training week 2 review

school week one and IMCdA training week two is in the books...and it was a good one...school is going to be a lot of fun this semester...i hooked up with three other girls in my nutrition education class that all are interested in sports nutrition and we are trying to do our presentation for Rogue Running...this friends is very exciting to be able to do a presentation that is actually meaningful for my future as a dietitian...very fun...

training was good as well...had my first spin that really knocked me on my butt...in a good way...swam a lot...and ran the 3M half marathon...i really had no goals for this race...i have not been doing any kind of run training since early october...and with the healing of my sprained foot (we are at week 11) i have not been pushing it to do three runs a week...the past two weeks were one hill/track workout and one long (sort of) run at a very conversational pace...

so not much expectation here for 3m...and really i wasn't even sure i could beat my time from 2 years ago....but i went out and ran it...and had fun...it was tough with the start being delayed almost an hour due to high winds knocking down road blocks...and shivering in the starting area with 5,000 other people...but was happy to run once it started...i found the 1.50 pace group very easily...and just hung out there...the pace was comfortably hard at points and comfortable at some points...and well hard at others :D ...overall it was a good race...as it was not my A race i didn't leave it all on the road but i didn't slack either...was surprised every time i saw someone i knew cheering out on the course...yeah thanks!

so i stuck with that group and i figured i would pick it up in the last 5k if i was feeling super great...i was not feeling super great but picked it up none the less...at mile 10 i had started to feel a blister developing on the ball of my foot...i could tell it was not going to be small...and for some reason i was really very HOT though most of the run...but we hit duval and i wanted to run faster...so i did...

saw a huge group of t3 peeps right at the turn to campus...yeah!...and was able to pass the 1.50 pace group...pushed it down the last 100 meters...and finished in 1.49.23 (8.21 pace) not bad i thought for not really running since october...i had to check my time from when i was marathon training two years ago and it was 1.48.58...i'm happy even though there was no pr...hitting with in 25 seconds of that time made me happy...

now the blister is huge and makes me walk funny...let's hope that heals fast

i like swimming...

i have battled swim practice since IMAZ training...and this time around i have every intention of liking swim practice...and the more i do it the more i like it...and i think that spending 3.5 hours in the pool was helpful to me overcoming my swim practice angst...i really DO in all honesty LOVE swimming...but i am still only starting my third tri season of ACTUAL swim practice...thus not used to the practices like all those who grew up on swim team...i grew up swimming...but it was more about playing around than laps in the pool...so that is a good thing :D

in the process of developing my own breakfast cookie (ala erin baker's)....so far it's super delicious...but has too much fat (dang coconut), sodium, and needs more substance...so there is going to be a lot of tweaking...but for the moment i have some yummy cookie dough that is going to get baked and given away....ha!

saw coach amy at whole foods today...yeah!...and thought of a great topic for a PhD in Nutrition/physiology...the connection of injury to health/nutrition...yeah cool...

day 2 of school was good...two nutrition classes that are both going to be very useful...education/counseling and medical nutrition therapy (think nutrition and diabetes treatment)...tests start in two weeks...ha!

and so it begins...

i guess we can go two ways with that title....today was the first day of the semester...so school has begun...accounting and advanced nutrition today...tomorrow is medical nutrition therapy and nutrition education and counseling

and today was the first workout where i could feel i was working harder than i have in a while...mo was calling out cadence numbers and at one point i just totally laughed...there was no way i could hold them...muscles (quads!)were burning...and i loved it...even though it was hard...i know it is worth it...

this morning's swim there was a 10x100 pull...i have decided i am no longer afraid of the pull...this is a good thing...and i am finally starting to keep up...mostly...swam with a great lane...we were without coach but found some workouts in the pump shed...i guess our am coach went to the other pool...we just changed days so it is understandable...it was packed though...

this does not mean that my arms don't feel like they are going to fall off...because they do....but i no longer want to get out of the pool when i see a pull set...oh and i got new goggles...i am hoping that i don't have raccoon eyes for the rest of the day from them...we will see

now...off to bed so i can get up and do it again...i really do like having a schedule :D

last week of break...

so this is the last week of my fabulous winter break...it really has been a much needed mental refresh...i have been able to read over 10 books...get my two foot stack of back logged magazines down to just a few issues...go camping in the coldest weather i have ever been camping in...make some new recipes from said magazines and cookbooks...figure out my training schedule for the next six months....sign up for most of the races i will be doing in 2010....visit my parents for christmas in arizona (where i got a swim workout in on christmas day...how nice is that)...swim 10k in the pool (today!!)...get an appointment for a tattoo that i have wanted for three years...clean the house more than once....pet lots of cats...hang out with friends...take a lot of naps...and really just relax for the first time in a year...

while i have been frustrated (sorry j) that i had not been able to run at the pace and distance i had been in october...i have been able to get to some run practices and modify the workout a bit to make sure i am not hurting the foot i am supposed to be healing...(my pt says we are clear for 20 miles a week)...lately i have really been enjoying turning the pace down...and not being totally spent after a long run or track practice....now this does not mean that i am not working hard...believe me...i am...but i am working on my form more and keeping and holding it through the whole run...trying not to hunch forward...and just to relax and enjoy running...ETG and i ran our first "long" run of IMCdA training this friday....in the 50 degree rain at 5.45 in the morning...it was one of the best runs i have had in a long time...totally conversational...and really just a nice way to start the day...the trail around town lake was almost totally empty (there was a D. Ficker sighting!!!) and of course with great company...and a grapefruit/cranberry carboom...(omg soo good!!)

this last week of break is/was week one of IMCdA training...and i have successfully completed it...and it feels really good...today was the annual T3 100x100 in the pool...last year i was sad that i was not able to participate...so i was stoked when it fit into my schedule this week...and even more stoked that i was able to complete the distance...it is really just a challenge to see if i could do it...i tend to get bored with swim practice...but i did it...yeah 10k in the pool....6.2 mile...ha! makes that 2.4 mile swim for IM look easy...ok not really...

i have decided a few things about training this time around...and i am going to stick to them...i need to relax on my long runs...like i said before...it makes running so much more enjoyable...i'm not going to kill it every run practice either...i think this is going to help me not reach that point of fatigue where you just cry because you are so tired... :D and well i am going to be more diligent about my daily nutrition...and i am going to find a breakfast that works for mornings of the long stuff....carrie gave me a few erin bakers breakfast cookies...those were very yummy this weekend...i wonder if i can get them here in town somewhere...

so yeah great break...and great start to IM training for the second time around

Bandera Weekend

about 6 months ago coach logan (the run coach for T3) said he was going to be camping at bandera for the weekend of his first 50k trail race...i was IN...i have not been camping since i really don't remember when and would be on break and not yet in training for IMCdA and thus free to drive around texas and watch people run in the woods...

as the weekend approached we found out that the low temps on friday and saturday were going to be in the single digits or low teens things were getting a little scary...not just for our camping plans but for the runners...there was a 25k a 50k and a 100k...with over 600 runners registered (the most they have ever had) well there is no way that 600 people were there racing...but those that did were challenged and well had a lot of fun (despite the weather) as far as i can tell...and thanks to logan's awesome pop-up and ETG's fabulous company (and a gas powered generator and a heater) we had a great weekend...

it was so nice to be out in a spot where you looked up and saw so many stars...even the 10 degree morning trip to the potty was worth that sky...and to see friends and coaches and mentors rock out a big trail race was worth a chilly nose...for a weekend without cell service or internet or even a shower...sometimes a break from all of that makes you realize what is really important...and it was a good way to clear my head and push the reset button on things before intensive training and the semester starts again...

mer and paul both placed in the top overall in the 50k (yeah!)...then mer went back out on the course to pace a 100k buddy to the win for the women...we saw the top two men come in racing the 100k in 9h and 15m about...and we saw the last person come in this morning....23h and 45 minutes after starting the race....running half of the race in the pitch dark and 15 degree night...more guts than i have for sure...

missed j and the kitties...but a super fun weekend...and tomorrow am we are in the training mode...and ready to focus on a sub 12 IM :D...we will see!!