Bad day

Today has been rough. To make a 2-day long saga into a paragraph: I had a speciality contractor (non-engineer) basically tell me I'm doing my job wrong in front of our clients. Then, in subsequent emails, instead of contacting me for information, he went to the owner and said he wanted the calculations from "that woman" and hopefully there was a mistake.

Did I mention he's not even an engineer?

Before my blood pressure skyrockets any further, I'm leaving to go ride about 30 miles.

WyCo Solo

I was supposed to swim last night, but when I got home, my new trail shoes were sitting on the doorstep, just waiting to be taken on a run. So I ditched the pool and headed out to WyCo Park to run the trails there solo. I was planning on doing about 6 miles, or an hour, whichever came first. I honestly have no idea how far I ran, but I did run for a little over an hour.

It rained earlier in the day, so there were some muddy areas and there was one big tree that was down. I scampered around it, sure I was going to get into poison ivy. It would have been a great run, but I learned why it's good to run in a group and NOT be in the lead - spider webs!! I must have ran through at least 20 of them and they creeped me out each time. I had a few various insects try to ride along. Anything with more than 4 legs gives me the heebie-jeebies. After a while, I picked up a stick and I ran with a giant stick in my hand to clear the webs in front of me. It worked pretty well, I just hoped that I didn't happen along any of the Trail Nerds while I was running. They would wonder who in the hell is this crazy woman running with a stick and what exactly is she chasing. I ditched it at my turn around point, figuring I had already cleared the trails.

On the way back, I found a way to always run fast, even if you're going up a huge hill and are really tired - horse flies. These little buggers are great motivation to keep moving at all costs. I only got bitten a few times, so I think I did OK but my language would have made a sailor blush. It would have helped if I had remembered the bug spray. I also learned that my trail shoes have to be laced much tighter than my road running shoes. I had a blister on each big toe and I've never blistered there before. My shoes are now covered in mud, like any good trail running shoe should be. With this humidity, it will take a while for them to dry out, too. It was a good run and great workout. I'm looking forward to hitting the trails again, this time letting someone else clear the path!

Workout Stats:
Time: 1:12:48
Dist: ~6 miles
Calories: 729
HR ave/max: 165/180

One thing I've noticed while running at WyCo (I've been there a few times) is that I burn WAY more calories and have a higher HR than I would while on a hard tempo run. Since trail running is such an intense workout, I have at least 1 hour of trail scheduled every week. On a related subject, I didn't get my resting HR this morning since my HR monitor strap was still soaking from the run last night. Maybe I should have two straps to keep around.

From Saturday's bike ride
Workout Stats:
Time: 2:33:51
Dist: 36 miles
Calories: 987
HR ave/max: 129/161

7/24/08 - Brick

Last night I did a brick, which had had to cut short due to darkness. I did 18/4.5 and it was hot and humid out, not to mention windy on the bike.

Workout Stats:
Time : 1:54:12
Dist: 18 mi/4.5 mi
Calories: 1140
HR ave/max: 165/179

It was a tough workout due to the humidity. I felt like my skin was suffocating in sweat. I had to walk the steepest hill, mostly due to my skyrocketing HR. It took longer than normal for my HR to drop below 100, so I knew it was a tough workout and that was confirmed by my resting HR this morning. I know I should decrease my effort by about 10% when it's in the 90s with 90% humidity, but I never want to make a workout 'easy' when it's not supposed to be. And 16 mph on the bike and 9+ min/ mile running just don't feel like a real workout.

Daily Stats:
Resting HR: 58
Weight: 139.5

So I did it - I posted my weight for the world to see. My racing goal is 135. I was supposed to run this morning, but it was thundering and lightning outside. And with my HR up 4% from yesterday, I shouldn't feel guilty about missing a run. But I still feel guily. Tonight I have 2000m in the pool, unless it's closed due to t-storms, then I'll probably go for an hour-long run. The high is 93 at 5 pm today, so a pool workout would be enjoyable.

Tomorrow am, DT and I have a 30+ ride planned and another co-worker might join us. Sunday DH and I are still planning on hitting the trails. Since they're mostly shaded, it should be cooler than running on the road.

Busy as a Bee

With the house renovations, I have been pretty darn busy but I did make time for the pool last night. I think I stumbled upon a tri-club's swim practice. At least there were several triathletes at the pool. The tri-suit and tan lines are a dead give away. There was also a girl there that blew by me like I was floating. She obviously has been swimming much longer than me and I thought it was pretty cool to see a girl smoke everyone in the lanes next to us, too.

Time: 44:41
Dist: 2000 m
Pace: 2:14/100m (2:02/100yd)

My HR monitor didn't make contact through the whole workout, so it's not even work posting that info. I might order a small chest strap for swimming since the M loses contact and I even have it pinned so it doesn't get loose. My swim goal for next year is to get to 2:10/100m or 2:00/100yd. I think another off season with the Masters will help get me there.

I am going to try to monitor my resting HR everyday. This morning I was at 56 bpm, which is higher than I was before the HIM. I blame it on lower aerobic capacity. I was at 53 bpm and I'd like to get back down to the lower 50s. Should be interesting to watch as I keep training. I was at 58 bpm before I seriously started HIM training and dropped to 53 in a few months. I weighed myself this morning too. I'm not going to post that number just yet. I'll just say I have about 7 pounds I'd like to drop permanently.

With work and the house, I've had to reorganize this week's schedule. Tonight I'm doing a brick out at SMP - 25/5 as long as the t-storms hold off. Friday morning I have a 5 mile tempo run and Friday night I'm back in the pool for 2000m. Saturday morning I'm biking 35 mi with DT (from work) and Sunday DH and I are doing 6 miles of super-hilly trails. I heard one lady called them bill-goat trails. You just have to hope you don't fall to the side - you'll tumble about 70 feet before you hit the bottom and there's nothing in the way to stop you.

I have new-found motivation to get all my workouts in - I signed up for the Jackson County triathlon long course this morning. I know I can finish it; I want to race it. I was looking at last year's times and I think I'll be slower than most, but I know what kind of paces I'd like to hit and that's the important thing.

DH and I are going to run in the KC 1/2 marathon this fall, too. He's going to run with me as a training run before his ultra. Since he has a Garmin 205, he's going to pace me so I can PR. My current PR is 1:59:01 (9:05/mi). I'm shooting for 1:55:00 (8:46/mi). And this time, I'm not donating blood 2 days before the race.

Alternative Workouts

Lask week was just one of those weeks where work consumed my life and I barely got a workout in. I did get two runs in and one bike but not what I was hoping for. And this weekend turned into a home-remodeling marathon. But I spent most of my time mudding and sanding walls and ceiling, and I painted some of the ceiling beams, so I did get a good shoulder and back workout.

I have a lot of house-related work I need to do this week so we can install our bathroom floor this weekend. I'm still hoping to get most of my workouts in. All runs have been moved to the morning due to the 90+ temps we're having. Tonight I'll try to hit the outdoor pool for another 5000m. I officially signed up for the Women's triathlon. I haven't signed up for the Jackson County tri yet. I had planned on doing the oly but I might drop down to the sprint. Probably not, but it's nice to have the option.

7/15/08

No exciting title for today.

Last night I got back in the pool for the first time since the 1/2. It was a 50m pool and I've only swam in a 25 yd pool, so it took a little to get used to. I can tell it's been a while since I swam by the sore abs from flip-turning.

Workout stats:
Dist - 2000m
Time - 44:35 (2:13/100m)
Calories - 254 (??I'm pretty sure my HR monitor lost contact for a while, should have been closer to 350 or 400)
Ave HR - 131
Max HR - 162

This morning I was able to overcome the Sleep Monster and drag myself out of bed for a 4 mile run. And I still made it to work on time. I was going to just do a slow run to shake the cobwebs loose, but I ended up running negative splits. I don't know what the exact distance was, but I ran out for 20 min and then turned around and did the run back in 16:45. About every 10 min I'd pick up the pace until I was at 5k effort on the last mile. It felt great. I went without socks to try to toughen up my feet and I only ended up with one small blister. I'd like to do all my sprints sans socks for faster transitions. Tonight I'm biking 20 miles easy. I'll post all of today's workouts tomorrow or Thursday.

I found out the Lake Stevens 70.3 was moved to a different weekend for '09. It is Aug 16th instead of 4th of July weekend. I'm a little disappointed - I was hoping for a free vacation day! Registration opens up this week. I'll probably wait until payday to sign up :)

Tornado Alley 110

On Saturday, my little brother and I both did our first century ride starting out in Joplin Mo. We rode with on of the principals from my work and his financial guy. We stuck together for the first 30 miles or so and then us youngsters took off. Actually, we just lost them when we hit the hills. We'd stop at the rest stops and wait for them and then take off again. It was pretty fun. Total ride time was 7:24, but we were on the course for about 10 hours with all of the stops.

My brother rode his mountain bike with slicks on it. I didn't think he'd make it, but he kept up with me pretty well. He drafted off me for the most part, but I didn't mind since my bike is much lighter and I had aero bars. I had a disposable camera for pictures, but it will take me a while to get the pics developed. I didn't want to worry about dropping my digital camera.

I didn't eat at the last 2 rest stops which was a mistake. I was starving at the end. But other than that, the ride went well and I fared better than most of the riders I saw. I do have some wicked tan lines and my cheeks are a little pink. The worst part was I found out I'm allergic to the silicon strip on my tri shorts. I ended up with hives across the top of my legs and the sun made it worse. I'm allergic to medical adhesive, so I think there is something in common there. I couldn't wait to get my shorts off after the ride. I guess if I ever do a full Ironman, I'll have to find shorts without the non-slip strip at the bottom. A few benadryl and some calamine lotion did the trick. By tomorrow, I hope all the hives will be gone.

I took yesterday off as a rest day. Tonight I'm lifting, doing core, and then swimming 2000 yd. It should be a good post-ride workout.

Fever

I think I am coming down with another bout of triathlon fever.

The Lake Stevens 70.3 was this last weekend and that is the 70.3 I'm planning on racing next summer (registration opens next week). I've read a few race reports and it seems like it was a great race. I'm so excited again! My goal for my next 70.3 is going to be sub-6 hours and I think I can do it. I know running is my weakest point, so I will work on that. But the bike course is faster than Kansas, so that will help my overall time since biking is my strength.

I may only get to do 2 more races this summer. The Midwest Meltdown can't use the park they typically use due to county budget cuts. So as of now it doesn't have a venue, but it sounds like the race organizers are confident it will still be held.

This morning I decided to set some time goals for the races I plan on doing. I can't help it - I get fixated on racing and I can't think about anything else. True sign of a junkie, I guess.

For the Jackson County Tri, I'm hoping for 2:35, which breaks down to Swim: 2:10/100yd, Bike: 18 mph, Run: 9 min/mile and about 1:30 per transition. I was a little conservative on the bike and run, so hopefully I'll be under my 2:35 goal.

For the Midwest Meltdown (?) 1:35. Swim : 2:08/100 yd, Bike 18.3 mph, Run: 9 min/mile and 1:30 per transition. This one I think I can definitely do well since it's so short, I'm strong in the hills (and everything here is hilly), and last year's times weren't that impressive. An age-group place wouldn't be out of the question, but that's assuming the race is held.

For the Johnson County Women's Tri - 1:12. Same paces as the Midewest Meltdown, it's just shorter. This is the first year it's being held, so I have no previous times to compare to, but it's another hilly course and I ride by the park where this one is held. I'm not a big fan of the women's-only races, but I want to kick some butt.

DH just signed up for his first ultra-marathon on a trail. I'm going to do all of my LSD runs with him on the trails, which is also a great hill workout. Again, I know running is my weak spot so I'm going to focus on some serious long and hilly runs and speed work or tempo runs every week. I slacked on the speed work before the 1/2 since I didn't think it would make much of a difference. We will see where I'm at in a month or so.

Oh yeah, the Tornado Alley 110 is this weekend and I think my little brother is going to die. But I'll save all of that for a post-ride report. It should be entertaining to say the least. I'm thinking I may get a good picture out of this for our Christams card. :)

Back in the saddle

I managed 33 miles last night in 2 hours. Man, was it windy and hot. Although, biking in 90+ heat is much better than running in it. I'm really working on my bike-shorts tan line.

Work out stats:
Time: 1:58:36
Calories: 1017
Ave HR: 151 (there are some big a$$ hills)

After riding this course a few more times, I would say it is every bit as difficult as the 1/2 IM course I did in Lawrence. It may even be a little worse since there is a steady 2 mile climb at the end. Killer! But it is fantastic for training, just not for an easy ride. I'm getting much better at spinning through the hills, even with a 15 mph head wind.

I finally made my training plan for the rest of the race season. I still have to sign up for the races, but at least I have a plan in place. With t-storms in the forecast for this afternoon/evening, I'm riding tomorrow and swimming tonight. I'm a little excited since I haven't swam since the 1/2.

Workout tonight:
2000 yd swim with at least 100 breath control and 200 stroke drills
(I'm hoping to get better at my flip turns, too, but that's not really important)

Tired buns

The Tornado Alley is fast approaching and I realized on Sunday how little I've done since the 1/2. On Saturday, I rode the 56 mile course I trained on and I was more sore on Sunday that I was after the race. Not a good sign considering I have 112 miles to cover this Sat. I'm hoping the slower pace and more frequent stops will get me through.

Today's workout:
Best case - 40 miles on the bike
Likely case - 2 hours on the bike

Unless I grow wings and can do 20 mph, I'll probably have to cut my ride short due to the 90+ heat today and I think I'll be working late. 2 hour minimum though.

I'm having a tough time getting workouts in while DH is around. He's back at school this week, so I should be fine getting my workouts in. We have so much work on the house I feel guilty working out at night. And we still haven't resolved our difference in schedules. It's hard to be a morning person when you have to be quiet.

I'm thinking about 3 more races this year - 1 Oly and 2 sprint. I haven't signed up for any, but a lot of that depends on how much work on the house still need to get done by the end of July. I'd like to take all of next week and just put in time so hopefully I can go back to training after that. I can't seem to have a full-time career, work on the house, work out and still get 8 hrs of sleep. Something has to give and unfortunately, it's been a little of everything - I haven't trained enough lately, I haven't gotten much done on the house, and I haven't been sleeping as much as I need to. I've been a regular ball of sunshine lately. I need exercise and I need sleep but it's that darn guilt thing of taking too much time for myself. Oh well, I'll have to figure out a balance eventually.