Flat Tire

Met up with Joe and Amie for our bike ride this morning at Squires Castle.

We planned on doing a 15 mile ride. Well Joe had a borrowed bike and around mile 8 the tire popped. So we had to stop. Luckily I had my pump and some patches so Joe was able to patch it up. It was probably a good experience because now we have seen it happen "in the field" so I feel better prepared if it happens to me. Fortunately my pump worked for Joe. It won't work on my tires. I have different valves than a road bike and for some reason once the pump is on my valve it is impossible to pump air in. Two other people have tried to do it for me and it wouldn't work for either of them either.

It was beautiful out this morning and the ride goes through some pretty areas.

I ended up riding just over 20 miles which took about 2 hours but only 1:30:00 "pedalling" time. I am starting to get used to the cages but I think I will plan a day to just go out and practice placing my feet in and out of the cages and practice taking my water bottle out of the cage while riding. During the race on Sunday I wanted water so bad but I was scared I would crash if I took out my water bottle while riding.

Off to rest my head (darn sinus headaches are killing me)

Quick 40 minute swim

I have an annual doc appointment this morning so I had to get in a quick pool workout.

Here is the run down:
2*100 easy with 30 second rest
2*100 with 25 second rest
2*100 with 20 second rest
2*100 with 15 second rest
2*100 with 10 second rest
2*100 with 5 second rest
4*100 drill (kick, catch up, 2* slow arm recovery)
50 easy
50 sprint
50 easy

I felt pretty good this morning. A little tired during the kick drill. It is pretty nice out and the pool was only cold for a little bit.

Bike Workshop

Went to our bike workshop tonight and learned all about cycling and bike mechanics. I now know how to change my bike tires and adjust it to fit me perfectly for the race! I also got some cages from my coach to use while training for the Chicago Tri.

We went out for a 30 minute/6 mile ride while our coaches made burgers and macaroni and cheese. It was a fun evening! But now I am exhausted and I have to get up and swim at 6:30am!

I am up to $1875.00 in donations! Almost half way to my fundraising minimum! Thank you very much to everyone who has donated!

Stow Sprint Triathlon!

Just got home from a long day of racing in my first triathlon and then driving three hours to Michigan for my cousin's graduation party and driving three hours home :) All on no sleep! (Actually my extremely sick husband was kind enough to drive home this evening so I caught a cat nap in the truck)

The triathlon was awesome!!! It was really cool. I had a blast, and did pretty well. Everyone else that went with Team in Training did great today too!!! It couldn't have been a nicer day.

There were over 100 people there today. (They had planned on 70) The swim was two laps (400-500 yards) in a smallish lake/pond. Very murky and green! The bike was two 6 mile loops out on the roads which they called "flat". And the run was an out and back 5k on a trail at the park.

I got there fairly early so i had time to watch other people set up their transition area stuff so I didn't look like I was completely clueless. Coach Melissa was there too so she helped us get organized. I had station 21 which was in the last row. So I had to run further from the lake to my station but dropping off the bike before the run was quicker. I was worried about running from the lake to the transition area because it was on pavement and I have had a stress fracture and bone bruises on my feet. (Pavement plus no running shoes=Bad!) But I didn't even notice it during the race.

You get a swim cap with your number on it (I was 242), a tag for your bike, and a number tag for your outfit. No body painting today.

There was also a super sprint going today (half the distance of the sprint). So they started the super sprint in the lake. Then the women doing the sprint started two minutes after them. (The men started ten minutes after us) I was amazed at how little you could see in the water. I was one of the first women out of the water (about 8 and a half minutes) which was pretty neat. Other than some trouble keeping in the right direction and running over some of the super sprinters I did great! When I got out of the water I was a bit dissoriented and tried to go the wrong way but everyone steered me onto the course.

Got into the transition area and I couldn't get my darn bike helmet to snap on, uggh. I also had a hard time getting my bike gloves on. So even though I was one of the first out of the water I was not one of the first onto my bike :(

Started the bike at decent speed (the slick tires were a real blessing). I passed two people going up the first hill (Not a flat course by any means). It was a two loop course and I made pretty good time for me. (about 44 minutes on the bike) I got passed by about 6 women out on the bike ride (I thought I would get passed by quite a few more). I got into the transition area and was much quicker this time but had some trouble getting my bike back on the rack. Chugged some water and headed out onto the run (at about 57 minutes at this point).

The first 3/4 miles were a little rough. My legs felt a bit like jello and the course was on gravel so I was worried about turning my ankle. After that though I got into a groove and the course switched to a paved trail. I passed quite a few people on the run so that felt good, especially because I didn't have to push too hard to do it.

I finished the race in 1:22:07. (By my watch, the official times have me at something faster check it out 86th overall and 17th out of the women) I have no idea if that is good or bad but I felt great! I had planned on about 1:30:00-1:40:00 so I was really pleased. Plus I think I came in about 4th or 5th in my age group (3rd in my age group was 1:20:00)!

I was so proud of everyone today. We had three of us that had never done a tri before and we all did really well. One of our mentors did it and she got a trophy. And we have a teammate who used to participate in tri's about 15 years ago doing her first one since 1989! It was really amazing!

I will try to post pics tommorrow! Thanks to everyone who encouraged me :) Two more months till the real thing! (Now I am off to bed!)

Off to the race

Wish me luck! I am definitely going to need it. I lied awake all night. Nothing like racing your first triathlon on no sleep. Uggh. Darn Insomnia. The only good thing is that I slept really well Friday night so maybe there is still hope for me. But I feel pretty jittery right about now...

I will let you all know how it goes later!

Slicker Tires

Second time typing this blog...apparently sometimes my backspace button likes to revert to the previous webpage (as opposed to deleting my typing errors) grr...

Anyways. I went and got slicker tires put on my bike yesterday. 700 by 28 as opposed to what I had before: 700 by 38. I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to do it. When I called the guy I spoke with said that hybrids usually have too large of rims for slick tires...but my rims are fine!

So I took the bike to the grocery store with me to try the new tires out this morning. I didn't want to get in a real ride because of the race tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure I got a little bit of riding in on the new tires. (Can you believe the grocery store didn't have a bike rack? I had to chain the bike to a fence) I didn't notice too much of a difference in my short 20 minute ride but it felt a bit lighter and a bit faster. I am sure I will be grateful for the switch tomorrow during the race.

Now I am off to prepare for a summer party in Tiffin and relax the day away!

I Love Swimming!

Woke up this morning at 4:45 and really thought that I had set the alarm too early. I was exhausted.

Got to the pool on time and had a great group swim with two of the other triathletes and our coach.

It was a really good workout for me this morning I felt great, like I was gliding on the water.

Here is the run down (as I remember it):

250 yard warm up
2*50 catch up drill with the buoy
2*50 kick with kickboard
2*50 catch up drill
50 catch up drill, 50 head down, 100 freestyle
50 slow arm recovery, 50 head down, 50 freestyle fast, 50 slow freestyle
50 slow arm recovery, 50 head down, 25 medium, 25 faster, 25 even faster, 25 all out
6*100 at a 1:50 start time (always start at one minute and fifty seconds no matter how long it took to swim the 100)

I felt really good and was definitely pushed a little beyond my boundaries so that was nice. I should be able to be in and out of the water on Sunday in ten minutes or less. (I hope)

Tomorrow I get to rest! Thank goodness :) I am going to go buy slick tires tomorrow for my bike but wait to get the cages until after Sunday's race. So I guess I don't really get to rest because I will probably ride around a little bit just to get used to the slick tires...but definitely no more than a 30 minute easy ride!

Looking forward to Sunday :) Wish me luck!

60 minute run

Went out to North Chagrin this morning. I ran for 60 minutes on the Bridle trail. I made the loop from Strawberry Picnic area around to Squires Castle and back in 40 minutes. So I went out another ten minutes and headed back to the picnic area for some stretching.

I thought that today would be terrible. I had a killer migraine yesterday and didn't get much sleep last night. Surprisingly the run was wonderful! I was cruising! The Bridle trail loop that I took was about 4.6 miles and I probably ran 2.5 more on top of that. So I think I ran about 7 miles this morning. The only bad part about that trail is the hills. There are some [i]very[/i] steep ones.

I am starting to get nervous about the sprint triathlon on Sunday. I know I will have a blast but as a first time triathlete I have the jitters (pretty badly). I had a dream about the event last night so I know it is at the back of my mind even though I am trying to focus my energy on anything else. So wish me luck ;)

Chilly Morning Ride

It is absolutely beautiful outside this morning. The sun is out and there is a slight breeze.

I was a little cold at first but the sun warmed me up quite a bit. That and riding 20 miles on my bike :)

I need to find a better place to do long rides. It took me an hour and 35 minutes to ride 20.22 miles. There were tons of hills on the route this morning which didn't make things easier. I went out to North Chagrin and then turned out of the park onto Chardon. That road is horrible for biking! The berms are all cracked and covered in gravel and the cars fly by going at least 45 miles per hour. Plus it is hilly the whole way. I turned off onto a much nicer rode (I didn't catch the street name). It had just recently been repaved so it was lovely. Plus the view was amazing. You could look down to the right and see the valley and river. Should have brought my camera.

Unfortunately there was another dead skunk this morning. Horrible timing too as I just started getting a whiff as I was climbing a hill. It was much worse today.

I am glad that I am not quite half way done with training because I know for sure that there is no way I could go run a 10k right now. I am pretty beat and very hungry!

Swimming in the Sun

Came home around 7 and hopped in the outdoor pool to do my swim workout.

Heres the run down:
10*40 yards
6*100 yards (3rd and 6th 100 fast)
4*200 yards (2nd and 3rd 200 fast)
2*100 kick
100 cool down
Total Yards=2100

I was planning on doing a few more kick sets but without a kickboard they are pretty rough. I also was planning on a longer cool down but my fingers were really sore today. Probably because usually I do the swim workouts before work and not after. (My right thumb has been bothering me at work the past couple of days...maybe I need to do some more ergocising for my hands.) Besides I was at 45 minutes and the pool was closing so I wrapped it up early.

Tomorrow is a 20 mile bike ride so I need to get to bed early tonight.

Bright Sunny Day

Ran out and back from the apartment to get in a 30 minute run today. Beautiful weather! I got whistled at which made me angry but other than that it was a good run. I am still a bit sore from all the running on pavement Saturday. Feel free to leave words of encouragement this week I don't get a rest day until Saturday so I may need them!

Smelly Ride

Rode my bike for 47 minutes and 10.7 miles when I got back to Ohio today. On the way back in from the park I passed by a dead skunk. If you think it smells bad when you pass by in your car imagine how bad it was for me. I thought I was going to die. The bike ride was good other than that. I need to work on getting faster though, at this rate it will take me 2 hours to finish the bike portion of the race...not good.

I used my new running shoes tonight while riding and they weren't great, the soles are a little slippery on the pedals. I am thinking I may get cages but I don't know if I am going to do that before or after the sprint triathlon next Sunday. I also need to get slick tires but I am having the same dilemma about when to get those to.

Strawberry Run 8k

Just got back from the strawberry 8k. It was a great morning for a run. Perfect weather!

Big surprise my mom also did the race so all three women in my family competed today!

I felt really good I wasn't trying to race so I think that made it even easier. There were a lot of girls in the 20-24 age group so that was nice. I think I came in about 15th overall for women, not too shabby. Here are the run down on my splits:

mile 1=7:46
mile 2=15:46
mile 3=23:50
mile 4=31:48
8k=39:24

I was expecting to run about 9:30 minute miles so this was a pleasant surprise. Especially the first mile split because I wasn't pushing at all. I ran in a pack most of the race until the last few miles where I fell a bit behind but I was keeping the same pace so that is okay.

My sister ran the whole race in 56 minutes! Very good because she has never done a road race before.

My mom walked/jogged and was the last to cross the finish line but she looked great and we are very proud of her!

It was a great morning and I really enjoyed it. Got a little bit nostalgic because the course went through an old cemetery we used to run through in high school practices. We always told the freshman there was a witch buried there. Fun times!

Going to relax and go to the festival I think. Tomorrow I have a 45 minute bike ride (and a three hour drive home).

Swimming :)

Went to group swim this morning. Workout as follows:

200 Warm up
some prone glides and breathing exercises
50 kick (no kickboard)
50 kick/catchup drill
50 kick with board
2 * 50 catch up
50 catch up with pull buoy
50 pull buoy
3* 50 head down, 50 slow arm recovery, 50 all out
50 counting strokes
50 reduce stroke by 1 for each 25
50 reduce stroke by 2 for each 25

It was a good workout this morning. I felt really good during the set at the end, and I felt full of energy throughout the workout.


I am doing the strawberry 8k run tomorrow so wish me luck :) unfortunately I am missing a brick workout out :? but I have Stow next week to make up for it.

Morning Ride

Got in a 75 minute bike ride this morning. (16.25 miles) The rain held off until I was done so I decided to go ahead with my long workout for the week and save my 45 minute ride for Sunday.

Tried out my new tri shorts and I love them. They are Pearl Izumi and very comfy. We will see how they work out next Sunday in the sprint triathlon though.

I am looking forward to the Strawberry Run this weekend. It has been a long time since I have done this run (when I last ran it it wasn't even an 8k course it was a 4 miler). My baby sister is going to be running too, so it will be our first road race together. Of course she is just running to finish and I am running it as a workout but it will still be fun.

My fund raising seems to have come to a halt so if you enjoy reading my blog and think what I am doing is a good thing please donate!

In case you are new to my blog this is a daily web log of my training for the Chicago Accenture Triathlon at the end of August. I am fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society whose mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. More than 75 percent of their expenditures are directed to research and patient services.

I am working on organizing a yard sale with the rest of the triathlon team so hopefully that will be able to bring in some more donations.

Got the digital cam working so hopefully I will have lots of training pics to post from tommorrow's swim and the race on Saturday.

Buddy Run

Ran for 33 minutes this morning at North Chagrin Reservation. Met up with a friend from college that I ran cross country with. She knows her way around the park so we went out on one of the Bridle trails. The workout flew by this morning because we talked the whole time so that was really nice. My new shoes felt great! It was warm out but not too muggy (unlike Sunday).

Hopefully it is like this tomorrow morning for the bike ride.

Frozen Toes

Did a swim workout today. The outdoor pool is closed until further notice so I got to swim in the indoor pool which hasn't been heated in over two weeks. Yikes!

Got in a 50 minute workout but I felt pretty dizzy for the second half of it. I didn't wear earplugs today so that may be the cause.

Went and got a pair of tri shorts and a tri top last night at Fleet Feet in Northfield. They had a workshop on the kinetic chain (just focusing on the feet and shin splints last night). It was interesting and gave me some insight into my old stress fracture and how that may have been related to my running shoes at the time, and my shin splints were most likely from running on tilted surfaces, go figure.

Haven't had any problems with my feet or shins so far so hopefully this knowledge won't have to be put to use.

Group Run

Managed to drag myself out of bed this morning and drive down to Cuyahoga National Valley Park for a group run with the Team in Training marathoners. My plan was to get in 5-7 miles. I ended up running around 8, probably a bit more, in an hour and 20 minutes.

The plan was to run two miles out one way and then an additional mile out the opposite way on the way back in. Well they took down all of the mile markers. So we had to estimate. I felt like we were going faster than ten minute miles so my guess is that we did somewhere between 8 and 9.

My father-in-law was there this morning for his first group run with Team in Training. He has been doing the marathon with Team in Training on a yearly basis for awhile now, but has only done solo runs. I got in two miles with him which was really nice. I was feeling pretty good at that point so I sped up a bit to catch up to the first group. I wasn't planning on running much more than 50 minutes or 6 miles but the group I was running with was doing either 8 or 12 and at mile 5 I decided it would be better to get in an extra two with a group than have to run that last mile by myself.

I felt pretty good until mile 7 and then got a side stitch and my stomach was feeling queasy. Luckily I had a running partner and a couple of the other girls ran the last mile with us so they kept me going. Had I been by myself I would have stopped for sure.

Came out of the run with a few blisters. I think I am going to stop by Fleet Feet and get a pair of tri shorts and get fitted for some new running shoes. I am pretty beat but I am glad I got in the run and glad that i felt a lot better than I did last night during the bike ride. (I was dreading this morning's run because of last night)

Seems like fund-raising has come to a halt, I haven't gotten a donation in a few days. So I am going to start thinking about some events. Unfortunately I don't know a lot of people in the area so it may be difficult. Any ideas or suggestions? Please comment if so!!!

Off to do some more laundry and put my feet up!

Uggh...

Bugs Swallowed=1
Bugs in eyes=1

Just got back from my bike ride. It was a rough ride tonight. I was just really out of it and didn't feel so hot during the majority of the ride.

I thought it would be a good idea to check out some other parts of North Chagrin Reservation and ended up going down this huge very steep hill which was easy going down, not so easy coming back up. In fact I actually had to get off the bike and walk up part of it. Managed to get in my 60 minutes and 13.5 miles.

Hopefully I am just worn out because it is late in the day and I did a lot of driving today. Going to get to bed early because I have a group run tomorrow morning.

Running Late

I did not sleep well last night so I was running behind this morning. I managed to make it to practice before the team started working out though. I definitely felt tired at first, most likely from switching my rest day to Monday instead of Thursday this week.

Today we did some longer drills that really focused on getting the maximum out of each stroke.

5 minute WU (warm up) swim
50 meters kick
50 meters kick with stroke every breath
50 meters catch up drill
3 x 50 meter head down drill, 50 meter slow arm recovery, 50 meter sprint
3 x 100 meter swim (focusing on reach), 75 meter pull, 50 meter kick, 25 meter sprint

The last ladder drill was really good for me. I have been cutting off my stroke and not really getting much out of my pull, that last 25 meter sprint I really felt like my arms were accomplishing something!

We decided to treat ourselves afterwards and went in the hot tub. v. nice!

Rainy Morning Run

Went for a 30 minute run this morning before work. Decided to drive to North Chagrin Reservation. It started drizzling as I went out to my truck, about half way through the thirty minute run it was pretty much pouring. Surprisingly there were still plenty of people at the park (most of them had umbrellas though). Despite being drenched and feeling like a drowned rat I managed to keep a good pace (for me) for the whole run, about 8:45 minute/mile.

It wasn't cold out so that was a plus. After my run I found a picnic shelter to stretch in. I must have gotten in a good workout because steam was coming off my skin.

I still haven't found my watch so I had to carry a pyrex clock with me in addition to my keys this morning. Big thank yous to Phil for that basket full of kitchen goodies so long ago! Who would have know I would be using a kitchen tool for training. Unfortunately I didn't realize you have to preset your timer on it so when it got to twenty minutes it just went back to zero. Luckily I noticed right away though so everything worked out fine.

Got in a pilates workout after dinner tonight. I am looking forward to swimming tomorrow and hopefully I will be able to read through my "homework" before I fall asleep tonight.

Getting Lost (This one's for Amie)

I was supposed to go on a 45 minute bike ride this morning. But I missed my last turn off so it turned into a 57 minute 12.3 mile bike ride. Oh well...What really gets me is I looked at the sign and it wasn't the right road name (I looked at the wrong side) but I saw the same cop standing there that was standing there when I came by on the way out and nothing clicked.

I went down highland to S.O.M. and got in a little bit of riding at North Chagrin Reservation. Nice and shady in the park but it was pretty hot out on the roads. There were a ton of hikers at the park this morning.

Last night in lieu of a run David and I went out and played catch after dinner. Didn't think it was going to be much of a work out but bugs seem to have a magnetic force that draws them to me so I spent all of the time running around to avoid the gnats while David stood in one place because the bugs weren't bothering him at all.

I seem to have lost my watch so I need to find that before tomorrow's run or I am going to have to go shopping...

Arguing with the Janitor :)

Went down to the pool this morning. My husband went with so that we could measure our pool. We estimate that it is about 20 yards.

I went to get in the indoor pool and it was absolutely frigid...like ice water cold. The janitor comes in just as I am about to start my workout and informs me that I can use the outdoor pool, and that it is warmer. I say thank you and ask if it is okay to do adult swim out there. (We have a sign outside the indoor pool that says the indoor pool hours and lists adult swim from 6:30 to 9, well the sign for the outdoor pool lists pool hours as noon to 8pm) So I had assumed that we were not supposed to do adult swim outside.

Well I had a swim cap and ear plugs on and we were misunderstanding each other, but I kept explaining to him that I wanted to stay inside because there was a clock and I needed the second hand for my workouts, and he kept saying I will let you know when it is 9 so you can get out of the pool. So I gave up and went outside.

So I did one of my new workouts but had to adjust it slightly since our pool isn't a standard 25 yard pool. So anytime I was supposed to do 50s I did 60s and instead of 75s I did 80s. And instead of using a clock for my rest I just counted to ten or 20 depending on the length. So I think I swam somewhere in between 1750 and 2000 yards total.

Tri Homework

Totally forgot I had a swimming workshop tonight, but thankfully I remembered before I left work.

The workshop was good, we went over a lot of what we have been doing in Friday workouts but also some more specifics about open water swimming and the tri in general. We also watched some video footage of real swimmers doing the drills that we are supposed to do so that was really helpful.

In addition to that we talked a bit about fundraising, which if you haven't checked out my TNT site please do (Link to the left)!

At the end of the meeting we watched some clips from the (84 I believe) olympics where the American 4*200 men's swim team beat West Germany's team by a touch...pretty inspirational!

We were also given some "homework". Some reading on the freestyle stroke and everything that goes into making it perfect!

I meant to take pics of some of the other team members but my camera batteries were dead. I may do a double workout tomorrow and get my swim in in the morning and a run or bike in the evening after work. For now I am off to eat a late dinner and do some pilates!

Before I do I want to send some big thank you's to everyone who has donated so far and to my "at home" support team. My husband, my parents, and my two kitties. They are all being so supportive in putting up with my hectic lifestyle right now and loving me just the same. THANK YOU!!!

Sunday Morning Run

We are in Michigan today for a grad party so I did my run at Willow Park. Ran for 56 minutes and went approximately 6 miles...not sure because they don't have mile markers at Willow. The main loop is 3.5 miles but I went out onto the Oakwood trail a bit to get in some more time. I felt pretty good for the first twenty minutes and after that it was a big mental battle but I made it. Would have been nice to have a running partner today...oh well. I forgot to take the camera with us to the park so I had my mom take some shots of me running outside our house when we got back.

Looking forward to my swim tomorrow...hopefully the pool is open...if not maybe it will be a rest day.

Above and Beyond

Our training schedule recommended a 55 minute bike ride today but since it was a group ride and we were all feeling good we ended up doing an hour and twenty minutes. (18.42 miles) Thats twice as long as I have ridden so far so I am sure I will be paying for it tomorrow!

The weather was nice...not sunny but no rain. I certainly am not a fast cyclist but I think I will at least be able to hang with other triathletes whose weakness is the biking.

Coach Missy gave me some pointers about which gear I should be in which really helped a lot. I was told before that I should only be on my largest cog (sp?) when I am going downhill...and that I should only use like the top three gears when I am on that cog. But Missy said I should definitely be on my largest cog on a flat ride and that I should be in a gear that I can keep a comfortable but fast cadence in. So once I figured that out I was able to pick up a lot more speed...still much slower than everyone on road bikes.

Here is a horrible pic of me and my bike after one of my rides last week...I am going to see if my parents will loan me their digital cam so I can get some more training photos up here.

Group Swim

Went to the group swim this morning at 6am. I felt really good today. We did some really good drills, including one where you keep your chin down and another where you come through the end of your stroke slowly with one arm (while the other arm swims normally). The last drill we did was a 50m head down, 50m of the slow arm, and then 50m as fast as you can go normal stroke. In effect this should force your body to be in perfect position while performing a good roll. I felt my whole body turn into jello in like the last 10m...petty cool!
I am feeling really pumped today...ready to work!

Back on the Bike

Got in my 40 minute bike workout. It started drizzling just as I was finishing up. The roads were awful this morning, almost got taken out about three times. I need to find a safer bike path that is close to the apartment.

30 minute run

Went to North Chagrin Reservation for my run this morning. I felt really good and went about 3.35 miles. It is beautiful outside, sunny and around 60 degrees.
It is supposed to storm later so I am glad I got my run in early.

Memorial Day Swim

Wasn't sure if I was going to find time to work out today. It was raining this morning so I couldn't take out the bike and I didn't want to run since I ran yesterday. Lucky for me they must have decided to nix the pool rules since it was Memorial Day and it was open. (Normally closed on Mondays)

Got in my thirty minute swim...did ten minutes of freestyle and five minutes of each of the new drills we learned last Friday. There was a group of people in the pool rough housing but they were nice enough to let me swim laps off to one side. Doing the drills really broke up the workout so it didn't seem quite so long. I felt really good and while I have no idea if I am going any faster it sure feels a lot smoother than when I first started.

Glad I got in a workout because I was feeling pretty guilty about eating all of this holiday food. I will be glad to get back into a normal routine.

Team Run

Got in my first "team" run this morning. All of the people there were training for marathons but I found a good running partner and we did 6 miles in 53 minutes. I am so glad to get out of that 10 minute mile rut I was in!!!

It was a beautiful morning and there was some shade and a nice breeze. Almost perfect running weather :) (I prefer it a little cooler myself) My hamstring felt great...my left ankle was a little sore during the last mile but is feeling fine now.

We were able to talk during most of the run too so the 53 minutes went by a lot faster than my normal solo runs. Can't wait to do it again...unfortunately they will soon be running much heavier mileage than me.

I am feeling great this morning and we are headed out to Blossom so I have a feeling it is going to be a wonderful day!

It's a beautiful day!

Checked out another of Cleveland's metroparks today. The North Chagrin Reservation is awesome! (Rivals my parks from home...although I still love the trails that interconnect between Huron River and Willow the best). Not terribly great for biking (which I was doing) but I am definitely going to have to get some runs in over there. Managed to get in 50 minutes and 9.4 miles on the trails. It was perfect running weather...a little chilly on the bike but not too bad. There were quite a few people out. Lots of older people out walking. I hope when I get older that I am still active and out enjoying nature to the fullest.
Gonna go get in some stretching and clean up the apartment!

Can you say Swim Drills Boys and Girls?

Went to my first official team workout. Spent an hour working on our swimming skills. Kicking drills, catch up drills, dragging fingers, buoys. Still hate catch up drills with the buoys..once a kicker always a kicker I guess. The drills were a big help. Realized I have not been paying attention to my legs during workouts at all and I am going to be so much faster now! Plus we talked a little bit about sculling (sp?). So I am going to work on getting the most out of my swim strokes.

It is looking pretty dreary out. Hope it gets nice for tomorrow's bike ride.

Nothing like waking up at 5:00 to go swimming to start your Friday :) I think I am going to have some coffee.

Running with good tunes

Went for a 30 minute easy run this morning before work. Took my CD player and the CD I made for the team. Didn't get through the whole thing since it is about an hour long but the tunes were pretty good for running. It was difficult compiling a variety of tunes that transitioned well and were good for working out. Hopefully everyone can at least use a few tunes off of them. Right hamstring is still a bit tight hopefully ice and a days rest will be all it needs.

Pool Workout

Swam for 30 minutes this morning. I waited to go until 7:30 which worked out nicely and I had the pool all to myself. (Other than someone sitting in one of the lounging chairs watching me...freaky) Of course I had goggles on and no contacts so I couldn't tell who it was or why they were sitting there.

My right hamstring is still bothering me but it doesn't feel like anything serious...hopefully it will feel better before tomorrows run.

Ordered my wetsuit. I decided to get sleeves rather than sleeveless. (That is what they recommended) All they ask for is your height, weight, and if you have a large chest, long legs, long waist, or broad shoulders...doesn't seem like the perfect system. Also they say to give them your current weight...not what you plan on being on race day. Hope that thing shrinks because I have been dropping weight like crazy, and plan on dropping at least 5 if not 10 more pounds before the race. Of course most of that weight appears to be coming off from my fingers...my rings have been falling off.

The plan is to finish my CD's for everybody tonight, I think I found some good tunes that are perfect for working out to.

5 more donations!

Got 5 more donations in the mail tonight bringing the total up to 25 donations=$865.00! Thank you very much to everyone who has donated! (Only $4,135 to go!)

Went out on the bike tonight after work. Stayed on the roads mostly for 44 minutes (8.7 miles). Rode from my apartment to Euclid Creek Reservation and then hit the paved trail for a bit. There were way too many walkers out so I took the parks road back out. Figured avoiding the cars was easier than avoiding the groups of people on the trail.

Didn't think my legs were sore from Saturday's ride but as I was climbing the mile hill after 25 minutes of riding I realized that I actually had developed some sore muscles. I managed to make it up the hill without having to get off my bike but man was I going slow (6 mph).

My legs are still sore from yesterdays run so I am icing my hamstrings while I put together a CD for the other triathletes I am training with.

Any workout tunes you think are worthy enough for the CD? Leave me a comment, tell me what I should add to it. We have a variety of people so I want to make sure to get some different styles of music but all work out friendly.

I'm feeling hot hot hot...

Went for a 45 minute run at Euclid Creek Reservation.
Left around 10 because I wanted to beat the heat. Ha! It was so hot out. I would have run in my sports bra but I didn't want to frighten the natives.

Saw Lenny from my husbands work out running and stopped to chat a little. Then continued my uphill run (Stopping in the middle of a hill is a bad bad idea).

Today was a mental run because my legs weren't worth crap and the heat was killing me. Around 20 minutes my right shoulder got pretty tight. At 30 minutes I found a drinking fountain...it was better than finding the Holy Grail. Thank God I found it when I did, I was getting ready to jump in the creek (Curse those CSO's). (We have been getting a bunch of storms so the creek was moving pretty fast and was full of sediment) I slowed down a bit for a couple of minutes after my drink but then picked the pace back up and finished out my run (Went a little over 4.5 miles).

When I finished I put my feet up and did some crunches. Looked up at the sky and I swear I could have taken a nap right then and there. Finished my stretching and headed home!

Off to do some laundry and clean.

5/22/04 45 Minute Bike Ride

Didn't get in until late and fell asleep before I had realized it. Went into work yesterday so I decided to do my bike ride with Ana and a friend after we got done with work. Well of course there is a story to go along with all of that.

Ana just bought a new mountain bike and had ridden it into work. Well just before she made it to the office something punctured her tire (Her first ride out). We decided to call the bike shop before we left work to see if they could take care of it (at 4:30pm). She calls and the lady had to check and see if anyone would do it and she said there was a volunteer so we should come in. We haul the bike through the maze that is our office building basement out into my truck and rush over to the bike shop.

We get there at 4:45. We are then told by two different people that they can't take care of it tonight and that she will have to pick up the bike tomorrow. We were just going to throw the towel in but i decided that no, I wanted a bike riding companion and her bike was going to get fixed right then and there. So I told the manager "I understand your position but you have to understand ours. We called ahead and were told that the bike could get fixed tonight. We explained that we needed it for a ride tonight. We made the special trip to come here and went out of our way to get here right away, because we were told that it could be taken care of now." (Or something along those lines) The men give us dirty looks but proceeded to find someone to take care of the tire. (Triumph!)

So then we are off to get my bike from the office. Several times I had to ponder "How many environmental scientists does it take to get two bikes out of an office building?" Really too bad we can't get a hold of some of the building's security tapes.

We finally get our bikes out onto the street and manage to get our helmets and gloves on and our friend got there (impeccable timing). So off we go. We rode for 30 minutes along the lake and then stopped for some water and made dinner plans. Then I headed back to the office to (another 15 minute ride) pick up my truck. I realized I had to run to the bathroom so once again I had to haul the bike through the basement, and up the elevator to the 6th floor. (Apparently our womens bathroom key only works on our floor.)

I finally get my bike packed away into the back of the pick up and then it dawns on me...I left my cell phone in my office. So I have to decide: Haul the bike back into the building...or risk it getting stolen and run like hell up to the office and down. I chose the latter and ran up 6 flights of stairs grabbed my cell phone and hopped the elevator back down. Luckily no one eyed my bike and everything was fine. I am going to have to go buy a lock so that I can latch the bike onto the truck.

Needless to say I got my 45 minute ride in and it was lovely :) Planing on doing it again, hopefully with a little less drama next time.

Off to go running!

Swimming

Just got back from my first 40 minute swim...I feel pretty good! The part of my body that is the most tired? My fingers...bizarre.

It was the fab four in the pool again this morning :) The other lady that appears to be a serious swimmer was in for an hour this morning. I think that it is more of a social hour for the elderly gentleman and woman that swim...perhaps that is why she didn't like having me in the pool the other morning (I swam in between the two of them)...she probably missed out on her morning gossip.

Got a long day of work ahead of me and two long workouts this weekend :) Wish me luck!

morning swim

Hopefully this post works...
Got in a swim workout this morning before work. Only did a half hour this morning. Planning on all my long workouts Friday through Sunday...tomorrow rest...at least from biking, swimming, and running, I may try and get in some pilates or tae bo.

Got five more donations today in the mail! Thank you all so much for your generosity and support!

Off to bed!

Running in the Rain

Went for my 30 minute run on my way home from work. It is muggy and rainy out. The first 15 minutes were rough but when I turned around my legs decided they felt great and I was at ease the rest of the run. Since I run by the river it smelled like worms the whole way but when I finished I must have run by a flowered tree because I got a whiff of something pleasant.

Haven't checked the mail yet but I got a donation from my boss today! It is such a blessing to work for someone so generous! So my current fund raising total is $460! Thank you again to all of my donors!

p.s. Tblog has been out of sorts the past couple days so I am sorry if you had trouble viewing this work out log.

Morning Bike Ride

Managed to get in a Pilates workout last night super late once we got home from Michigan and the grocery store.

Took the bike out this morning when I realized that our pool is closed on Monday's. Rode on the roads for 31 minutes and went 6.6 miles. It was pleasant outside and traffic was at a minimum so that was nice. Towards the end of the ride I must have gotten my second wind because I got up to 18 miles per hour :)

Riding the trails

Took my bike out for a 43 minute, 9.25 mile ride at the metro parks. I felt really good. I wasn't going terribly fast or slow but it felt very nice and I wasn't uncomfortable on the seat and my hands didn't cramp up this time.

Got another donation! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Tomorrow is my rest day but hopefully I will have time to get in some Pilates.

30 minute swim

Got in the pool at 6:30 this morning. Normally I think the later time of 7:30 will be better because apparently the same three people are there at 6:30 every morning, so they were probably not ecstatic to add a fourth to the mix.

The one girl that swims breast and back stroke the whole time has the same Nike swimsuit as me, so I suppose that I must have got a good one. There is an older lady that swims and the man that lives next door to us goes down there too. When I got out after my thirty minutes the older lady gave me a dirty look...I don't know why because I was swimming before she got there and I moved so she could swim where she wanted...who knows.

Heading to Michigan tonight and looking forward to getting a long bike ride in at the metro parks tomorrow!

Two more donations!

I got two more donations tonight! So in total I am up to $175.00!!! Big thank yous to my donors!

I went to the kickoff meeting tonight and met more of the people participating in the triathlon and some of the other endurance events. Hopefully I will start running with two of the other triathletes rather than by myself all the time.

I didn't get to meet my honoree (school commitments) But today is his birthday so wish him well!

I also got my winsor pilates dvds in the mail tonight! I did the beginner workout. I don't feel bad, it was different than any other exercise video I have done. I don't like that she focuses on breathing but then doesn't tell you when you should be breathing in or out. Hopefully I will be able to figure that out as I do the workout more often.

I need to pack and clean before bed and I have to be in to work early tomorrow because we are headed to Michigan...can't wait for Sunday (my rest day).

Hitting the wall (figuratively)

So i probably should have listened to my body this morning as it told me to stay in bed but I dragged my self out of bed and went for a run. It was already really warm out. I felt good the first 15 minutes but the 15 minutes back really sucked. I didn't feel like I was going to die but I definately could have felt better. I am going to have to get used to running in warmer weather...

Tonight is the kickoff meeting so I am looking forward to that.

Yay!

I got my first donation! A big thank you to cousin Ray!

I am still super excited about my bike. I added a link so you could check it out. It is the green and wheat model.

Did a little cross training tonight and went for a walk and played catch with David.

Morning Swim

So I am starting to remember why I chose Cross-Country over swimming in high school. Thank god Coach Vicchy won that fight...

While swimming is great exercise it gets rather repetitive. I just finished my half hour swim and spent most of it trying to keep my brain occupied. I guess I am just a sucker for outdoors sports where I can enjoy the fresh air while I am getting buff. By the way it is a beautiful day outside. I may just have to get in a short run tonight if the weather keeps up.

The pool was empty again until the end of my swim, a couple came in for five minutes or so but left before I was finished. I tried out my ear plugs and they worked pretty well. I don't feel ill today so that is great. My purple swim cap has turned to a shade of brownish purple...not sure why that is...

My new toy

I went to the bike shop on my way home from work. Tried out a few different bikes but I fell in love with the first bike I tryed. It is a Trek Hybrid 7300. It is really comfy and a very smooth ride. Much faster than a mountain bike, not quite as fast as a road bike. I tryed a few different hybrids but I really liked this one. I also tryed a trek road bike...yikes! I felt like I had absolutely no control. I couldn't figure out where to put my hands and I had a really hard time trying to shift but keep my hands in a comfortable position. The speed would have been a great bonus but I would have spent the next four months trying not to crash rather than enjoying myself.

I couldn't just get the bike so I got the enthusiast package to go with. It came with a water bottle rack, water bottle, little computer thingy that tracks your mileage and time and speed, a little bag to hold my keys and such, and a tire kit in case I ever get a flat. I also got a 6 year "warranty-thingy" where I can get my bike tuned up or fit to me any time I want as many times as I want for the next 6 years. Also got a pair of gel gloves.

The guy at the bike shop was very helpful and I even got a discount since I am training with Team in Training.

So I couldn't wait till tomorrow's workout to try out my new bike so I went for a ride after dinner. (32 minutes, 6.58 miles) I stayed in between 13 and 17 mph for most of the ride. Because I love my new toy so much I even braved a ride on the road! I am pretty proud of myself. I am looking forward to my bikes rides now rather than dreading them :) My hands got a little tired and towards the end of the ride I couldn't stay perfectly comfortable but I think that is just going to be an issue of getting used to longer rides and the gloves.

First Training Workshop

I went to the first workshop tonight. There were about 8 other people there that will be training for the Chicago Accenture Triathlon but the Team in Training coach believes there are 12 signed up for it.

We basically learned some history on the tri and about the training program we are going to be following. The first 8 weeks are going to be mostly aerobic exercise, so distance at a medium pace. So I am well on my way. The beginner workouts have 2 workouts in each discipline a week so I am also off to a good start there. I am hoping after 2 weeks I can start doing 3 workouts a week in each discipline. (Plus some stretching/strength workouts)

I have decided I should probably buy a bike so I opted to do tomorrows workout tonight and go to the bike shop tomorrow.

Went out for a 20 minute run, even got my hubby to come along with me so that was nice. It was threatening to pour but we only got a light sprinkle.

I am looking forward to having a training program that is pretty flexible and different every day :)

quick run

Yesterday was a long busy day but I managed to get a quick 20 minute run in in the morning. Tonight is my first Tri Workshop. Looking forward to it.

Mini Tri

So I decided to try out doing a little of each discipline today.

15 minute swim
7:45 minute transition to fitness center
15 minute bike on the stationary
5:00 minute transition
15 minute run

I felt pretty goood during most of the workout. During the run my shoulders felt pretty tired but nothing that i thought I couldn't handle for 15 minutes.

I was able to get a little reading in during the stationary bike ride, I am still giving "Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons" the thumbs up.

I felt great during the swim (I love the new swimsuit and cap) and the stationary bike said my average speed was just over 15 mph (I have no idea how fast that is for a bike but it felt like a good pace).

I figure if I can handle this workout now without having any coaching or real workouts under my belt in four months I definately should be ready for the real thing (I hope).

Funny story (nothing to do with my training). The other day I was heading home from work and I have to pass over the RTA tracks on my way out of the city. The lights came on because a train was coming and the car in front of me stopped right under the gate. So it proceeded to come down right on top of her car. I couldn't believe it I just sat there staring. Well after the lady realized what happened she starts backing up (I had left her plenty of room), and the gate slowly slides down the front of her car until she got out of the way. I was amazed but it didn't look like any damage was done. What really made it funny was that she could have made it through before the gate came down but she decided to stop right under the gate. I haven't ever seen anything like it. I felt bad for the lady, I would have been pretty embarrased but man I laughed the whole way home. :)

Anyways I always feel so much better after my workout (no matter how crappy I feel during it) I think I am going to go get something productive done around the apartment and treat myself to a homemade lunch :)

Forgot my watch

So I am completely lost without being able to time myself during a workout (how can you tell if you are making any progress?). I know I am way too attached to it anyways.

So I went to the track instead of the park so I could at least log miles. I did a half mile warm up (medium), then a half mile hard (95%), 2x400 hard (90%), then a half mile cool down (easy). So I got in two miles. I feel like I did a lot more. But I probably shouldn't have been trying to do speed workouts yet. I spent the rest of the evening chilling and stuffing my fundraising envelopes. If I can drag myself out of bed early I may swim tomorrow, if not I will probably take a rest day.

Good Night!

Back on the bike again

So I braved a bike ride again when I got home. I am still not brave enough for the real roads but I managed to get 31 minutes in by going around my apartment road, the park next door, the sidewalk along the roads on our block, and some conveniently empty parking lots.

I definitely need to take the bike in for a tune up. The rear shifting mechanism is difficult to downshift and periodically the gears click as if I am shifting when I am not...not sure what that is but it probably isn't a good thing.

Newho before the workout I made a trip to Kinko's to print out my fundraising letter and some postcards for a family golf outing and then decided to hit Dick's sporting goods. I picked up some womens biking shorts and a nike bathing suit (on sale), also a purple swim cap and some ear plugs. More on the swimming stuff after my next swim workout...on to the womens biking shorts.

This is my censored opinion of the women's biking shorts that I purchased (I wouldn't want to offend any of my family reading my blog...for an uncensored opinion send me an email or drop me your email addy and I will get back to you). They are basically like stretchy knee length shorts with a bit of padding in "all the right places" to keep you from getting bruised. They look absolutely ridiculous but serve a very good purpose. (By the way Ana after seeing myself in these I think your biker skort may be the way to go). While I don't think these protect you from the worst bumps I am guessing I will have fewer bruises.

Back to the bike ride. I am getting better at turning and stopping but I am not great at staying in a completely straight line. I am spending most of my time in 10th through 12th (my bike is a borrowed 12 speed Huffy Stalker).

On my way back to the apartment on this really old and crappy sidewalk there was a lady walking her dog, well I knew that I wouldn't be able to avoid her without falling into the grass unless she moved to the side, at least a little anyways so I called ahead that I was coming up behind her but she completely ignored me so I called again and she did turn (I think) but it was after I went flailing past her through the grass. Someone should warn these people about these wanna be triathletes out relearning how to ride a bike.

But I survived and managed not to crash or run into the lady or her dog. My legs feel pretty good but I definitely need to get into the bike shop and find a better biking route.

not quite a 6:30 am swim

just couldn't manage to drag myself out of bed at 6 so I went for a swim at 7:40. Swam for a half hour (26 minutes free and 4 minutes alternating back and breast). I was the only one there (except for the custodians). Felt pretty good in the water. Once again I felt a little ill once I got out but not nearly as bad as on Friday. (Progress!)
Off to work.

45 Minute Run

Went for a run on the way home from work at the park. Ran for 45 minutes. I felt really good, I know I was not going much faster than usual but it felt so easy tonight. Not sure if that is because I took a break from eating salads and had a tuna casserole today or because I haven't done a running workout since Thursday. Maybe a combination...
It was perfect running weather (at least for me) so that was also a bonus, I felt like I could have run a lot farther but didn't want to push it. We will see if I pay for the extra 15 minutes of running tomorrow.
My back was a little sore still but my shoulders felt relaxed during the run so I don't think I did any damage on Saturday.

Nasty Outside

So I didn't think I had gotten any sort of a workout in yesterday but apparently lugging around a cooler full of food is a little more of a workout than I thought. Woke up this morning with some serious muscle aches in my shoulders and back. (also managed to get a bit of a sunburn)

Went to the fitness center this evening since it is not very pretty out. I rode the stationary bike for a half hour then ran on the treadmill for 5 minutes. I am sure riding the stationary bike is nowhere near equivalent to riding a real bike but hey it's better than nothing. I didn't feel too bad since my back is what's sore, not my legs.

The one nice thing about working out indoors is that I can read while riding the stationary bike...I picked up a book called "Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons" to read in my spare time (Hah!). But seriously, it was highly recommended by a good college friend so I will make time for it.

Rest Day

Didn't work out today. Instead I drove four hours to see my sister's crew Regatta. I got some walking in and some sun. I am exhausted as I only got three hours of sleep but it was worth it to see her and take her some homemade food :) (Thanks to Scott for the great driving directions, I didn't even get lost)
Exciting news on the Team and Training front. I received info about my honored teammate! He is 15 and is currently off therapy and doing well! He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 3. I am excited to start raising funds so that I can help other children in the same situation. (With the help of funds from societies like Leukemia and Lymphoma Society the survival rate for this type of Leukemia is now up to 70%.) Like my husband, my honored teammate is a history fan and likes football! (and computer games)
I really feel good about doing this...as some of my coworkers have noticed I have had a little skip in my step this week. Helping others is definately one of the best ways of helping yourself!

6:30 am swimming

Got up to go swim at six. Got down to the pool and found out adult swim doesn't start until 6:30 am and they are serious about it. My fab would't open the door so they must have it set to lock down until 6:30.

So I waited a half hour and went back down. There were two other people there, an older lady and a girl probably in her mid twenties. I did 25 minutes of freestyle and 5 minutes of alternating breast and back stroke. Felt great in the water but when I got out I felt like crap. I hope that won't become an issue, I can just see myself getting into the bike transition area and being dizzy and ralphing or something...

newho I felt better after I took a shower and ate something.

it is nice to have the workout done and out of the way so early in the morning.

Slow and steady wins the race...right?

Went for a run/jog on the way home from work at Euclid Creek Reservation. It was a lot warmer today and my legs were a bit worn down from yesterday's run. I did 30 minutes but didn't get quite as far as usual. I think cross training is going to help with the sore muscles a bit since biking and swimming work totally different muscle groups than running does. My hamstrings and feet will be glad for the break!
Can't wait for some real coached workouts! I kinda of miss the team sports.
Saw a snake at the park (don't worry he was small) but he wasn't in an ideal situation being in the middle of the trail.
Found the perfect place to start my runs. There is a loop there that is perfect for a 5 minute cool down and there is a post where I can put my legs up and stretch!

Evening Run

Went for a run at the park (Euclid Creek Reservation) on the way home from work. Got in 40 minutes. Approximately 10 minute miles. Not fabulous but hey I have over four months until the race.

There were quite a few runners out tonight because of the nice weather...quite a change from the hail yesterday.

Accenture Chicago Triathlon

Offical workouts start on May 10th but I am preparing for these training sessions with some light running, biking, and swimming.

april 27th: tried out bike in the AM and was able to turn, stop, and shift :) Yay! (Apparently it is "as easy as riding a bike") Only went out for 30 minutes because it started to hail.