massive and terrifying – I braked the whole way). It was hell. I couldn’t believe how many hills there were. And, given that I was on a mountain bike and I’m not a great cyclist to begin with, I was getting passed left and right. Go ahead, pass me, I thought, I’ll catch you on the run.
When the horrible, horrible bike ride was finally over, I managed to extricate my body from the bike at the “dismount” line and I returned to the transition area. I hung it back up, took off my helmet and headed toward the appropriate exit. That exit was at least 50 yards from my transition area so I did the grape vine and the thing where you run and kick your butt in order to loosen up my legs. Then I started the 5K. I felt really, really good. I think my loosening up tactic worked because I didn’t have wobbly legs or cement legs (and I expected to have both after that bike ride). I had a little calf pain for a while and my legs did feel tired but that was it. I felt super strong and, indeed, I was passing all those people who had passed me on the bike like they were standing still (they were clearly suffering from cement legs). The 5k course only had one hill before I knew it I was at the turn around point. Woo hoo. I picked up the pace a little on the way back but I wasn’t in the mood to really push it. I did push a little in the last quarter of a mile or so – and I did a strong fast finish. I felt great.
I went back to the transition area and saw that Mom’s bike was still gone so I went out to the road to wait for her. She came in and I screamed like crazy. I met her at the transition. She had had the same horrifying experience on the bike ride as I did. She was going on about how bad she felt and how she almost died and all. I felt pretty good so I decided to do the 5K with her. It helped her to have me along to talk to, especially since I knew the course – and that it wasn’t that bad. So, we did the 5K and towards the end I was getting kind of tired and thinking I really needed to get something to eat. We separated when she reentered the park (I didn’t want to go through the finish line again) and I met her after she finished. She said she had a great time but she’ll never do this tri again – too many hills!!!
I didn’t place in my age group but Mom did! I was so happy. We had a great time!
As for my times, the results were posted today:
Swim 23:09 (way slower than I thought but whatever – it was my first time) – 5th in my age division
Bike 1:05:14 (now this really surprised me because in the Binghamton tri the course was 10 miles and I did it in like 53 minutes – so as bad as I felt I was doing O.K.) – 12th in my age division
Run 23:40 (fanfriggintastic – I can’t believe it!!!!) – 1st in my age division, 1st woman overall!!!!!!
Overall, I was 7th in my age division (that’s out of 14 women). I’m very pleased with my performance and with the experience. It was so much fun!!!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Week and weekend update
Hi! I've been silent for quite a while (don't remember last time I posted). I guess the reason has been that I've started going to the office right after working out and I have to blame it on Kip that was always putting time pressure on me (he also had to go to his teaching training).
So Kip and I are back running together. Despite the fact that we've been busy lately (especially him), we've gone running almost every day of the week. We have made 2miles our standard running distance, at an average pace of 9'10''. I can't really believe it as I write. Anyway, the first times I ran the two miles with Kip were kind of painful, because twice I had been running in a bad mood so I didn't feel motivated enough to make it to the end. I sucked and I stopped before completing the two miles. But that was just two days. Then I started behaving again and I completed my miles, despite the fact that I had to run at a different pace than I was used to when I ran by myself. While I tended to slightly switch paces when I ran by myself, Kip enjoys keeping the same pace, which was harder for me. But I'm glad I could follow, yay!
For two days last week we just ran a mile. It was quite hot and we didn't have much time to spare. I'm happy with our times, because the second day we ran the mile we did it faster than the first day. The first day we ran the mile in about 8'45'' which is good, but the second day we ran it in 8'15'', my best mile ever. I remember I pushed hard in that one, so much that I could feel those needles in my skin that Kip had told me about a couple times.
After that day we didn't go running in two days (basically not wanting to get up at 5:30AM and Kip being busy). To make up for that I walked to school, which is always an adventure (very hot!)
Today we went running. It was great because it has been raining these last two days so the weather is again perfect (no sun and breeze -- this is paradise for the desert dwellers). So I asked Kip whether we could run the 3 miles. I wasn't sure we would make it but we did! It helped that we didn't see the sun at all (just briefly at the end of the second mile). I thought then that we wouldn't be able to make it with the sun but then it went away again and it was perfect. I didn't know whether I felt tired or not. I was in that state that you don't quite feel your body but you want to keep going. I was feeling pretty good, actually. I felt better during the third mile than I felt during the second mile. At the end of the mile we sped up a bit and beat a new record: 28'49''
Tomorrow... don't know... it's my first day teaching so we'll have to bring the distance down two 2 miles...
So Kip and I are back running together. Despite the fact that we've been busy lately (especially him), we've gone running almost every day of the week. We have made 2miles our standard running distance, at an average pace of 9'10''. I can't really believe it as I write. Anyway, the first times I ran the two miles with Kip were kind of painful, because twice I had been running in a bad mood so I didn't feel motivated enough to make it to the end. I sucked and I stopped before completing the two miles. But that was just two days. Then I started behaving again and I completed my miles, despite the fact that I had to run at a different pace than I was used to when I ran by myself. While I tended to slightly switch paces when I ran by myself, Kip enjoys keeping the same pace, which was harder for me. But I'm glad I could follow, yay!
For two days last week we just ran a mile. It was quite hot and we didn't have much time to spare. I'm happy with our times, because the second day we ran the mile we did it faster than the first day. The first day we ran the mile in about 8'45'' which is good, but the second day we ran it in 8'15'', my best mile ever. I remember I pushed hard in that one, so much that I could feel those needles in my skin that Kip had told me about a couple times.
After that day we didn't go running in two days (basically not wanting to get up at 5:30AM and Kip being busy). To make up for that I walked to school, which is always an adventure (very hot!)
Today we went running. It was great because it has been raining these last two days so the weather is again perfect (no sun and breeze -- this is paradise for the desert dwellers). So I asked Kip whether we could run the 3 miles. I wasn't sure we would make it but we did! It helped that we didn't see the sun at all (just briefly at the end of the second mile). I thought then that we wouldn't be able to make it with the sun but then it went away again and it was perfect. I didn't know whether I felt tired or not. I was in that state that you don't quite feel your body but you want to keep going. I was feeling pretty good, actually. I felt better during the third mile than I felt during the second mile. At the end of the mile we sped up a bit and beat a new record: 28'49''
Tomorrow... don't know... it's my first day teaching so we'll have to bring the distance down two 2 miles...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Crazy week recap
It's been a truly hideous week at work (Calgon....take me away!) hence no reports. It's somewhat quieter today so I will try to sum up my week.
Sunday 8/08- LSD with the hubby. It was hot out and after we got to around 3 miles he started to feel a bit lightheaded, so we stopped and walked the rest of the way (about another 1/2 mile) to the farmer's market where we refueled with some juice. We went to an event in Astoria Park that afternoon and then instead of taking the train home, we decided to walk- which was another 3 miles or so.
Monday 8/09-2.5 miles by myself. Kept it around 9:30 min. miles. I was tired and probably should have eaten before I ran.
Tuesday 8/10- I was tired and couldn't motivate myself to do anything, so I didn't.
Wednesday 8/11-Got up at 4 AM (insomnia) and was totally bored so I went swimming at 6:30. Did laps for about 45 minutes. Didn't have the pool to myself like last week, but it wasn't too crowded. Felt really good while swimming, but was lightheaded afterward (and I made sure I ate a light breakfast before I went).
Thursday 8/12-another lazy day. I felt so drained from my horrible week at work that I didn't have the motivation to get out the door in time to do anything physical. I suck.
Friday 8/13-Friday the 13th!!!! Went swimming this AM and was treated to a mostly empty pool. Felt good this AM, but now I'm starting to drag (and it's only 9:30A!). Can't wait until 5PM!!
Good luck to you this weekend Pats (and your Mom)! I'm chanting for you sweeties!
Sunday 8/08- LSD with the hubby. It was hot out and after we got to around 3 miles he started to feel a bit lightheaded, so we stopped and walked the rest of the way (about another 1/2 mile) to the farmer's market where we refueled with some juice. We went to an event in Astoria Park that afternoon and then instead of taking the train home, we decided to walk- which was another 3 miles or so.
Monday 8/09-2.5 miles by myself. Kept it around 9:30 min. miles. I was tired and probably should have eaten before I ran.
Tuesday 8/10- I was tired and couldn't motivate myself to do anything, so I didn't.
Wednesday 8/11-Got up at 4 AM (insomnia) and was totally bored so I went swimming at 6:30. Did laps for about 45 minutes. Didn't have the pool to myself like last week, but it wasn't too crowded. Felt really good while swimming, but was lightheaded afterward (and I made sure I ate a light breakfast before I went).
Thursday 8/12-another lazy day. I felt so drained from my horrible week at work that I didn't have the motivation to get out the door in time to do anything physical. I suck.
Friday 8/13-Friday the 13th!!!! Went swimming this AM and was treated to a mostly empty pool. Felt good this AM, but now I'm starting to drag (and it's only 9:30A!). Can't wait until 5PM!!
Good luck to you this weekend Pats (and your Mom)! I'm chanting for you sweeties!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Last update before the Tri
So, here's the rundown:
Tuesday 8/10/10 - Walking/callesthenics (how the fuck do you spell that word???). I think my distance was about a mile. I had a funny feeling in my hip so I didn't push myself. I did a bunch of lunges, some stair climbing and crunches.
Wednesday 8/11/10 - 3 miles with Stacy
I'm taking today off so I won't be working out again until Sunday (race day!). I need to leave work early so I won't be taking a lunch hour. I haven't really begun to get nervous about the race. I know I'll be giddy and dazed on Sunday morning. I'm most worried about the bike ride because I'm so afraid of getting a flat tire (or having some other kind of mechanical failure). Saff, my mother will be riding my old Specialized Hardrock - remember that? I gave it to her a few years back (she was getting in to mountain biking but didn't have a bike and had to borrow one - I was living in Queens and not using my bike so I gave it to her). Anyway, I'll give you guys a full race report on Monday!
Kiss kiss!
Pats
Tuesday 8/10/10 - Walking/callesthenics (how the fuck do you spell that word???). I think my distance was about a mile. I had a funny feeling in my hip so I didn't push myself. I did a bunch of lunges, some stair climbing and crunches.
Wednesday 8/11/10 - 3 miles with Stacy
I'm taking today off so I won't be working out again until Sunday (race day!). I need to leave work early so I won't be taking a lunch hour. I haven't really begun to get nervous about the race. I know I'll be giddy and dazed on Sunday morning. I'm most worried about the bike ride because I'm so afraid of getting a flat tire (or having some other kind of mechanical failure). Saff, my mother will be riding my old Specialized Hardrock - remember that? I gave it to her a few years back (she was getting in to mountain biking but didn't have a bike and had to borrow one - I was living in Queens and not using my bike so I gave it to her). Anyway, I'll give you guys a full race report on Monday!
Kiss kiss!
Pats
Monday, August 9, 2010
Quick update
No time for full account but here's a quick update before I forget:
8/4/10 wednesday - half mile warm up, 4 x 200 on the track, tried to run more on the track but felt crappy, realized it was very hot out and I was probably getting heat stroke, ran to nearby shady area (a hill naturally), did 4 hills, ran back to lab. 2.5-3.0 workout.
8/5/10 was so friggin sore from the 200s that I took a day off.
8/6/10 5 miles with Stacie
8/9/10 track workout - .5 mile warm up, 2 x 800, 4 x 200. With all warming up, rests and cooling down it was a 3 mile workout.
They say the pool will open on Thursday - fingers crossed!!
8/4/10 wednesday - half mile warm up, 4 x 200 on the track, tried to run more on the track but felt crappy, realized it was very hot out and I was probably getting heat stroke, ran to nearby shady area (a hill naturally), did 4 hills, ran back to lab. 2.5-3.0 workout.
8/5/10 was so friggin sore from the 200s that I took a day off.
8/6/10 5 miles with Stacie
8/9/10 track workout - .5 mile warm up, 2 x 800, 4 x 200. With all warming up, rests and cooling down it was a 3 mile workout.
They say the pool will open on Thursday - fingers crossed!!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Happy Friday!
What a divine morning! Today must be a holiday that no one bothered to tell me about- the pools at the Y were both completely empty this morning! A YMCA first for me. I came out of the locker room and saw one person in the lap pool. I have never seen one person in the lap pool. I seized the opportunity to jump in and have an entire lane to myself. Thank god it was empty-my goggles fogged up so badly that I literally saw nada. And yes, I spit in them. They weren't leaking (as far as I could tell) so that leaves the likelihood that I am just one hot momma and the heat from my face created a big enough temperature difference with the water to completely fog up the lenses. My solution was to go jump in the other, much warmer pool (aka 'the bathtub'). Woohoo! had that one all to myself too! I felt like Flipper just swimming back and forth, heedless of lane markers, geriatrics with bad swim etiquette or any of the other daily hazards of swimming at the Y. It felt like the best Friday morning ever! That said, I am now at work where it is waaaay too stressful for my own well being. Again, it's Friday and I have the weekend to look forward to, so all is well. Right now I'm planning another of my bi-weekly trips to Jamaica Bay NWR on Saturday. I'm gathering data for a study being done by NYC Audubon and NJ Audubon on the foraging habits of egrets that are nesting in NY Harbor. We're also right in the middle of peak shorebird migration right now which is very exciting-some very lost birds have a habit of turning up in Jamaica Bay. Bad for the birds, good for birders. Last week there was a black-bellied whistling duck that someone found. Their normal northern range is usually no further than S. Texas (ie not much beyond the Rio Grande) so what this bird was doing in NY is beyond me. In fact m..., you probably have them near where you live. Sunday is yoga, a visit to our local farmer's market, and a free concert in our local park. Have a great weekend ladies!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Oh, slothfullness
Greeting ladies, my apologizes for being absent from our blog. I've been so busy at work that I haven't had a chance to check in and update you on my athletic adventures. Of course, I could always do this from home but I get more satisfaction from doing it at work. It reminds me that I actually have a life beyond my career. Anyway, I can't actually recall when I last posted an entry (probably right after the aborted tri) so I'll just try to back track.
Swam this AM ( I really have to start paying closer attention to distances and times). Mostly I just get in the water and swim back and forth for 30-40 minutes or so. The pool was actually really nice this AM- it was about 5 degrees cooler than usual which made it feel less like a bathtub. Unfortunately, I noticed a sign on the wall saying that the pools would be closed for 2 weeks while they did maintenance and cleaning at the end of the month. Bummer. They open back up the day my membership to the Y expires. Now I have to figure out what I want to do...keep the membership or try somewhere else. Something to ponder as I swim back and forth for the next two weeks.
Went running on Monday 8/2, Sunday 8/1 and Tuesday 7/27. Nothing too fast or too far. Phil came with me (since he can't bike) so we tend to go a little slower to allow for the fact that I've got two months worth of training on him.
Swam again on 7/28- had the pool to myself for the first half hour which was great! Felt good and sped back and forth like Aquawoman.
I'm still planning to do a duathlon at the end of the month. what I really need to do is get back on my bike and get some miles in my legs. It's not a terribly demanding bike ride for the du- 12 miles and flat, flat, flat! But I still need to get reacquainted with the clipless pedals and the gearing on my bike. I may try to go this weekend but I know that it's going to drive Phil nuts if I ride my bike while he can't ride his. Ugh- I hope his hand heals up nicely and that he won't need surgery. He's a very unhappy camper when he can't ride!
Well, ladies, I will try to be more diligent about posting (work permitting of course). I think you're both doing great! Patsy you're more deserving of the name Aquawoman than I am. I may start referring to you as such. M... you may need to be renamed Ironwoman for your steadfast resolve and resistance to nicotine addiction. Hats off to both of you for kicking some serious ass!
Swam this AM ( I really have to start paying closer attention to distances and times). Mostly I just get in the water and swim back and forth for 30-40 minutes or so. The pool was actually really nice this AM- it was about 5 degrees cooler than usual which made it feel less like a bathtub. Unfortunately, I noticed a sign on the wall saying that the pools would be closed for 2 weeks while they did maintenance and cleaning at the end of the month. Bummer. They open back up the day my membership to the Y expires. Now I have to figure out what I want to do...keep the membership or try somewhere else. Something to ponder as I swim back and forth for the next two weeks.
Went running on Monday 8/2, Sunday 8/1 and Tuesday 7/27. Nothing too fast or too far. Phil came with me (since he can't bike) so we tend to go a little slower to allow for the fact that I've got two months worth of training on him.
Swam again on 7/28- had the pool to myself for the first half hour which was great! Felt good and sped back and forth like Aquawoman.
I'm still planning to do a duathlon at the end of the month. what I really need to do is get back on my bike and get some miles in my legs. It's not a terribly demanding bike ride for the du- 12 miles and flat, flat, flat! But I still need to get reacquainted with the clipless pedals and the gearing on my bike. I may try to go this weekend but I know that it's going to drive Phil nuts if I ride my bike while he can't ride his. Ugh- I hope his hand heals up nicely and that he won't need surgery. He's a very unhappy camper when he can't ride!
Well, ladies, I will try to be more diligent about posting (work permitting of course). I think you're both doing great! Patsy you're more deserving of the name Aquawoman than I am. I may start referring to you as such. M... you may need to be renamed Ironwoman for your steadfast resolve and resistance to nicotine addiction. Hats off to both of you for kicking some serious ass!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Oh sweatiness
I've just come back from a run. I found out that the pool will be closed all week (there's some kind of mechanical problem) so I'll just be running. Here's the recap:
Friday, 7/30 - 1,200 yd workout in the pool. I did a timed 800 and finished in 15:10 (a personal best, though the last time I did a timed 800 I had bowling ball Alex bouncing around in my vicera). I'm psyched about the time. I don't know if I can replicate it the open water though!
Tuesday 8/3/10 34 minute run (with a couple little sprints at the end). I'm not sure how far I went, probably close to 4 miles but I don't know. I ran for about a mile on grass which always scares me because I worry about twisting my ankle. I did it deliberately today to strengthen my ankles in preparation for the tri (in hopes of combating hte post-bike wobbly leg syndrome).
O.K. Got to work!
Friday, 7/30 - 1,200 yd workout in the pool. I did a timed 800 and finished in 15:10 (a personal best, though the last time I did a timed 800 I had bowling ball Alex bouncing around in my vicera). I'm psyched about the time. I don't know if I can replicate it the open water though!
Tuesday 8/3/10 34 minute run (with a couple little sprints at the end). I'm not sure how far I went, probably close to 4 miles but I don't know. I ran for about a mile on grass which always scares me because I worry about twisting my ankle. I did it deliberately today to strengthen my ankles in preparation for the tri (in hopes of combating hte post-bike wobbly leg syndrome).
O.K. Got to work!
Monday, August 2, 2010
An update
I'm back to this blog after more than a week without visiting. I didn't even talk about Kip's race... well, the race went quite well, I think. He was super nervous all day, though. When we got there it was packed with people. He got his T-shirt and his foot bracelet to measure his timing. He did some warming up and then went to the starting line. They left. He told me that he started next to a slow group and had some trouble to finally pass them. Somehow he got stuck with them for a while. I've never run a race so I'm not very sure how that works. He also told me that at some point he had to stop to tie his shoelace that went loose somehow. I saw him midway and he was looking good. He said he could also grab some water and drink at some point of the race. For some time he was running next to a little girl. Apparently the girl was pretty good and he was feeling a bit embarrassed that he couldn't pass her for a while. But then he did pass her at the end. Actually when I saw him at the end of the race he was running superfast! he says that means that he should have gone faster earlier if he has all that energy to give at the end. He loved the fact that everybody was screaming out for him. What's sure is that he hurt his feet and he hasn't been running ever since. He thinks he can go back to running tomorrow. When he got there he was cute, not being able to talk because he had to get his breath back. His results are here: http://timetrack.com.mx/index.php?menu=resultados&evento=37 (Kip Pfaff).
He says he won't be running a race in a while until he's sure his ankles can handle it.
As for me, I've been running the whole week, but by myself. I've been feeling pretty good, also because it has rained and for a few days the weather has been great. On Friday I could even run in the middle of the day, which is a luxury here. So basically I've been training for making my runs longer. Now I can run 2 miles easily in normal days. But first I started trying to better my 1-mile times. Two days after Kip's race, I made my best 1-mile time with 8:23. Today I ran just one mile after a while running longer distances and I didn't run faster than that time, although it was pretty good (8:28).
But on Tuesday last week I started running 2 miles as the standard distance. I started with a time of 18:40, 9:14 the first lap, 9:26 the second lap. Then on Tuesday I did two miles again and this time I did a bit worse, 18:55, with a first lap of 9:40 and a second lap of 9:15. Then the day after I went for my first 3-mile run, which I did in 29:43, starting with a first lap of 9:13, a second lap completed in 19:40 total and then the last lap. Kip said it was pretty good. I felt pretty good that I could run 3 miles with not so much trouble, but it can't be as hot as it was today, though. And then on Saturday I went for the 2 miles again and I did it in 18:41, which was better again, so this is what I'm after these days: bettering my running times. Tomorrow I'll go running with Kip again, so we'll probably do 2 miles. I'll let you girls know.
The most important thing: we're still not smoking :)
He says he won't be running a race in a while until he's sure his ankles can handle it.
As for me, I've been running the whole week, but by myself. I've been feeling pretty good, also because it has rained and for a few days the weather has been great. On Friday I could even run in the middle of the day, which is a luxury here. So basically I've been training for making my runs longer. Now I can run 2 miles easily in normal days. But first I started trying to better my 1-mile times. Two days after Kip's race, I made my best 1-mile time with 8:23. Today I ran just one mile after a while running longer distances and I didn't run faster than that time, although it was pretty good (8:28).
But on Tuesday last week I started running 2 miles as the standard distance. I started with a time of 18:40, 9:14 the first lap, 9:26 the second lap. Then on Tuesday I did two miles again and this time I did a bit worse, 18:55, with a first lap of 9:40 and a second lap of 9:15. Then the day after I went for my first 3-mile run, which I did in 29:43, starting with a first lap of 9:13, a second lap completed in 19:40 total and then the last lap. Kip said it was pretty good. I felt pretty good that I could run 3 miles with not so much trouble, but it can't be as hot as it was today, though. And then on Saturday I went for the 2 miles again and I did it in 18:41, which was better again, so this is what I'm after these days: bettering my running times. Tomorrow I'll go running with Kip again, so we'll probably do 2 miles. I'll let you girls know.
The most important thing: we're still not smoking :)
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