No, really. I DO! Because once you really get into it, YOU GET INTO IT! This week was so awesome; I did two workouts on Tuesday including some ab work, swam on Wednesday, and did a fantastic lactate-threshold treadmill workout this morning, followed by weight lifting.
Active.com really does provide some great pointers. Their latest newsletter featured 3 treadmill workouts to do once a week, written by Gale Bernhardt, the Olympic coach for the US Triathlon Team in 2004. Since the rain is here, I decided to take advantage of these to do some speed work, as this Emerald Nuts 5K run is coming up sooner than I've even begun to realize. I want to do well! 5K...I mean, it seems like such a little distance compared to everything else, but it IS 3.1 miles...not a sprint...though, when I think back to that sprint triathlon I did in 2005 in Pleasanton, I believe the distance was 4 miles and I paced at 7:28 or something...I honestly don't remember. Maybe it was more like 7:45. Treasure Island was 7:51. So...if I was able to run that fast in two triathlons...why couldn't I run faster in a 5K?
Anyway, it's great to have things to shoot for, and now I've got that kinda-sore/kinda-tired feeling that feels soooooooooooo good because you know you're working hard but you don't feel exhausted yet. I had a FANTASTIC swim practice last night - we did the Terrible Twos - 5 x 200 going as hard as you can on each one, on 3:30 - so theoretically you should be getting AT LEAST 40 seconds rest. I was coming in at 2:50 for the first 4, and with Kevin's encouragement (saying "SUMMON THE BEAST INSIDE YOU, SARAH! COME ON! BREAK 2:50!!! YOU CAN DO IT!"), I made the last one in 2:47. Sweeeeet. It feels so good to be building my swimming strength back the right way, as well as everything else.
I love training!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
Back to the grind (and back to the blog!)
So, I'm taking a hint from Jessie's blog that shorter can be better. Her blog, Follow Me To France is a blog about her preparation for her English Channel swim in July 2007. She's done such an awesome job already, and it's shown me that one doesn't always need to include every detail to have an exciting entry. That's always my biggest downfall as a writer - I LOVE the details! Will do my best, though.
I'm reading The Triathlete's Training Bible right now in an effort to train more properly; that is, really focus on periodization (slowly increasing duration and effort over a period of time and then easing up for a week to allow my body to build strength and recover) and not overtraining. Also, I'm trying to focus on really having a method this year.
Why the sudden motivation? Well, for one, I have a couple of teammates who have really put a lot of faith in my abilities and seem to think that I can qualify for the Clearwater 70.3 Championships in Clearwater, FL in November. This is particularly motivating for me...I never seem to be as confident in my abilities as other people are. The second thing is that I was chosen to be part of a sponsored team this year! Team Aquaphor Active.com reviewed my application and apparently thinks I'm worthy of being part of their team. I'd like to show them they've made a good choice.
So far, the schedule is:
May 6, 2007: Wildflower Olympic Distance
June 3, 2007: Tour de Tahoe 72 mile ride
? June 10, 2007: Baja 70.3 in Baja, Mexico?
? July 8, 2007: Lake Stevens 70.3 race in Lake Stevens, WA
July 22, 2007: Vineman 70.3 in Santa Rosa, CA
August 25, 2007: Santa Barbara Long Course Triathlon in Santa Barbara, CA
? November 10, 2007: Clearwater 70.3 Championships...?
Phew. Time to get crackin'! Been working on my swimming more, but really felt like I was running slowly on Sunday morning. That said, I kept my heartrate low, so I suppose it was to be expected. Am trying to get onto a regular schedule as I try to plow through this book as fast as possible so that I can create a proper schedule. So many things to think about! Weight lifting, stretching, not going too hard too soon...sometimes I find it a challenge just to stay on top of all of this AND everything else I have going on. It's a good challenge, though, and I enjoy the process of it.
I'm reading The Triathlete's Training Bible right now in an effort to train more properly; that is, really focus on periodization (slowly increasing duration and effort over a period of time and then easing up for a week to allow my body to build strength and recover) and not overtraining. Also, I'm trying to focus on really having a method this year.
Why the sudden motivation? Well, for one, I have a couple of teammates who have really put a lot of faith in my abilities and seem to think that I can qualify for the Clearwater 70.3 Championships in Clearwater, FL in November. This is particularly motivating for me...I never seem to be as confident in my abilities as other people are. The second thing is that I was chosen to be part of a sponsored team this year! Team Aquaphor Active.com reviewed my application and apparently thinks I'm worthy of being part of their team. I'd like to show them they've made a good choice.
So far, the schedule is:
May 6, 2007: Wildflower Olympic Distance
June 3, 2007: Tour de Tahoe 72 mile ride
? June 10, 2007: Baja 70.3 in Baja, Mexico?
? July 8, 2007: Lake Stevens 70.3 race in Lake Stevens, WA
July 22, 2007: Vineman 70.3 in Santa Rosa, CA
August 25, 2007: Santa Barbara Long Course Triathlon in Santa Barbara, CA
? November 10, 2007: Clearwater 70.3 Championships...?
Phew. Time to get crackin'! Been working on my swimming more, but really felt like I was running slowly on Sunday morning. That said, I kept my heartrate low, so I suppose it was to be expected. Am trying to get onto a regular schedule as I try to plow through this book as fast as possible so that I can create a proper schedule. So many things to think about! Weight lifting, stretching, not going too hard too soon...sometimes I find it a challenge just to stay on top of all of this AND everything else I have going on. It's a good challenge, though, and I enjoy the process of it.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Treasure Island 2 Embarcadero Y Swim, 10/14/06
So this morning my radio alarm went off and proceeded to get louder and louder (that's how it gets me out of bed because I don't want to wake the rest of the house up). I stumbled across the room to shut it off and saw that it said 4:30 AM. "Now why in the...?" I began to think...'OH! I HAVE MY TREASURE ISLAND SWIM!" I had nearly forgotten about it! So, packed up my bag, grabbed the wetsuit, made my PB&J sandwich and out the door I went. As I left the parking garage at the Embarcadero in SF, I thought "Hmmm...it's still dark. Why am I doing this again?" Strangely enough, the guy walking in front of me turns around and says "we're crazy, aren't we?" I just kind of mumbled "mmmhmm" and put my headphones back in. I don't talk to people in the morning, especially at 5:30 when I haven't had any coffee yet.
I walked into the welcoming doors of my local YMCA ("you can get yourself clean! you can have a good meal! you can do what-ever you feel!" Oh, Village People!) and was instantly greeted with directions on where check-in and bag storage was. Following my settling in, I was immediately pleased to find out that they had free Starbucks coffee there all piping hot and ready to go!! AWESOME!
Before I knew it, an hour had passed and there I was in the briefing room, being told to stick toward the Bay Bridge, because if we swam a straight line from Treasure Island to Pier 14, we'd run into a barge that was sitting in that direct line. Instead, aim for the Gap Building and once you pass the barge, turn right in toward the balloon arches. "So if you remember one thing, remember to stay toward the Bay Bridge." Okay. Sounds easy enough. "The fastest people will make it in by about 25 minutes, and the rest of you somewhere between 40 and 60." I wondered where I'd fit in.
As I looked around the room, I realized this was not a group of triathletes. These were swimmers of all a
ges and sizes. There would be no rushing to get out of the water and get the wetsuit off and hop on the bike. No setting up for the long stretch ahead. Just a swim! The energy was quite different - remarkably so. There was little tension in the room, and in fact, more of a subtle excitement seemed to permeate as I observed the 250-odd people crowded into this small gym. People chatting quietly, most with wetsuits, some brave souls without. Not only did people seem to be excited, but there was also a gentle calm. These people KNOW how to swim. They're not triathletes who have focused on the bike and run and squeezed in a few laps at the last minute, hoping it would be sufficient enough for an open water bay swim. Taking some deep breaths, I found myself remarkable calm as well, and in fact, began to look forward to it!
After the briefing, there was a giant exodus from the gym and down the stairs, heading outside and onto the Blue & Gold Ferry, where we would later be jumping off in front of Treasure Island! Once on the boat, I met up with two friends from my tri team, Michael and Matt, where we chatted about strategy, triathlons, and my latest forward about 'dating a triathlete.' The minutes ticked down quickly and the time had come to take the leap. They were having people go 3 at a time, so the three of us decided to jump together. It was so much more fun jumping off the boat with my friends than when I had done it alone at the Escape From Alcatraz!
The feeling of jumping into 60F water is difficult to describe. It instantly takes your breath away for a few seconds, and it is especially difficult to keep your face in. When your face hits the water, it's like your body immediately reacts to get your face OUT of the water. After a few gasps of air and dog paddles, I began to settle in a bit. Still chilly, but I took a few more chances to put my face in and try to adjust to the icebox I had jumped into. My toes began to cramp up, but I wiggled away and after about 30 seconds, the cramps began to subside as well. The one thing that wasn't happening was that my left goggle kept letting water in. Annoying. The start hadn't quite 'started' - they wanted everybody off the boat and then they would do the official start. I still had a few seconds to adjust. I kept pulling my goggles off and back onto my face, then putting my face in to check if it was right, but for some reason, it just wouldn't fix. "What am I going to do?" I thought. I couldn't swim crazily with my head out of the water. I knew it had to do with the added thickness that my thermal cap was providing, but there was nothing I could really do about it. "I suppose my eye will just get used to it," I thought. Hoped so.
All I knew was that the horn had gone off and it was time for me to start swimming. F*** the goggle, I had a crossing to swim! So, I just ignored it and started swimming. Amazing how your body can and will adjust in certain situations. I just dealt with it and kind of forgot about it. The rest is, well..not that exciting! At one point I thought "I must at least be 25 minutes in by now." Nope - 18 minutes! "Dang!" At that point I knew it was time to stop messing around and really start swimming. I was warmed up, in a groove, and hey - "I'M UNDER THE FREAKING BAY BRIDGE!!!" I breathe bilaterally, so every other breath I'd look up and see the bridge above me and think "wow, I've got a whole new perspective on this thing I go over every day."
Other random thought during the swim: "well, in the case of an earthquake and the bridge went out, I now know I could swim back!" :-)
So, as I enjoyed the sight of the bridge amidst the gray San Francisco sky, the nearing downtown skyline (which is AWESOME TO SEE FROM THE BAY!!!), the minutes ticked on and I was happy. I enjoyed the feeling of pushing through that water and seeing my progress along the bridge. There were a lot of various smells I encountered as well. At one point it smelled like diesel fuel. That went away. Then I encountered a fishy smell that only lasted for a couple minutes. Nothing for awhile, and then more diesel. Pretty soon, as I took a breath to my right, I noticed that barge they had talked about in the briefing. "So after this barge...I think I should turn right."
It was now that I realized that nobody had passed me...but I'd passed a lot of people. To that extent, there was really nobody directly in front of me to sight off of. It was me, myself, and I (as Jason M. would say!). I would have to make the executive decision of when to turn in, and realized that I could potentially be affecting anybody who was behind me. "Hope I make the right decision!", is all I could think.
Sure enough, though, as I turned in, I could see the balloon arch and the far-off splashes of swimmers up ahead of me. Great! I'm on course! As I got nearer and nearer, I began to sight a little more often to make sure I was staying on track. This isn't so big in the beginning, but as you get closer, even a few strokes in the wrong direction can really get you off course. After a few minutes, I began to hear cheers faintly in the distance. "Time to pick it up, Sarah! Move those arms and kick those legs, girl!" The balloon arch was now completely in sight and I was getting excited - so much so that I began to sprint! As I began to approach the pier, I thought "is that...BARBEQUE I smell??? No way. Couldn't be!" (Later on, both Michael and Matt said "did you smell bbq at the end?")
The cheers were louder now and despite it being so gray out, I still thought that SF skyline was a gorgeous sight. After being alone for quite awhile, I was now converging onto the pier with a bunch of other swimmers as we neared the steps to get out of the water. The cheers inspired me to keep on keepin' on and I was determined to get there as fast as possible now. Pretty soon, I looked up and there was the turn for us to make to get to the steps that would lead us out of the water. Making the right-hand turn, I picked my head up and heard lots of people cheering, clapping, and saw right in front of me people getting out of the water. "Hooray! I did it!"
Upon stepping out of the water, I raced up the steps and toward the timing mats as fast as I could. "Wait a minute. Sarah. It's not a tri. You're done!" I really did have to kind of remind myself of this, sad to say! As I stepped onto the mat, I looked left, and there was my mom and my stepdad! "HEY YOU GUYS!" I beamed a big smile as I looked back at my time - 40:29! WOW! That's awesome!
As I went over to talk with my mom and stepdad and wait for Michael and Matt, my mom immediately said "Sarah, your left eye is so swollen and bloodshot!!" The goggle. Dang that goggle! "Yeah, that would be what extended exposure to salt water can do to your eyeball," I said. After rinsing it thoroughly with bottled water, the swelling began to go down. Mmmm, just love imagining all the yummy chemicals and salt that my eye was exposed to. :-P Besides being greeted with the wonderful view of having my family there, they even had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me. They totally rock!
Pretty soon, Michael Manning was out of the water at 42 minutes, and Matt came in around 51. "What happened to you?" I said. I knew Matt's swimming had improved, so I had expected to see him sooner. "Aww, I was sightseeing for a bit. Took my time, enjoyed the view!" Fair enough!
So, normally the story would end there. But after a nice hot shower and sauna, putting on warm clothes, and heading downstairs, I paused to look at the results: 40:29, 54th overall out of 176 people. Cool! What I was surprised to find was that there was a '2' next to my age group listing. "Wow..
.I got 2nd?" I thought. I approached the medals table and said "Do you guys give age group medals?" They responded with an enthusiastic "we sure do! Did you place?" "Well...yes, I think I did!" Sure enough, I'd gotten 2nd in my age group!
In the end, I walked away from the Embaracadero with a whole new perspective of the Bay Bridge and City skyline, and a medal! Not bad...and onto Foxy's Fall Century tomorrow!
I walked into the welcoming doors of my local YMCA ("you can get yourself clean! you can have a good meal! you can do what-ever you feel!" Oh, Village People!) and was instantly greeted with directions on where check-in and bag storage was. Following my settling in, I was immediately pleased to find out that they had free Starbucks coffee there all piping hot and ready to go!! AWESOME!
Before I knew it, an hour had passed and there I was in the briefing room, being told to stick toward the Bay Bridge, because if we swam a straight line from Treasure Island to Pier 14, we'd run into a barge that was sitting in that direct line. Instead, aim for the Gap Building and once you pass the barge, turn right in toward the balloon arches. "So if you remember one thing, remember to stay toward the Bay Bridge." Okay. Sounds easy enough. "The fastest people will make it in by about 25 minutes, and the rest of you somewhere between 40 and 60." I wondered where I'd fit in.
As I looked around the room, I realized this was not a group of triathletes. These were swimmers of all a
ges and sizes. There would be no rushing to get out of the water and get the wetsuit off and hop on the bike. No setting up for the long stretch ahead. Just a swim! The energy was quite different - remarkably so. There was little tension in the room, and in fact, more of a subtle excitement seemed to permeate as I observed the 250-odd people crowded into this small gym. People chatting quietly, most with wetsuits, some brave souls without. Not only did people seem to be excited, but there was also a gentle calm. These people KNOW how to swim. They're not triathletes who have focused on the bike and run and squeezed in a few laps at the last minute, hoping it would be sufficient enough for an open water bay swim. Taking some deep breaths, I found myself remarkable calm as well, and in fact, began to look forward to it!After the briefing, there was a giant exodus from the gym and down the stairs, heading outside and onto the Blue & Gold Ferry, where we would later be jumping off in front of Treasure Island! Once on the boat, I met up with two friends from my tri team, Michael and Matt, where we chatted about strategy, triathlons, and my latest forward about 'dating a triathlete.' The minutes ticked down quickly and the time had come to take the leap. They were having people go 3 at a time, so the three of us decided to jump together. It was so much more fun jumping off the boat with my friends than when I had done it alone at the Escape From Alcatraz!
The feeling of jumping into 60F water is difficult to describe. It instantly takes your breath away for a few seconds, and it is especially difficult to keep your face in. When your face hits the water, it's like your body immediately reacts to get your face OUT of the water. After a few gasps of air and dog paddles, I began to settle in a bit. Still chilly, but I took a few more chances to put my face in and try to adjust to the icebox I had jumped into. My toes began to cramp up, but I wiggled away and after about 30 seconds, the cramps began to subside as well. The one thing that wasn't happening was that my left goggle kept letting water in. Annoying. The start hadn't quite 'started' - they wanted everybody off the boat and then they would do the official start. I still had a few seconds to adjust. I kept pulling my goggles off and back onto my face, then putting my face in to check if it was right, but for some reason, it just wouldn't fix. "What am I going to do?" I thought. I couldn't swim crazily with my head out of the water. I knew it had to do with the added thickness that my thermal cap was providing, but there was nothing I could really do about it. "I suppose my eye will just get used to it," I thought. Hoped so.
All I knew was that the horn had gone off and it was time for me to start swimming. F*** the goggle, I had a crossing to swim! So, I just ignored it and started swimming. Amazing how your body can and will adjust in certain situations. I just dealt with it and kind of forgot about it. The rest is, well..not that exciting! At one point I thought "I must at least be 25 minutes in by now." Nope - 18 minutes! "Dang!" At that point I knew it was time to stop messing around and really start swimming. I was warmed up, in a groove, and hey - "I'M UNDER THE FREAKING BAY BRIDGE!!!" I breathe bilaterally, so every other breath I'd look up and see the bridge above me and think "wow, I've got a whole new perspective on this thing I go over every day."
Other random thought during the swim: "well, in the case of an earthquake and the bridge went out, I now know I could swim back!" :-)
So, as I enjoyed the sight of the bridge amidst the gray San Francisco sky, the nearing downtown skyline (which is AWESOME TO SEE FROM THE BAY!!!), the minutes ticked on and I was happy. I enjoyed the feeling of pushing through that water and seeing my progress along the bridge. There were a lot of various smells I encountered as well. At one point it smelled like diesel fuel. That went away. Then I encountered a fishy smell that only lasted for a couple minutes. Nothing for awhile, and then more diesel. Pretty soon, as I took a breath to my right, I noticed that barge they had talked about in the briefing. "So after this barge...I think I should turn right."
It was now that I realized that nobody had passed me...but I'd passed a lot of people. To that extent, there was really nobody directly in front of me to sight off of. It was me, myself, and I (as Jason M. would say!). I would have to make the executive decision of when to turn in, and realized that I could potentially be affecting anybody who was behind me. "Hope I make the right decision!", is all I could think.
Sure enough, though, as I turned in, I could see the balloon arch and the far-off splashes of swimmers up ahead of me. Great! I'm on course! As I got nearer and nearer, I began to sight a little more often to make sure I was staying on track. This isn't so big in the beginning, but as you get closer, even a few strokes in the wrong direction can really get you off course. After a few minutes, I began to hear cheers faintly in the distance. "Time to pick it up, Sarah! Move those arms and kick those legs, girl!" The balloon arch was now completely in sight and I was getting excited - so much so that I began to sprint! As I began to approach the pier, I thought "is that...BARBEQUE I smell??? No way. Couldn't be!" (Later on, both Michael and Matt said "did you smell bbq at the end?")
The cheers were louder now and despite it being so gray out, I still thought that SF skyline was a gorgeous sight. After being alone for quite awhile, I was now converging onto the pier with a bunch of other swimmers as we neared the steps to get out of the water. The cheers inspired me to keep on keepin' on and I was determined to get there as fast as possible now. Pretty soon, I looked up and there was the turn for us to make to get to the steps that would lead us out of the water. Making the right-hand turn, I picked my head up and heard lots of people cheering, clapping, and saw right in front of me people getting out of the water. "Hooray! I did it!"
Upon stepping out of the water, I raced up the steps and toward the timing mats as fast as I could. "Wait a minute. Sarah. It's not a tri. You're done!" I really did have to kind of remind myself of this, sad to say! As I stepped onto the mat, I looked left, and there was my mom and my stepdad! "HEY YOU GUYS!" I beamed a big smile as I looked back at my time - 40:29! WOW! That's awesome!
As I went over to talk with my mom and stepdad and wait for Michael and Matt, my mom immediately said "Sarah, your left eye is so swollen and bloodshot!!" The goggle. Dang that goggle! "Yeah, that would be what extended exposure to salt water can do to your eyeball," I said. After rinsing it thoroughly with bottled water, the swelling began to go down. Mmmm, just love imagining all the yummy chemicals and salt that my eye was exposed to. :-P Besides being greeted with the wonderful view of having my family there, they even had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me. They totally rock!
Pretty soon, Michael Manning was out of the water at 42 minutes, and Matt came in around 51. "What happened to you?" I said. I knew Matt's swimming had improved, so I had expected to see him sooner. "Aww, I was sightseeing for a bit. Took my time, enjoyed the view!" Fair enough!
So, normally the story would end there. But after a nice hot shower and sauna, putting on warm clothes, and heading downstairs, I paused to look at the results: 40:29, 54th overall out of 176 people. Cool! What I was surprised to find was that there was a '2' next to my age group listing. "Wow..
.I got 2nd?" I thought. I approached the medals table and said "Do you guys give age group medals?" They responded with an enthusiastic "we sure do! Did you place?" "Well...yes, I think I did!" Sure enough, I'd gotten 2nd in my age group!In the end, I walked away from the Embaracadero with a whole new perspective of the Bay Bridge and City skyline, and a medal! Not bad...and onto Foxy's Fall Century tomorrow!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Yeah yeah...been awhile
This weekend I'm posting everything - race reports from Vineman and Oh, and in just a few short steps I'm taking the first steps in becoming certified to teach spinning classes!
That said, some things to read in the meantime:
>This is an amazing story and I had tears clouding my vision as I read it. I wish everybody could read this and be inspired. This is what true love is all about: http://thebluedoodle.com/writerpages/steve.html
>Then, once you've wiped your tears, read this: FREAKING HILARIOUS!!!! Oh man...I think this is the real reason I've had trouble with dating. :-)
"Dating A Triathlete"
"I am an outdoors type of person."
Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.
"I enjoy riding my bike."
Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30- miler then you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.
"I enjoy jogging."
Really means: Let's run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.
"I enjoy dining out."
Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Eventually though if you're not burning 4,000+ calories a day you're going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, Mid-Morning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon Lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.
"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach."
Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.
"I find fulfillment in charitable work."
Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 mph. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.
"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together."
Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.
"I am an active person."
Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so let's make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed massage therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.
"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives."
Really means: You have your choice of
"I enjoy sight-seeing."
Really means: Lets grab a mountain bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.
"I like stimulating conversation."
Really means: while we are running, we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.
"I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub."
Really Means: I'm going to stop on the way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with some water, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.
"I'm interested in photography"
Really Means: My camera is permanently perched a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos of my bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.
"I'm into in technology"
Really Means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training, don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my mp3 player.
*****************************************************************************************************
Okay, I'm not this bad. But...I have to laugh because there is a certain kernel of truth in some of them. ;-)
Friday, July 28, 2006
Donner and Pre-Vineman
It's been far too long, but quite a busy month.
I wanted to update and say that Donner went pretty well. I improved my time by 14 minutes from last year and still placed 12th in my age group. The real bummer came from the fact that with 0.4 miles left in the run, THREE women from my age group passed me! I tried to kick it up and catch them, but I was shot and there was no way I was going to sprint for nearly a half mile. Sounds silly to say, but at 6,000 feet and almost three hours after I had begun - sprinting seemed like an impossible feat.
I'll write more about this race later, because I definitely have a half race report going, but I don't have time to finish right now.
Also, I've got my Half-Vineman this weekend. I'm now 10% anxious and 90% excited (up through yesterday it was 20% anxious/80% excited). I've done quite a bit of visualization and feel really ready to go out there, kick some butt and HAVE FUN!
Write more later...
I wanted to update and say that Donner went pretty well. I improved my time by 14 minutes from last year and still placed 12th in my age group. The real bummer came from the fact that with 0.4 miles left in the run, THREE women from my age group passed me! I tried to kick it up and catch them, but I was shot and there was no way I was going to sprint for nearly a half mile. Sounds silly to say, but at 6,000 feet and almost three hours after I had begun - sprinting seemed like an impossible feat.
I'll write more about this race later, because I definitely have a half race report going, but I don't have time to finish right now.
Also, I've got my Half-Vineman this weekend. I'm now 10% anxious and 90% excited (up through yesterday it was 20% anxious/80% excited). I've done quite a bit of visualization and feel really ready to go out there, kick some butt and HAVE FUN!
Write more later...
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Peaking too soon?
I hope not.
Thing is, I feel great. I mean, really, GREAT. On the other hand, I had three, count them, THREE days of rest last week. Oh, the shame! "What a SLACKER I feel like!" I thought to myself. Thoughts like "my training is going down the tubes," "you're being so LAZY, Sarah," and my personal favorite, "How can I make this up next week?" were flowing through my head constantly. Between cat-sitting, feeling exhaustion from my double on Monday, horrible cramps (sometimes, being a woman does have its downsides), and the upcoming conference for work, I was one ball of exhaustion. I knew it would not behoove me to go against my instincts and work out (that is, if creating time for such was actually a feasible thing), and it is a rare moment when I actually think "no, I really don't even have enough energy to work out and I will NOT feel better after exercising."
And thus, Friday and Saturday ended up being rest days. Saturday was not a restful day in any way, shape or form, though. Conferences are tough work and when it isn't physically exhausting to be running around, standing and setting up/breaking down all day, it is mentally exhausting to be 'on' from pre-start to post-finish. I had planned on running Saturday evening, as I thought it would provide a nice release after such a long day, but all I could think about doing was eating dinner, having a glass of wine, and falling into a deep sleep.
The sleep may have been deep, but it is always too short. I love sleep. I think I've mentioned that before in this blog. The nice thing is that it generally comes easy for me as well. As long as I'm sufficiently tired, sleep will ensue (provided I haven't ingested coffee past 3 p.m.).
I woke up early (far too early) Sunday morning, nice and blurry-eyed and ready to ride! Departing from Lee's at 6:45, we did a great 50 mile ride on one of my favorite routes, which was part of what the 1st stage of this year's Tour of California encompassed. We rode out toward the ocean where it got progressively foggier (but so beautiful!), and right around Valley Ford we began to notice people zooming by with numbers on their bikes - a race! Intrigued by what race it was, we stopped at the general store to find out, and were told it was a biathlon: bike from Santa Rosa to Marin, then run (not sure exactly where). Lee enjoyed the idea of that, as swimming isn't his favorite. The pace of the whole ride was great. Nothing crazy like the week prior, but not too slow, either. I love riding up there. I certainly took some opportunities to attack hills as I felt the motivation, which I did - I felt great on the ride.
Later that day, I certainly felt sore. The impact from the climbing we did (~2200 ft.) had set in, and I had a good feeling I might be feeling tired the next day...
or not. I don't know if it was the recovery day(s), the recovery drink, or a combo of both, but at swim practice Monday evening, I felt FANTASTIC! I was on fire! Got a good night's sleep, woke up bright and early on Tuesday, though admittedly as I arrived at the gym all I could think about was how nice a hot cup of coffee would be. Christine and I lifted weights (focused on back and abs), and upon finishing, I headed out to the track, somewhat dreading it, as I knew my friends out there would have a great (read: HARD) workout in store. After a warm-up mile (which I ran at an 8:04/mile pace quite easily - was very surprised), I greeted Owen and company and said, "so what's the lineup?" "6 x 1 mile, with rest intervals at 1/4 the mile pace, and running speed at your 10K race pace," he said in his British accent with a smile. I had actually planned on doing something similar, so I was somewhat happy to hear it, though I knew not to be fooled by the seemingly easy tone of the regimen. That sixth (or fifth, in my case - I knew I'd only have time for 5) mile was going to kill.
I was alarmingly surprised when I began to consistently run my laps at 1:52, 1:53, 1:54 somewhat comfortably. I say that loosely - 'comfortably' meaning that I wasn't gasping for air. I was running roughly a 7:30 mile with consistency and not dying at the end of each one! I rested for 1:52 between each one. The very last lap I completed in 1:43, which made me happy (and dead...).
That was yesterday. Today I woke up at 5:15 and met up with Leo at 5:40 for a 23 mile bike ride, and I felt SO FANTASTIC!!! I was totally spinning up Tunnel Road, felt great attacking Eunice even after a nice break at the Cheeseboard for scones and coffee (now that's rare - that climb is typically hard as hell after I've taken a nice coffee break), and in general, felt like a fantastic rider. However, as I realized how fantastic I felt, that's when I began to pose the question, "am I peaking?" I really, really hope not, since Donner Lake isn't for another couple of weeks. Hrmmmmmmmm.
The other possibility is that I had two days off to rest, and this is the result of such. Chances could be that if I taper properly the week prior to Donner, I'll be feeling like this or better. In any case, it feels good to feel so...good. I'll take it!
Thing is, I feel great. I mean, really, GREAT. On the other hand, I had three, count them, THREE days of rest last week. Oh, the shame! "What a SLACKER I feel like!" I thought to myself. Thoughts like "my training is going down the tubes," "you're being so LAZY, Sarah," and my personal favorite, "How can I make this up next week?" were flowing through my head constantly. Between cat-sitting, feeling exhaustion from my double on Monday, horrible cramps (sometimes, being a woman does have its downsides), and the upcoming conference for work, I was one ball of exhaustion. I knew it would not behoove me to go against my instincts and work out (that is, if creating time for such was actually a feasible thing), and it is a rare moment when I actually think "no, I really don't even have enough energy to work out and I will NOT feel better after exercising."
And thus, Friday and Saturday ended up being rest days. Saturday was not a restful day in any way, shape or form, though. Conferences are tough work and when it isn't physically exhausting to be running around, standing and setting up/breaking down all day, it is mentally exhausting to be 'on' from pre-start to post-finish. I had planned on running Saturday evening, as I thought it would provide a nice release after such a long day, but all I could think about doing was eating dinner, having a glass of wine, and falling into a deep sleep.
The sleep may have been deep, but it is always too short. I love sleep. I think I've mentioned that before in this blog. The nice thing is that it generally comes easy for me as well. As long as I'm sufficiently tired, sleep will ensue (provided I haven't ingested coffee past 3 p.m.).
I woke up early (far too early) Sunday morning, nice and blurry-eyed and ready to ride! Departing from Lee's at 6:45, we did a great 50 mile ride on one of my favorite routes, which was part of what the 1st stage of this year's Tour of California encompassed. We rode out toward the ocean where it got progressively foggier (but so beautiful!), and right around Valley Ford we began to notice people zooming by with numbers on their bikes - a race! Intrigued by what race it was, we stopped at the general store to find out, and were told it was a biathlon: bike from Santa Rosa to Marin, then run (not sure exactly where). Lee enjoyed the idea of that, as swimming isn't his favorite. The pace of the whole ride was great. Nothing crazy like the week prior, but not too slow, either. I love riding up there. I certainly took some opportunities to attack hills as I felt the motivation, which I did - I felt great on the ride.
Later that day, I certainly felt sore. The impact from the climbing we did (~2200 ft.) had set in, and I had a good feeling I might be feeling tired the next day...
or not. I don't know if it was the recovery day(s), the recovery drink, or a combo of both, but at swim practice Monday evening, I felt FANTASTIC! I was on fire! Got a good night's sleep, woke up bright and early on Tuesday, though admittedly as I arrived at the gym all I could think about was how nice a hot cup of coffee would be. Christine and I lifted weights (focused on back and abs), and upon finishing, I headed out to the track, somewhat dreading it, as I knew my friends out there would have a great (read: HARD) workout in store. After a warm-up mile (which I ran at an 8:04/mile pace quite easily - was very surprised), I greeted Owen and company and said, "so what's the lineup?" "6 x 1 mile, with rest intervals at 1/4 the mile pace, and running speed at your 10K race pace," he said in his British accent with a smile. I had actually planned on doing something similar, so I was somewhat happy to hear it, though I knew not to be fooled by the seemingly easy tone of the regimen. That sixth (or fifth, in my case - I knew I'd only have time for 5) mile was going to kill.
I was alarmingly surprised when I began to consistently run my laps at 1:52, 1:53, 1:54 somewhat comfortably. I say that loosely - 'comfortably' meaning that I wasn't gasping for air. I was running roughly a 7:30 mile with consistency and not dying at the end of each one! I rested for 1:52 between each one. The very last lap I completed in 1:43, which made me happy (and dead...).
That was yesterday. Today I woke up at 5:15 and met up with Leo at 5:40 for a 23 mile bike ride, and I felt SO FANTASTIC!!! I was totally spinning up Tunnel Road, felt great attacking Eunice even after a nice break at the Cheeseboard for scones and coffee (now that's rare - that climb is typically hard as hell after I've taken a nice coffee break), and in general, felt like a fantastic rider. However, as I realized how fantastic I felt, that's when I began to pose the question, "am I peaking?" I really, really hope not, since Donner Lake isn't for another couple of weeks. Hrmmmmmmmm.
The other possibility is that I had two days off to rest, and this is the result of such. Chances could be that if I taper properly the week prior to Donner, I'll be feeling like this or better. In any case, it feels good to feel so...good. I'll take it!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Correction
Apparently, Fitness Journal DOES INDEED have a planner function where I can set out my week's plan! I stood to be corrected (and I was). Well, it's even better than I thought.
There's a food journal function on there as well, but I'm not so good at keeping track of that even though I'd like to be. I just don't have the desire to log every single thing. Maybe I should try it for a few days.
The other thing I like about it is that it differentiates between, say, stationary bike, actual spin class and road cycling; running and running on a track; swimming in open water v. pool - very cool. You can be as detailed or as vague as you want in recording your workouts, and there's a place to record how you felt, and make other notes. For example, on my track workouts I use the notes section to write what the actual track workout was.
Finally, the neat thing is that it tallies everything for you so you can look at a week's totals thus far, a month's totals, etc. It also tells you when you log in how many days you have until each event. That's good and scary. :-)
Go Fitness Journal!
There's a food journal function on there as well, but I'm not so good at keeping track of that even though I'd like to be. I just don't have the desire to log every single thing. Maybe I should try it for a few days.
The other thing I like about it is that it differentiates between, say, stationary bike, actual spin class and road cycling; running and running on a track; swimming in open water v. pool - very cool. You can be as detailed or as vague as you want in recording your workouts, and there's a place to record how you felt, and make other notes. For example, on my track workouts I use the notes section to write what the actual track workout was.
Finally, the neat thing is that it tallies everything for you so you can look at a week's totals thus far, a month's totals, etc. It also tells you when you log in how many days you have until each event. That's good and scary. :-)
Go Fitness Journal!
Falling off the wagon blogging!
I've got to get back on it. I was blogging pretty regularly for awhile, but things have been so crazy, I haven't had a lot of time. However, I am NOT falling off the wagon training!
I'm using Fitness Journal to keep track of my training now so I don't have to use this much to record what I did, which is part of where the lack of blogging comes in. Fitness Journal is great because it does a nice job of summarizing your week and lets you have a nice view of the variety of things you do. I haven't used too many of the other functions yet, but again, it's nice to have a place to log distances, and the other bonus is that it automatically calculates your pace. For example, I did a 44 minute run yesterday and used Gmap pedometer to calculate that I did 5.279 miles. I entered this in to Fitness Journal and it said I was at a 8.29 min/mile pace! Great!
The one thing Fitness Journal does NOT have, however, is a place to lay out your plan for the week, so I'm going to continue to use this forum for writing down my plan for the week. That way I can stay on track and have something to be accountable to.
Finally, regarding my feelings about the upcoming races...Donner, I think I'm really going to kick butt. I feel strong. Running has gotten better. Cycling is super strong. Swimming is good (same old). Vineman 70.3...I'm a little scared. We did a 56 mile ride last weekend on the Vineman course and I rode really well, but I thought "crap...I'm going to have to run 13 miles after this! Damn!!!!" Worse yet, it'll be HOT. However, that's the wrong attitude to have so another thing I'm really going to work on is maintaining a positive mental attitude and do some visualization work for the race so that I go in more confident than I feel.
Okay, that's all I have time for now. Plan for the week:
Sunday, 6/18: Rest Day
Monday, 6/19: a.m. - ran 5.279 miles for 44 minutes; p.m. - swam 2500 yds for 60 minutes
Tuesday, 6/20: unintended rest day :-) chose to sleep in
Wednesday, 6/21: a.m. - bike ride; p.m. - swim
Thursday, 6/22: a.m. - lift/run; p.m. - spinning
Friday, 6/23: a.m. - swim
Saturday, 6/24: early a.m. run? NBTF Conference that day but we'll see...if not maybe a p.m. run
Sunday, 6/25: 60-70 mile ride up in Santa Rosa w/the guys
I'm using Fitness Journal to keep track of my training now so I don't have to use this much to record what I did, which is part of where the lack of blogging comes in. Fitness Journal is great because it does a nice job of summarizing your week and lets you have a nice view of the variety of things you do. I haven't used too many of the other functions yet, but again, it's nice to have a place to log distances, and the other bonus is that it automatically calculates your pace. For example, I did a 44 minute run yesterday and used Gmap pedometer to calculate that I did 5.279 miles. I entered this in to Fitness Journal and it said I was at a 8.29 min/mile pace! Great!
The one thing Fitness Journal does NOT have, however, is a place to lay out your plan for the week, so I'm going to continue to use this forum for writing down my plan for the week. That way I can stay on track and have something to be accountable to.
Finally, regarding my feelings about the upcoming races...Donner, I think I'm really going to kick butt. I feel strong. Running has gotten better. Cycling is super strong. Swimming is good (same old). Vineman 70.3...I'm a little scared. We did a 56 mile ride last weekend on the Vineman course and I rode really well, but I thought "crap...I'm going to have to run 13 miles after this! Damn!!!!" Worse yet, it'll be HOT. However, that's the wrong attitude to have so another thing I'm really going to work on is maintaining a positive mental attitude and do some visualization work for the race so that I go in more confident than I feel.
Okay, that's all I have time for now. Plan for the week:
Sunday, 6/18: Rest Day
Monday, 6/19: a.m. - ran 5.279 miles for 44 minutes; p.m. - swam 2500 yds for 60 minutes
Tuesday, 6/20: unintended rest day :-) chose to sleep in
Wednesday, 6/21: a.m. - bike ride; p.m. - swim
Thursday, 6/22: a.m. - lift/run; p.m. - spinning
Friday, 6/23: a.m. - swim
Saturday, 6/24: early a.m. run? NBTF Conference that day but we'll see...if not maybe a p.m. run
Sunday, 6/25: 60-70 mile ride up in Santa Rosa w/the guys
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Getting back on track to train...
Okay, so it's 2 days out. Time to start constructing a game plan for the week. I glimpsed the title of an article I printed out last week that I've not yet read, which said "Are you training or working out?"
Good point. Do I really TRAIN, or am I just working out each week? Planning on reading more about how to properly train for the rest of my races. So far I've done reasonably well given the time I put into this, but I think my time could be better constructed and I could train smarter than I am. I do think I lean more toward 'working out' as opposed to serious 'training,' and that could be a severely limiting factor in my performance and could possibly be what's keeping me from moving up just a tad.
That said, this is kind of a recovery week so I'm just going to focus more on working out and letting my body put itself back together as I read more about how to get myself ready for Donner Lake Triathlon (July 16) and VINEMAN (July 30). I just want to perform to the best of my ability and truly make the best use of the time I devote to training.
Week ahead:
Wednesday, 6/7: swim at 6 a.m.
Thursday, 6/8: lift at 6 a.m., run on the track
Friday, 6/9: swim at 6 a.m.
Saturday, 6/10: stretch/ab work if I can make some time for it - will be in Las Vegas at a conference all day for work
Sunday, 6/11: late afternoon bike ride/run
That's it for now. Working on the race report from Alcatraz...
Good point. Do I really TRAIN, or am I just working out each week? Planning on reading more about how to properly train for the rest of my races. So far I've done reasonably well given the time I put into this, but I think my time could be better constructed and I could train smarter than I am. I do think I lean more toward 'working out' as opposed to serious 'training,' and that could be a severely limiting factor in my performance and could possibly be what's keeping me from moving up just a tad.
That said, this is kind of a recovery week so I'm just going to focus more on working out and letting my body put itself back together as I read more about how to get myself ready for Donner Lake Triathlon (July 16) and VINEMAN (July 30). I just want to perform to the best of my ability and truly make the best use of the time I devote to training.
Week ahead:
Wednesday, 6/7: swim at 6 a.m.
Thursday, 6/8: lift at 6 a.m., run on the track
Friday, 6/9: swim at 6 a.m.
Saturday, 6/10: stretch/ab work if I can make some time for it - will be in Las Vegas at a conference all day for work
Sunday, 6/11: late afternoon bike ride/run
That's it for now. Working on the race report from Alcatraz...
Monday, June 05, 2006
I ESCAPED!! (mini race report - long one to follow)
*Photos courtesy of the SF Chronicle (www.sfgate.com)The 2006 Accenture Escape From Alcatraz - DONE!
Yes, that's right. I swam my way from the San Francisco Belle in 44 minutes (though I had 42 minutes by my watch...), ran 1/2 a mile down to the transition zone to grab my bike and go on a very technical, very hilly, very NARROW course that traversed the Presidio, Great Highway, GG Park and back for 18 miles in a time of 1:04, traded the bike shoes for running shoes and ran for 8 miles along Crissy Field, under the GG Gate bridge, down to Baker Beach, back up the Sand Ladder (for anybody who's curious about what the Sand Ladder is, there's a great video of people climbing up its 400 steps here: http://www.fasttwitchpro.com/alcatraz), and back down to the finish line in a time of 1:13, for a grand total finish time of 3:11 and placing 16th in my age group of 73 women. Phew!!
Did I love it? It was fun, fast, and a great race to be a part of. I was really happy to be one of the competitors and I will say that the overall level of fitness of the athletes who participated was far higher than what I've experienced at other tris. I'm normally used to passing tons of people on the bike and even a fair amount on the run, and that was definitely not happening to the degree it normally does.
Personally, I think I found it more grueling than anything. The swim was really nea
t, but about 20 minutes into it the fog rolled in and the
Would I do it again? Probably at some point, and it's a really neat race to be in, but it's not going down in my book as something to do every year. Maybe every few years.
My friend Sherreme took this picture of me at the beginning of the run. Thanks, Sherreme! Go Lombardi Sports!!!
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