rookie :D

in 2008 this was my very first triathlon...i did the race again in 2009 and improved my time by 2 minutes...and in 2010...i finally placed in my age group...third...but still...it's something...i was thrilled...i was even more thrilled to see the 7.09 minute pace on the two mile run...

it's these things that make me think that i am going to be okay on june 27th...(i hope)

A whole different weekend

this was one of the most bitter sweet weekends...after my trials of training last weekend i felt some sweet sweet redemption this weekend...and one very bitter bit that was kind of like a cocoa nib in the frosting...not quite smooth...but still pretty tasty none the less...

friday: 8.30am exam...that i was more than ready for...not sure of the grade as of yet...(weird totally deja vous at the moment)...but was fully distracted by j hopping on a plane to sweden for 6 weeks...i know i missed at least two just for the distraction...hey...what is a girl to do...still more in love than the day we married...i can only be super thankful for that...so school then packet pick up for saturday's ride then work then farm pick up then home...to do much neglected cleaning...and a bit of egg shell waiting for the text at 2.47am letting me know my love was safely on land...

saturday: shiner ride...about 100 miles to shiner texas (where shiner bock is brewed)...point to point ride so i had to make sure i had someone to drive me home...logan offered...and as usually did not disappoint as a traveling companion...last year there was a head wind and some nasty weather...i made sure to pack my good luck smurf (that my bro gave me) in hope of good weather...and we totally got it...perfect tailwind most of the way there...my sad sad average last weekend turned in to a 97 mile ride with a 20+ mile-an-hour average...much redemption

i hammered hard...just to test a few things...testing actually taking in less calories on the bike...and kinda testing how really pushing the legs would feel the next day...had fun...dodged fuzzy caterpillars the whole way...and just enjoyed riding my bike (thanks to zane for my re-fit)...after pulling in at the brewery i showered, recovery drink, veggie burger, and fresh beer-ed until it was time to go...a super relaxing and nice time in the (allergy full) shade of an oak somewhere in the middle of texas...it was one of those just right afternoons...and i was good and didn't let homework get in the way...

fun fun ride home with logan...he kindly kept me hydrated...and showed me the sights on the way home...(uhm not often do you see a watermelon spitting arena)...got home early evening...ate as much as i could...and promptly slept like a lump...

sunday: 5am texas time...is about noon in sweden...did a skype chat with j...so so very nice to be able to see each other...something so much better about that than talking on the phone...he's got a cute apartment...and a bike and seems to be doing well...a huge sigh of relief from me...and he was happy that brownie cat didn't want to be anywhere other than in my face :D

the off to run with etg and amy b. 18 miles for me and etg..2h45m for amy...i put it out there that we could do 18 in 2.45 and i was right ;)...very solid run...felt strong and with it...and with my head in the game...again even though i had a good run last weekend...this just kind of solidified the fact that i _have_ been training up to this point and it really might be possible to do an ironman in 8 weeks...(crap!! 8 weeks!!!!)

you know...it feels really good to have had such a solid training weekend...with solid homework after being productive and grocery shopping...and having lauren over for sunday roast chicken...

sigh...feels good....thanks friends for that...i needed to feel that this weekend...

Galveston Race Report

Swim: First of all the swim was actually going to happen (unlike the day before where the sprint and Olympic distance events turned in to du-athlons because the water was too rough)...so that was good...but it was to be my first ocean open water event...and not one that i was looking all that forward to...in the past few weeks i had been thinking a lot about the CdA swim...and how it can be rather unpredictable in terms of conditions...so i was a little focused on how my swim would go in galveston...

the wind was picking up at race start (7am) and my wave didn't get in the water to go until 8am...the wind had totally picked up by then and the water was rather choppy...but didn't look too bad from the dock...i stood on the edge of the dock for a second...and the jump was rather high...but jump i did...wow...hot and salty and brown..awesome...and well as i surfaced...much choppier than it looked on the dock...with this i was not all that pleased...swimming...well what ever it was over to the start line...i could feel my self getting a little nervous...the chop was over my head at times...then a lifeguard boat would zoom by with a triathlete on the back of it (always an unpleasant sight) and that didn't help matters...

i did manage to de-fog my goggles...get a clear and open space in the water at the front...and calm my self down...what really calmed me down was the voice of coach amy saying "put your head down and swim" and that is what i did...it was not pretty and for damn sure not my fastest...but i was a huge boost to be calm...collected and swimming the whole time...in rather rough and salty water...the first leg was ok because we were parallel to the chop but after the turn which put you on to the longest stretch of the swim the waves were hitting me head on...i only twice got a nose/mouth full of sea...and really tried to spit when i could just to get it out...yuck...i knew i wasn't going fast...but i was plodding along...finally made the last turn...and headed in to the shore...i managed to pass people in other waves and only got passed by a few caps from the wave behind me that went off 3 minutes after...

but i must say my biggest accomplishment was not freaking out...and getting through some of the roughest water i have ever been in...and there was no sea sickness either...i was very happy about that...not happy with the time...but i will take it

44.31

T1:

awesome wet suit strippers and cheering from Mo, michelle and others...thanks guys!...smooth fast transition...and i got a huge cheer from Chuck as i mounted the bike...thanks for being there chuck!!

2.47

Bike:

i just couldn't get it together on the bike...and that was really sad...my bike and i are usually really good friends...but on sunday we had a fight...before we even got out on the main road i launched my nutrition and had to stop and get it...note to self...time for new cages that don't launch bottles...got up onto the seawall and rode...head wind going out so i was really hoping for some help from the wind coming back...but that was not the case...anyway...was hitting 18ish on the way out...but started to feel my lower back complaining early on in the ride...the past few time i have been riding...especially the flat stuff...i have been getting some serious low back pain...so much so that i can't be in aero anymore after it starts...i kept forcing my self to get back down...but would eventually have to get back up and re adjust try and scoot around on the saddle to find somewhere i was not in this amount of pain...nothing was working for me...it was really tough to try and get in some hard cycling when i was grunting in pain...i managed to get my nutrition down...made the turn and was looking forward to some help from the wind...

no such luck there...the wind was exactly the same both was on the bike...no fair...we turned at 28...i started feeling a bit better as we approached mile 35/40...but what i had done was switch to a big big gear and stand up for about a minute and hammer...get in aero until i couldn't stand it anymore and repeat...finally i was hitting the 22s that i had wanted to see on the bike...so i did that the last 20ish miles...it was a real head game at that point...i knew that all my time goals we shot...and i was thinking about calling the bike shop as soon as i crossed the finish line to get booked for a fit asap...got in off the bike...and was very glad to be....

3:03

T2:
very uneventful t2

1:57

Run:

if you have ever done lonestar you know that the run is mind numbing...and that it was...4x3.275 mile loops around moody gardens...i just really wanted to focus on not loosing count of laps so i did a lot of "you are running lap two you are running lap two" in my head...

felt a little bloated/belchy coming off the bike...and of course felt all compressed in the lower back...but i tried to stand tall and find my stride...the T3 tent was right by run out...and so i would pass it 4 times on the run course...a good marker to count...ran comfortably out to mile one...looked at my split...it was 8.30something...i said well i have had a not so great swim and a very disappointing bike i might as well lay it all out here on the run...i felt really good on the run for 3 of 4 laps...there were lots of people out cheering ( a pro or two said some kind words) and lots of friends out cheering...again chuck and kristen, george and suzanne...lots of t3 peeps...and lots of blue on the course...

totally steady on the run...i was really happy at least one thing could go my way...4th loop i started getting a bit of the goose bumps...i had been carrying my hand held with nutrition and i was getting water at every stop...took 6 salt tabs on the run...but never stopped to pee...so...something was off there...goose bumps passed after i took the last salt and got down some more water...but i totally could feel the last lap was slower...logan gave me a shout as i came into the shoot and adam actually gave me a shout out over the PA...i was happy to be done...and happy with my run...

1.54
(my PR in the 13.1 is a 1.48 not attached to a tri so that made me smile)

this was not my best performance in the half distance...but i did learn a lot and feel like i accomplished a lot in this race...of course i am disappointed i didn't pr on a course known for such things...but i was able to swim in major salty chop, mentally overcome serious back pain on the bike...and pull out a pretty ok half marathon...

big shout out to my travel buddy ETG...always fun...and thanks for driving :D


again

yeah i know

i suck at updating my blog...i thought i would be so good...but i really have no time...i'm busy...

here is what i do

m-f: workout-eat-school-eat-school-eat-work-workout-sleep
sat-sunday:eat-workout(extended sessions...last week 4.5h sat 3.75h sunday)-eat-eat-homework-eat-sleep

repeat... :D

recovery week

am i training enough?

observations

my observation of my little life this week...is that sometimes the anticipation is much more stressful than the actual execution...this week is a perfect example...i had a minor freak-out last friday just thinking about everything that i had to get done...but here we are at friday...and well...it hasn't been so bad...though i made sure to be very organized...and to do the things that popped in my head when they appeared and not put them off...(like pack workout bag with nutrition etc)...mostly it can and will all get done...like this freaking early 18 mile run...happy friday :D

uhm week 7...

i can't even believe that i have been training for 7 weeks so far...seems like we just started...good week this week and a rockin' weekend...saturday ride started out COLD...but warmed up quickly and ended with sun and high 50's...had fun with the 70 miles...rode a new saddle or test rode i should say...and adamo...made a huge difference...it was a bit too wide in the nose so i am looking into if they have one that is a touch more narrow...but i am totally amazed how my body felt....open in the hips flat back and no lower back issues even on the long ride...felt much more like i was using my glutes to ride...in a good way...

sunday run was also good...15 in the books there...and i had fun...was ready to be done at the ends but never got to that really low point that happens sometimes when we start to go a little longer on the runs...i have been working on liquid nutrition for the run...this seems to be working for me...but we will see...good steady pace...no land speed records but i'm happy with it...

regular week training was good...no major issues thus far...think it's time for new running shoes...but have a lack of time this week to get to the shop for new ones...one more week on the nikes i guess...now...on to week 8!