Have you ever noticed that people are happier when the weather is nice outside? Since the weather turned on the weekend everyone seems to be in a better mood and more positive in general! I think everyone may have SAD to some degree.
On Monday I ended up taking the day off of training to try and get organized and rest a bit. Chad took me out for a nice birthday dinner on Monday night. Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone :)
Last night I hopped on the trainer for a recovery ride about 60 min long. My legs felt really good and I wasn't the least bit tired when I finished. I am pretty happy about that since my legs were so tired after I rode on Sunday.
I am going for a long run tonight, hopefully the rain stays away for awhile longer! I am supposed to go for 80-100 min, depending on how my legs feel. We'll see how it goes :)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Here are the pics...
Here are the race photos from the weekend, the race report is in the last post!
This was me at the start....I was FREEZING....Brrrr
Chad and Logan after the race - Logan's first 5 km run!
Me coming to the finish line, I was very happy to be done :)
Luanne and I after the awards with our bronze medals!
Start of the CPS 5 km!
Chad and Peggy are off and runnin'
Chad finishing his second race for the weekend.
Race Weekend
Hmmmm, where to start. Friday night we headed out to Medicine Hat, we didn't get there until 1 am! That's waaaaay past my bedtime. Thanks to Dave and Becky for letting us crash at their place :) I stayed up for a bit visiting with Dave, he and Chad had busted out the beer and so I headed to bed.
It was pretty funny, the voices started out quiet and as the beer kept flowing so did the voices! Chad came to bed at around 4am (not so quietly...he hasn't had beer in awhile:) Once he managed to get to bed I was able to fall back to sleep. We got up around 9ish I think and visited with the family for a bit. Logan (Chad's cousin) really wanted to come with us and we weaseled him into the race as well.
Off to the races....we met up with Luanne and got our race packages (which she so nicely picked up for us!). When we got to the start of the race I discovered that they had changed the 10km race route :( What is more fun than running up a giant coulee once???? Having to do it twice! Oh well.
The race was 2 loops, I started out having a hard time getting around people. I should have started closer to the front because the first 2 km I was trying to get past people! We ran down into the coulee and did a loop at the bottom and headed back up. I was feeling pretty good until about 4 km in. Then I started to feel crappy. My first 5 km I was at 25 min. I tried to maintain my pace, but by the time I got back down the coulee again I had to slow it down a bit. I made it back up fine and I ran as hard as my legs would let me for the last 2 km. I finished in ~56 min (there was no official time). I didn't pace myself to well through out the race, I went out too hard and then couldn't finish the way I wanted to. Believe you me I was a hurting unit by the end! I have learned my lesson!
I found the gang once I finished and found that everyone had a pretty good race. Logan seemed to really enjoy running with Chad, I think we might have another runner in the family! Chad seemed to think that I placed because not very many people finished ahead of me. I thought he was loosing it since I didn't think I had a good race. We were sitting on the bleachers refueling, while they were announcing the winners....and Luanne's name was called. She won 3rd place in her age category. Yeah Luanne! We continued to hang out and sure enough Chad was right....I also won 3rd place in my age group!
After the race we went out for lunch and then headed back to Calgary. Once we got home we relaxed for a bit and then went out for dinner with some of Chad's family from Regina.
On Sunday I was awake at 7:30 for the CPS 5 km! With a little soreness I rolled out bed and headed to the race quite happy that I was only watching. We met up with Peggy and Terry (Chad's clients) and they were off and running. Chad came in at about 25 min and Peggy 40 min I think. All and all a good racing weekend. We hung out at the finish line for awhile to watch some of the 1/2 marathoners come in. We knew a few more people racing so we were on the lookout for them! When we couldn't find anyone we decided to go and get some food for Chad and head home.
I was pretty tired so I decided to have a little nap. I woke up awhile later and procrastinated going biking for as long as I could. I tried to convince Chad to go and get his bike but to no avail....I was on my own. I sucked it up and headed out. I went out to Crossfield, geared up and hopped on my bike. It took me about 5 min to realize I forgot my HR watch at home and I need to replace the battery on my bike computer. I had no heart rate, no timer, no cadence, no distance.....a big WHOOPS there. I had my cell phone so I checked the time and kept going! I went out to Madden, then turned onto Symons Valley road. Faced a bit of a headwind along there and I was happy to turn around! Headed home, had a good ride...nothing exciting to report! I did about 2.5 hours and 65 km I think!
My legs were DEAD after that ride. I felt good before I went out, just a little sore but I was a hurting unit last night. It has been awhile since I have been so happy to go to bed!
I have some pics of the weekend, I will update those later on tonight. All n' all a good weekend! I think Chad is going to pick up his bike next weekend. I am super pumped....not too sure where we are going to ride but it is gonna be fun!
Happy training everyone!
It was pretty funny, the voices started out quiet and as the beer kept flowing so did the voices! Chad came to bed at around 4am (not so quietly...he hasn't had beer in awhile:) Once he managed to get to bed I was able to fall back to sleep. We got up around 9ish I think and visited with the family for a bit. Logan (Chad's cousin) really wanted to come with us and we weaseled him into the race as well.
Off to the races....we met up with Luanne and got our race packages (which she so nicely picked up for us!). When we got to the start of the race I discovered that they had changed the 10km race route :( What is more fun than running up a giant coulee once???? Having to do it twice! Oh well.
The race was 2 loops, I started out having a hard time getting around people. I should have started closer to the front because the first 2 km I was trying to get past people! We ran down into the coulee and did a loop at the bottom and headed back up. I was feeling pretty good until about 4 km in. Then I started to feel crappy. My first 5 km I was at 25 min. I tried to maintain my pace, but by the time I got back down the coulee again I had to slow it down a bit. I made it back up fine and I ran as hard as my legs would let me for the last 2 km. I finished in ~56 min (there was no official time). I didn't pace myself to well through out the race, I went out too hard and then couldn't finish the way I wanted to. Believe you me I was a hurting unit by the end! I have learned my lesson!
I found the gang once I finished and found that everyone had a pretty good race. Logan seemed to really enjoy running with Chad, I think we might have another runner in the family! Chad seemed to think that I placed because not very many people finished ahead of me. I thought he was loosing it since I didn't think I had a good race. We were sitting on the bleachers refueling, while they were announcing the winners....and Luanne's name was called. She won 3rd place in her age category. Yeah Luanne! We continued to hang out and sure enough Chad was right....I also won 3rd place in my age group!
After the race we went out for lunch and then headed back to Calgary. Once we got home we relaxed for a bit and then went out for dinner with some of Chad's family from Regina.
On Sunday I was awake at 7:30 for the CPS 5 km! With a little soreness I rolled out bed and headed to the race quite happy that I was only watching. We met up with Peggy and Terry (Chad's clients) and they were off and running. Chad came in at about 25 min and Peggy 40 min I think. All and all a good racing weekend. We hung out at the finish line for awhile to watch some of the 1/2 marathoners come in. We knew a few more people racing so we were on the lookout for them! When we couldn't find anyone we decided to go and get some food for Chad and head home.
I was pretty tired so I decided to have a little nap. I woke up awhile later and procrastinated going biking for as long as I could. I tried to convince Chad to go and get his bike but to no avail....I was on my own. I sucked it up and headed out. I went out to Crossfield, geared up and hopped on my bike. It took me about 5 min to realize I forgot my HR watch at home and I need to replace the battery on my bike computer. I had no heart rate, no timer, no cadence, no distance.....a big WHOOPS there. I had my cell phone so I checked the time and kept going! I went out to Madden, then turned onto Symons Valley road. Faced a bit of a headwind along there and I was happy to turn around! Headed home, had a good ride...nothing exciting to report! I did about 2.5 hours and 65 km I think!
My legs were DEAD after that ride. I felt good before I went out, just a little sore but I was a hurting unit last night. It has been awhile since I have been so happy to go to bed!
I have some pics of the weekend, I will update those later on tonight. All n' all a good weekend! I think Chad is going to pick up his bike next weekend. I am super pumped....not too sure where we are going to ride but it is gonna be fun!
Happy training everyone!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Off to the races...
It has been a easy week of training, recovery weeks are good. I have had a lot of spare time and I didn't know what to do with myself!
On Wednesday I went for a 50 minute run. I have this loop by my house that I sometimes will run. Last year it was taking me about 53 minutes to complete. So on Wednesday I figured I would give that a go and it would take me 55 min because I would be running at an easier pace. Well, I was able to do it faster and at a lower heart rate! Whoot whoot!
Yesterday was my rest day rather than Tuesday due to the race on Saturday. I was falling asleep on the couch around 7:30 so I decided to get off my butt and do something. I ended up making soup and doing a bunch of laundry....exciting night let me tell you.
This afternoon I am going to go for a quick run and then we are off to Medicine Hat for the race on Saturday. I hope to stay around the same time as the moonlight run, we'll see how it goes! Chad is in the 5km AND he is doing the CPS 5 km run on Sunday morning. What a crazy...I'll be there to watch on Sunday and cheer everyone on! Have a great weekend and the sun should be shining. Yeah!
On Wednesday I went for a 50 minute run. I have this loop by my house that I sometimes will run. Last year it was taking me about 53 minutes to complete. So on Wednesday I figured I would give that a go and it would take me 55 min because I would be running at an easier pace. Well, I was able to do it faster and at a lower heart rate! Whoot whoot!
Yesterday was my rest day rather than Tuesday due to the race on Saturday. I was falling asleep on the couch around 7:30 so I decided to get off my butt and do something. I ended up making soup and doing a bunch of laundry....exciting night let me tell you.
This afternoon I am going to go for a quick run and then we are off to Medicine Hat for the race on Saturday. I hope to stay around the same time as the moonlight run, we'll see how it goes! Chad is in the 5km AND he is doing the CPS 5 km run on Sunday morning. What a crazy...I'll be there to watch on Sunday and cheer everyone on! Have a great weekend and the sun should be shining. Yeah!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Busy Bee
Things have been crazy at work over the last couple of days! Our receptionist has been sick so I have been doing two jobs. Yikes! I think she will be back tomorrow...which is a good thing for me :)
I have felt really good all week so far. All of that sleep on the weekend really helped. On Monday I went out into the snow yet again for a run. It was a short one, only 30 minutes. I did notice that there were only a handful of other runner's out there....where'd everybody go??? After I ran I went to the gym and did some cleans, nothing exciting to report there.
That night I did a 1000m timed swim. After a quick warm up I started the timed swim. I think I ate too much before I went because once I picked up the pace my stomach wasn't happy. That combined with my electrolyte drink; around 500m was not so pretty :) I finished in 19 min 11 sec. I am not too sure if that is good or bad, but hopefully I will get better!
Yesterday I biked for 75 min while I watched the game. There were a few times I looked down and my cadence had fallen a bit so I tried to stay focused! I was clunking a lot on Sunday with my single leg drills for some reason, but last night was much better.
Tonight I am supposed to run for some amount of time? I had better check that before I head out the door, I think it is about 60 min??? I hope it doesn't get any colder outside....I am tired of running in the snow and wind. Maybe just maybe spring is coming, I am beginning to think that Groundhog was full of crap!
I have felt really good all week so far. All of that sleep on the weekend really helped. On Monday I went out into the snow yet again for a run. It was a short one, only 30 minutes. I did notice that there were only a handful of other runner's out there....where'd everybody go??? After I ran I went to the gym and did some cleans, nothing exciting to report there.
That night I did a 1000m timed swim. After a quick warm up I started the timed swim. I think I ate too much before I went because once I picked up the pace my stomach wasn't happy. That combined with my electrolyte drink; around 500m was not so pretty :) I finished in 19 min 11 sec. I am not too sure if that is good or bad, but hopefully I will get better!
Yesterday I biked for 75 min while I watched the game. There were a few times I looked down and my cadence had fallen a bit so I tried to stay focused! I was clunking a lot on Sunday with my single leg drills for some reason, but last night was much better.
Tonight I am supposed to run for some amount of time? I had better check that before I head out the door, I think it is about 60 min??? I hope it doesn't get any colder outside....I am tired of running in the snow and wind. Maybe just maybe spring is coming, I am beginning to think that Groundhog was full of crap!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Running Blind
For anyone who doesn't live in Alberta, just to let you know we got hit with a huge snow storm....AGAIN! On Friday morning it started to snow with nice, big, pretty snow flakes. I was trying to be optimistic and thought that my run would be kind of nice with the "pretty" snow. As the day continued the nice, pretty snow turned into sideways, blowing, hard snow. All day I went back and forth; I'm going to suck it up and run outside....no I better wait until later and go to the gym to run on the treadmill.
By the end of the day the snow had worsened considerably. On my way home I probably changed my mind about running outside vs the treadmill another 10 times. See I hate the treadmill, so I will brave the crappiest weather in order to run outside. That is what I did. On my way out the snow wasn't so bad, I was running along happily. Then I got hit with a cross wind and realised it didn't seem too bad because I was running with the wind! I went around the corner and any idea of having a not so bad run was gone. That hard blowing snow I mentioned earlier was flying at me no matter where I went. Add in some stomach cramps and I was not a happy camper! On a positive note my legs felt really good, cheers to ice baths! It wasn't too cold, but I ran with my eyes closed most of the time because it hurts when you get snow flakes in the eye! I got home, happy to be done, and thought that it was worth the pain and suffering....I'd do it all again to avoid the treadmill!
I didn't go to the gym to do weights on Friday. I talked to Chad and he said the roads were getting pretty bad. I opted to stay home and have a nap before I went to the pool! I had a wickedly awesome swim on Friday night. I have been trying to work on pulling all of the way through my stoke ( I think I get lazy sometimes and just put my arms through the swimming motion instead of actively PULLING:). I was able to sustain this through out most of the workout, a few times my mind drifted off to la la land!
After being tired all week I went to bed fairly early for a Friday night and slept for a good 10 - 11 hours! That felt sooooo good. I love sleep. Anyway, on Saturday I hopped onto the trainer for a 2 hour ride. Not too much to report there....turns out not a lot happens when you are on the trainer! Felt good, heart rate good, cadence good!
On Sunday I got up early to get my bike in before work. An easy 75 minutes and I was good to go. I headed to the Tech Shop and after being there for about 15 minutes or so I got to go home since it was going to be such a slow day! I was a-okay with that. I went home and relaxed for awhile and then Chad and I headed out to do our favorite past time of late....bike shopping! We went to The Bike Shop first because Chad wanted to visit his bike. He tried on about 20 pairs of cycling shoes and finally found a pair! Yeah! After that we went up to Speed Theory and both got a pair of tri shorts...now we match :)
We got home just after the game started. I still had a run to get in, so I braved the cold yet again! Only this time it was actually cold outside, but with no snow falling. The wind was wickedly cold...I froze, but I got it done! I got home to see Chad wearing his new shoes with his new shorts and lying on the couch watching the game. Not exactly what they were designed for, but hey who I am to judge??? I think we need to get him his bike soon!
We decided to move around our bedroom last night and I think that made up for the weights I missed on Friday. Chad had me lifting and pushing and pulling! It was tough work. Worth it though; now I can sleep and Chad can watch TV, everybody's happy!
I was supposed to run this morning but they shut off the water in our apartment building for some reason today at 9am. I decided not to come to work stinky so I'll get my run in later! I've got an easy training week coming up because I race on Saturday. We are going to Medicine Hat for a 10 km run ( I think Chad's doing the 5km). The race is at a weird time...11am on a Saturday morning? I thought that was strange.
Anywho, I'll let you know how the week goes. I have a 1000m timed swim tonight! First one of the year...it will give me something to compare to in a few months...in theory I will get faster :)
By the end of the day the snow had worsened considerably. On my way home I probably changed my mind about running outside vs the treadmill another 10 times. See I hate the treadmill, so I will brave the crappiest weather in order to run outside. That is what I did. On my way out the snow wasn't so bad, I was running along happily. Then I got hit with a cross wind and realised it didn't seem too bad because I was running with the wind! I went around the corner and any idea of having a not so bad run was gone. That hard blowing snow I mentioned earlier was flying at me no matter where I went. Add in some stomach cramps and I was not a happy camper! On a positive note my legs felt really good, cheers to ice baths! It wasn't too cold, but I ran with my eyes closed most of the time because it hurts when you get snow flakes in the eye! I got home, happy to be done, and thought that it was worth the pain and suffering....I'd do it all again to avoid the treadmill!
I didn't go to the gym to do weights on Friday. I talked to Chad and he said the roads were getting pretty bad. I opted to stay home and have a nap before I went to the pool! I had a wickedly awesome swim on Friday night. I have been trying to work on pulling all of the way through my stoke ( I think I get lazy sometimes and just put my arms through the swimming motion instead of actively PULLING:). I was able to sustain this through out most of the workout, a few times my mind drifted off to la la land!
After being tired all week I went to bed fairly early for a Friday night and slept for a good 10 - 11 hours! That felt sooooo good. I love sleep. Anyway, on Saturday I hopped onto the trainer for a 2 hour ride. Not too much to report there....turns out not a lot happens when you are on the trainer! Felt good, heart rate good, cadence good!
On Sunday I got up early to get my bike in before work. An easy 75 minutes and I was good to go. I headed to the Tech Shop and after being there for about 15 minutes or so I got to go home since it was going to be such a slow day! I was a-okay with that. I went home and relaxed for awhile and then Chad and I headed out to do our favorite past time of late....bike shopping! We went to The Bike Shop first because Chad wanted to visit his bike. He tried on about 20 pairs of cycling shoes and finally found a pair! Yeah! After that we went up to Speed Theory and both got a pair of tri shorts...now we match :)
We got home just after the game started. I still had a run to get in, so I braved the cold yet again! Only this time it was actually cold outside, but with no snow falling. The wind was wickedly cold...I froze, but I got it done! I got home to see Chad wearing his new shoes with his new shorts and lying on the couch watching the game. Not exactly what they were designed for, but hey who I am to judge??? I think we need to get him his bike soon!
We decided to move around our bedroom last night and I think that made up for the weights I missed on Friday. Chad had me lifting and pushing and pulling! It was tough work. Worth it though; now I can sleep and Chad can watch TV, everybody's happy!
I was supposed to run this morning but they shut off the water in our apartment building for some reason today at 9am. I decided not to come to work stinky so I'll get my run in later! I've got an easy training week coming up because I race on Saturday. We are going to Medicine Hat for a 10 km run ( I think Chad's doing the 5km). The race is at a weird time...11am on a Saturday morning? I thought that was strange.
Anywho, I'll let you know how the week goes. I have a 1000m timed swim tonight! First one of the year...it will give me something to compare to in a few months...in theory I will get faster :)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Mind Over Matter
I just got out of an ice bath and it was very chilly...I am now in sweats and slippers trying to get warm again:) The reason for the ice bath was spin class tonight. We did 2 sets of 5 big gear, power, leg hurting, lung burning intervals. They were 2 min on 2 min easy, with a larger break in between sets. My brain and my legs got into a little bit of an argument...my legs put up a good fight but I managed to power through! Now I am really tired...yawn.
Last night I went for a 75 min run. My legs were tired all day; I went for a massage which helped out a bit. I actually have been tired all week but I feel better when I am training. Yesterday and today the best I have felt is after a workout. I think I need a few nights of long sleeps and I will be fine.
I am not looking forward to the snow that is headed our way after such a nice weekend last week :( Boooo winter. This time of year in Calgary is tough because it gets nice for a few days and you get outside and then the world comes crashing down on training outside when you wake up to a snow storm! I will be braving to cold in the next couple of days for some runs though!
Ahhhhh, time to go relax and read my Lance Armstrong book! Happy training everyone!
Last night I went for a 75 min run. My legs were tired all day; I went for a massage which helped out a bit. I actually have been tired all week but I feel better when I am training. Yesterday and today the best I have felt is after a workout. I think I need a few nights of long sleeps and I will be fine.
I am not looking forward to the snow that is headed our way after such a nice weekend last week :( Boooo winter. This time of year in Calgary is tough because it gets nice for a few days and you get outside and then the world comes crashing down on training outside when you wake up to a snow storm! I will be braving to cold in the next couple of days for some runs though!
Ahhhhh, time to go relax and read my Lance Armstrong book! Happy training everyone!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tired Legs
When I went for my run on Monday and my legs were pretty dead. It kinda came out of no where because I had felt so good since Wednesday the previous week.
My weights and swim pretty much went the same on Monday night. I was sitting on the couch watching Friends and eating dinner and the shelf in the closet collapsed. It scared the crap out of me. Last night I spent the entire night trying to figure out what do do with all of our jackets, mitts, toques, etc. Blah.
My legs have been really achy again today. I went for a massage, so now they have loosened up and are still achy! Hopefully it is one of those times where I will feel better once I run instead of worse. That's usually what happens! Tonight I have a somewhat long run for 75-90 min!
Not a very exciting post, but nothing exciting has happened....which is kind of unusual for me!
My weights and swim pretty much went the same on Monday night. I was sitting on the couch watching Friends and eating dinner and the shelf in the closet collapsed. It scared the crap out of me. Last night I spent the entire night trying to figure out what do do with all of our jackets, mitts, toques, etc. Blah.
My legs have been really achy again today. I went for a massage, so now they have loosened up and are still achy! Hopefully it is one of those times where I will feel better once I run instead of worse. That's usually what happens! Tonight I have a somewhat long run for 75-90 min!
Not a very exciting post, but nothing exciting has happened....which is kind of unusual for me!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tested
I would like to start by saying Woooo hooooo for Chad. He ran in the Spring Thaw Trio on Sunday morning and got 3rd place in his age category for the 5km! I have never watched him race before because I am always out there with him! I was so proud and excited when he crossed the finish line under his goal time. He signs up for races to do them with his clients, to help motivate them and to reach their goals (he also gets a race shirt out of the deal which he gets very excited about:). This is the second time he has shown up race morning and his clients don't, he didn't let it bother him and went out there anyway. A positive attitude will get you anywhere and I think Chad showed that this weekend!
I have had a busy weekend....
On Friday I took a break from work and went for a run in the afternoon and it was beautiful outside! I had started out thinking I would only go for 45 min because I was tired, but once I got going I decided to do the 60 min! Later that night I went to do some weights and headed to the pool. I was a little unmotivated to go swimming, but I am glad I did because I had another wicked workout.
This weekend I think I was being tested by the bike gods! On Saturday I got up and headed out to meet my friend Alan and some of his friends for a bike ride. I was planning on doing 2.5 hours with a 20 min run after. We had been biking for about 30 min when I blew a tire. Great...first ride of the year and blew a tire right off the bat! It was the back tire...of course:) We got it off and changed, and it blew up again! It wasn't even on my bike yet! This time we took a closer look at the tire and it had a tear in it :( I was done biking for the day. Alan biked back, got his car and came to get me! We got back and everyone was still out on the road so we opted to run still anyway. We went for a 20 min run and it was HOT!
Once everyone got back it was around 4:00, so I headed out to go and get another tire. I wanted to bike on Sunday, so I hauled ass up to Speed Theory and got another tire. To add to the chaos after I got the tire and put it in my trunk...with my car keys. Oops. Lucky for me I had my sun roof open, I crawled up the hood of my car, down through the sun roof and popped my trunk...alas there was my key. Tough day! In spite of everything that happened I had a lot of fun!
On Sunday I went out to Crossfield to bike and have dinner with Chads parents. In Calgary there was little to no wind that I noticed. Well well well, the wind was blowing out in Crossfield that is for sure. I decided to embrace the challenge and head out to Madden.
The wind was STRONG and GUSTING! I have biked out there a lot and this is the windy-est (is that a word?) it has ever been. I was wobbling all over the place with the wind gusts, and hardly moving, it was really interesting when the trucks went by! Yikes. I was getting pretty frustrated and I could hear little voices of people in my head; Chad saying what are you going to do if it is windy on IMC day?, Greg told me to embrace the wind. So I did, well I tried at least. There were a few times when I was trying to climb hills and there may have been a little cursing as I plugged along. It took me 65 min to get to Madden and 30 min to get back.
I went for my run after dinner that night. The wind had finally died down and it was really nice outside. I did 45 min and my legs felt really good. I was surprised after my battle on the bike earlier in the day!
I am tuckered out a bit today...also a little red from being out in the sun all weekend. Can't wait for summer to be here! Maybe this weekend will turn out nice too, we can hope!
With the nice weather last weekend it hit home that Ironman is coming and it is coming quickly! When I think about race day I am flooded with a few emotions; excited, scared, nervous! It varies throughout the week, depending on how I am feeling. Sometimes I don't think about IMC, I do my training because that is what I have always done, its a habit. Then my brain starts to wander and I think about all of the little things that I am unsure of when it comes to race day....that's what makes me nervous. I am feeling more comfortable and confident since I started training with Greg though :) I suppose this is all part of the experience of doing your first Ironman!
I have had a busy weekend....
On Friday I took a break from work and went for a run in the afternoon and it was beautiful outside! I had started out thinking I would only go for 45 min because I was tired, but once I got going I decided to do the 60 min! Later that night I went to do some weights and headed to the pool. I was a little unmotivated to go swimming, but I am glad I did because I had another wicked workout.
This weekend I think I was being tested by the bike gods! On Saturday I got up and headed out to meet my friend Alan and some of his friends for a bike ride. I was planning on doing 2.5 hours with a 20 min run after. We had been biking for about 30 min when I blew a tire. Great...first ride of the year and blew a tire right off the bat! It was the back tire...of course:) We got it off and changed, and it blew up again! It wasn't even on my bike yet! This time we took a closer look at the tire and it had a tear in it :( I was done biking for the day. Alan biked back, got his car and came to get me! We got back and everyone was still out on the road so we opted to run still anyway. We went for a 20 min run and it was HOT!
Once everyone got back it was around 4:00, so I headed out to go and get another tire. I wanted to bike on Sunday, so I hauled ass up to Speed Theory and got another tire. To add to the chaos after I got the tire and put it in my trunk...with my car keys. Oops. Lucky for me I had my sun roof open, I crawled up the hood of my car, down through the sun roof and popped my trunk...alas there was my key. Tough day! In spite of everything that happened I had a lot of fun!
On Sunday I went out to Crossfield to bike and have dinner with Chads parents. In Calgary there was little to no wind that I noticed. Well well well, the wind was blowing out in Crossfield that is for sure. I decided to embrace the challenge and head out to Madden.
The wind was STRONG and GUSTING! I have biked out there a lot and this is the windy-est (is that a word?) it has ever been. I was wobbling all over the place with the wind gusts, and hardly moving, it was really interesting when the trucks went by! Yikes. I was getting pretty frustrated and I could hear little voices of people in my head; Chad saying what are you going to do if it is windy on IMC day?, Greg told me to embrace the wind. So I did, well I tried at least. There were a few times when I was trying to climb hills and there may have been a little cursing as I plugged along. It took me 65 min to get to Madden and 30 min to get back.
I went for my run after dinner that night. The wind had finally died down and it was really nice outside. I did 45 min and my legs felt really good. I was surprised after my battle on the bike earlier in the day!
I am tuckered out a bit today...also a little red from being out in the sun all weekend. Can't wait for summer to be here! Maybe this weekend will turn out nice too, we can hope!
With the nice weather last weekend it hit home that Ironman is coming and it is coming quickly! When I think about race day I am flooded with a few emotions; excited, scared, nervous! It varies throughout the week, depending on how I am feeling. Sometimes I don't think about IMC, I do my training because that is what I have always done, its a habit. Then my brain starts to wander and I think about all of the little things that I am unsure of when it comes to race day....that's what makes me nervous. I am feeling more comfortable and confident since I started training with Greg though :) I suppose this is all part of the experience of doing your first Ironman!
Friday, April 11, 2008
No Way Jose!
I know I am probably the only person in Calgary who was happy the the game last night! I am pumped for San Jose ( I really like Joe Thornton:) so watch out all you Flames fans cause the Sharks are coming!
Anyway, class last night was good. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it there due to the crazy weather. I got stuck on the 14th street hill yesterday on my way to work. I was there for about 20 minutes not able to drive up the hill. I was on the phone with Chad freaking out because I didn't know what to do! Lucky for me a gravel truck came by...I had to reverse down the hill into the other lane and I FINALLY and BARELY made it up the hill. The weather let up a little in the afternoon so I made it home to pick up my bike! We did some big gear hills last night...I much prefer them to sprinting and power stuff:) I did 90 min there last night, went home, stretched out on the couch and watched the game.
Wednesday I went for my long run: 1hr 45 min. The wind was a little chilly, which seems to be the trend as of late. Once I got home I decided to try having an ice bath...that was about as much fun as it sounds. The worst part was my feet...ouch ouch ouch. It seemed to help a bit because my legs felt better yesterday than they normally do:)
Tonight I am headed out for a run, weights and a swim! I want to ride outside on Saturday, I need to go and pick up some tubes since I don't have the right size for my new bike:) I should done it last night when I was at the store...but then I got lazy and hungry and went home! Ha ha...too lazy to walk back inside, that's pretty bad!
Have a great weekend...spring is here...well for the next couple of days anyway!
Anyway, class last night was good. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it there due to the crazy weather. I got stuck on the 14th street hill yesterday on my way to work. I was there for about 20 minutes not able to drive up the hill. I was on the phone with Chad freaking out because I didn't know what to do! Lucky for me a gravel truck came by...I had to reverse down the hill into the other lane and I FINALLY and BARELY made it up the hill. The weather let up a little in the afternoon so I made it home to pick up my bike! We did some big gear hills last night...I much prefer them to sprinting and power stuff:) I did 90 min there last night, went home, stretched out on the couch and watched the game.
Wednesday I went for my long run: 1hr 45 min. The wind was a little chilly, which seems to be the trend as of late. Once I got home I decided to try having an ice bath...that was about as much fun as it sounds. The worst part was my feet...ouch ouch ouch. It seemed to help a bit because my legs felt better yesterday than they normally do:)
Tonight I am headed out for a run, weights and a swim! I want to ride outside on Saturday, I need to go and pick up some tubes since I don't have the right size for my new bike:) I should done it last night when I was at the store...but then I got lazy and hungry and went home! Ha ha...too lazy to walk back inside, that's pretty bad!
Have a great weekend...spring is here...well for the next couple of days anyway!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
New Gear
This is some of the new gear that I recieved as being chosen as part of the Tech Shop Team. They are getting the tri-suits and t-shirts silk screened with the Tech Shop logo on them. I'll post some pics of those when they come in.
It is really nice gear and Pearl Izumi is good quality. I have never tried any of the Nathan fuel belts so that'll be fun to try out.
I booked myself for a massage next week. I am pretty pumped because my hamstrings and calves have been really tight lately...bring on the pain! I also booked a hair appointment, new hair and massage all in the same week. Yeah me!
Thats all that has happened in the last day since I didn't train yesterday...hopefully the weather stays nice and won't rain on me when I go for my run tonight!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Taking it ez
Today is my rest day, although there won't be much rest since my house looks like a tornado went through it and there is training gear everywhere. Chad counted how many shoes I had out at once last week and it was something around 7 pairs and 5 of those being running and/or cycling shoes! Yikes!
We now have 3 bikes in our apartment and you can hardly move in our pseudo den! Chad's bike isn't even in the mix yet. I think we need a bigger place...not only for the bikes but for all of the stuff that comes along with it....shoes, helmets, trainers, foam rollers, gear. Oh my!
Other than walking around our apartment sideways not too much new. I went for a run yesterday...it was a chilly 7 degrees outside. That wind is freezing, brrrrr. I had to laugh; last night Chad said that it feels colder outside now than when it was winter! I have to say that I kind of agree with him. Anyway, I went to the gym when I finished running and changed up my weights a little bit and I am sore today. I will give the cleans a go again on Friday, they are so fun!
Last night my swim went pretty good compared to last week. The pool was at 50 meters (yeah, yeah, yeah :) and when I was taking my rest I looked down or at the clock so no one would chat with me. There are some friendly swimmers at the Talisman Center let me tell ya! The main set that Greg outlined for me was 6x250 with 1 min rest. I really enjoyed that set for some reason, or maybe I was just in the mood to swim...who knows! I still have cramping in my feet and calves, it is a bit better but still there :(
Tomorrow is my long run, I'll admit I enjoy having it in the middle of the week. It makes the weekends a little easier to handle.
We now have 3 bikes in our apartment and you can hardly move in our pseudo den! Chad's bike isn't even in the mix yet. I think we need a bigger place...not only for the bikes but for all of the stuff that comes along with it....shoes, helmets, trainers, foam rollers, gear. Oh my!
Other than walking around our apartment sideways not too much new. I went for a run yesterday...it was a chilly 7 degrees outside. That wind is freezing, brrrrr. I had to laugh; last night Chad said that it feels colder outside now than when it was winter! I have to say that I kind of agree with him. Anyway, I went to the gym when I finished running and changed up my weights a little bit and I am sore today. I will give the cleans a go again on Friday, they are so fun!
Last night my swim went pretty good compared to last week. The pool was at 50 meters (yeah, yeah, yeah :) and when I was taking my rest I looked down or at the clock so no one would chat with me. There are some friendly swimmers at the Talisman Center let me tell ya! The main set that Greg outlined for me was 6x250 with 1 min rest. I really enjoyed that set for some reason, or maybe I was just in the mood to swim...who knows! I still have cramping in my feet and calves, it is a bit better but still there :(
Tomorrow is my long run, I'll admit I enjoy having it in the middle of the week. It makes the weekends a little easier to handle.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Is it summer yet????
Yesterday was true to the crazy Alberta weather we all experience here. Sun, rain, snow, and sun again, all in a few hours. Hmmm, not easy to plan training sessions outside with weather like that!
Anywho, lets start with Friday shall weeee. Friday I could feel the tiredness in my body, along with a few sore body parts. I had a crazy day at work, but when I got home I sucked it up and headed out the door for my run. I really enjoy my runs outside by myself. I find it very relaxing, I can get lost in my own head space and hash out what is going on in my day to day life. Very nice indeed.
When I got home from my run I grabbed some food and curled up in my bed and had a little nap. I woke up later and headed to the gym. I was in my post sleep mode, so I wasn't overly energetic but I had a really good workout and then it was off to the pool for me. There were the usual randoms at the pool swimming into me, but I had a good swim. Do you ever have those swims where you feel lost in the water and something isn't quite right? That was me last week. I am going to incorporate a few more drills during warm up this week, that usually helps me stay on track!
Saturday I velcroed up the old cycling shoes and hopped onto the bike. One of my friends stopped by to pick up some stuff he left at my house and asked me why I had my bike in the corner and was staring at the wall. I tried to explain to him that I needed to "focus" on what I am doing, he looked and me like I was crazy and the look continued when I told him I was biking for 2 plus hours....what do you mean, that's not normal???? Ha ha. All and all a good training session.
I have noticed that my appetite is never ending. We went out for dinner with Chad's parents on Saturday night and I was in the fridge within an hour and a half looking for more food. What can I say, I'm hungry!
Sunday I rolled myself out of bed to get my bike in before I had to go to work. I took me some time to wake up, but I gotter done and managed to wake up a little as well:) Work was crazy busy yesterday, a lot of runners are gearing up for the summer. The Tech Shop is putting a team together since so many of us are racing now....that means I get free gear! Yay!
We went out to Crossfield last night so Chad could get Nathans bike and start riding it before his triathlon debut in May! While he was doing that I went for a run. It was nice and quiet out there, no people, very little traffic....and then the train came. I think my ears were ringing when I got back from running beside that very large and noisy thing. I don't know what was worse the engine or the squealing brakes!
I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I didn't get my run in before work this morning. I'll do it some other time today. I am going to the gym tonight and to the pool. I have my fingers crossed that the pool will be at 50 meters tonight!
Anywho, lets start with Friday shall weeee. Friday I could feel the tiredness in my body, along with a few sore body parts. I had a crazy day at work, but when I got home I sucked it up and headed out the door for my run. I really enjoy my runs outside by myself. I find it very relaxing, I can get lost in my own head space and hash out what is going on in my day to day life. Very nice indeed.
When I got home from my run I grabbed some food and curled up in my bed and had a little nap. I woke up later and headed to the gym. I was in my post sleep mode, so I wasn't overly energetic but I had a really good workout and then it was off to the pool for me. There were the usual randoms at the pool swimming into me, but I had a good swim. Do you ever have those swims where you feel lost in the water and something isn't quite right? That was me last week. I am going to incorporate a few more drills during warm up this week, that usually helps me stay on track!
Saturday I velcroed up the old cycling shoes and hopped onto the bike. One of my friends stopped by to pick up some stuff he left at my house and asked me why I had my bike in the corner and was staring at the wall. I tried to explain to him that I needed to "focus" on what I am doing, he looked and me like I was crazy and the look continued when I told him I was biking for 2 plus hours....what do you mean, that's not normal???? Ha ha. All and all a good training session.
I have noticed that my appetite is never ending. We went out for dinner with Chad's parents on Saturday night and I was in the fridge within an hour and a half looking for more food. What can I say, I'm hungry!
Sunday I rolled myself out of bed to get my bike in before I had to go to work. I took me some time to wake up, but I gotter done and managed to wake up a little as well:) Work was crazy busy yesterday, a lot of runners are gearing up for the summer. The Tech Shop is putting a team together since so many of us are racing now....that means I get free gear! Yay!
We went out to Crossfield last night so Chad could get Nathans bike and start riding it before his triathlon debut in May! While he was doing that I went for a run. It was nice and quiet out there, no people, very little traffic....and then the train came. I think my ears were ringing when I got back from running beside that very large and noisy thing. I don't know what was worse the engine or the squealing brakes!
I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I didn't get my run in before work this morning. I'll do it some other time today. I am going to the gym tonight and to the pool. I have my fingers crossed that the pool will be at 50 meters tonight!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Holly Hamstrings
Class was tough last night, but a lot of variety. Everyone got to choose what they wanted the class to do for 3 minutes with 2 minutes easy between. Lots of cadence work with a few hills and even some core and squats. The "zone 2" training was thrown out the window for all of the cadence stuff:) One thing I have noticed a lot with going from a road bike to a tri bike is the hamstring recruitment. Holly man, they were BURNING! I can tell I did a number on my hammy's last night thats for sure.
Oh and I lied, I don't have a brick this Saturday, its next Saturday....what can I say I'm blonde. I have a run today, some weights, and swim, so it is busy training day for me:)
I think my intestines are done throwing a hissy fit...but I am not going to eat dairy again until tomorrow or sunday. I haven't experienced pain since around 7:00 last night, so that is a good sign......almost in the clear. I had soy milk in my tea today and it was pretty good, so I can fall back on that if I need to.
Thats about it for me. Have a great weekend everybody!
Oh and I lied, I don't have a brick this Saturday, its next Saturday....what can I say I'm blonde. I have a run today, some weights, and swim, so it is busy training day for me:)
I think my intestines are done throwing a hissy fit...but I am not going to eat dairy again until tomorrow or sunday. I haven't experienced pain since around 7:00 last night, so that is a good sign......almost in the clear. I had soy milk in my tea today and it was pretty good, so I can fall back on that if I need to.
Thats about it for me. Have a great weekend everybody!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Rough Couple of Days
For the last couple of days I have been having stomach pain due to my IBS:( This is not fun. Tuesday was my day off, so I rested on my couch. I can't figure it out...doesn't seem to matter what I eat. I have been eating all of my veggies cooked and I am going to eliminate dairy for a couple of days to see if that helps. Hmmmmm, not too sure.
I went for my run last night. It was pretty good, a little too busy for me though! There were people everywhere, it was like an obstacle course out there. I had a little bout of frustration with my heart rate; I was running up a long gradual grade, against the wind, and I had to pee! It was only a couple of beats higher than where I wanted it, but man o man. I even stopped and walked for 15-20 sec to try to calm down. The more I think about it the higher it goes! Ha ha. I had to make a pit stop at the Extreme Bean to use the facilities. I was a lot more relaxed after that...too much water!
On the way back I had no trouble keeping my HR down, felt good! My left calf has been pretty tight lately so I think I am due for a massage. I need to make sure to stretch after every workout, not just the occasional run! Oops.
Tonight I am off to class. I am not sure what I am in for though....time trial according to Greg's Blog??? I still can't get my computer to work on my trainer? I get fed up with fiddling with it and go by my HR. It would be nice to know my cadence though:)
Chad and I are going to the Outdoors Show on Saturday at the round up centre. It is supposed to have running and tri stuff, as well as camping, etc. All of my favorite summer activities under one roof....how fun!
I successfully avoided my cold...a big thanks goes out to my immune system! Ha ha. I also have my first brick workout in a few weeks on Saturday so this could be interesting:)
Oooh and in my Crossing America challenge I am through Little Rock, Arkansas. Whoot whoot. I hammered the capitals quiz. Chad thought I was cheating I got them so easily. The only one I had trouble with was South Carolina, but I got it I just had to keep the wheels turning upstairs! I am coming up to the states I don't know as well so I best get studying!
I went for my run last night. It was pretty good, a little too busy for me though! There were people everywhere, it was like an obstacle course out there. I had a little bout of frustration with my heart rate; I was running up a long gradual grade, against the wind, and I had to pee! It was only a couple of beats higher than where I wanted it, but man o man. I even stopped and walked for 15-20 sec to try to calm down. The more I think about it the higher it goes! Ha ha. I had to make a pit stop at the Extreme Bean to use the facilities. I was a lot more relaxed after that...too much water!
On the way back I had no trouble keeping my HR down, felt good! My left calf has been pretty tight lately so I think I am due for a massage. I need to make sure to stretch after every workout, not just the occasional run! Oops.
Tonight I am off to class. I am not sure what I am in for though....time trial according to Greg's Blog??? I still can't get my computer to work on my trainer? I get fed up with fiddling with it and go by my HR. It would be nice to know my cadence though:)
Chad and I are going to the Outdoors Show on Saturday at the round up centre. It is supposed to have running and tri stuff, as well as camping, etc. All of my favorite summer activities under one roof....how fun!
I successfully avoided my cold...a big thanks goes out to my immune system! Ha ha. I also have my first brick workout in a few weeks on Saturday so this could be interesting:)
Oooh and in my Crossing America challenge I am through Little Rock, Arkansas. Whoot whoot. I hammered the capitals quiz. Chad thought I was cheating I got them so easily. The only one I had trouble with was South Carolina, but I got it I just had to keep the wheels turning upstairs! I am coming up to the states I don't know as well so I best get studying!
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