Not sure why, but today's ride trashed me
Sunday August 31st 2008, 8:16 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
Okay, maybe I was a little ahead of myself when I said I had “loads of time to update.” For some reason, today’s little 35 mile loop just killed me. Ariana and I had plans to leave at 1pm today, so I had a leisurely morning with the boy. He made pancakes. I uploaded a bunch of pictures to Flickr (Turtleman How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days release Good Time Max trailer Hellbound: Hellraiser II hd Alone in the Dark II movie download Yoga Unveiled film Donald's Snow Fight
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and new images of Dora are totally up). Soon it was time for me to head out to meet Ariana.
When I arrived at the Cafe’, some teammates were still there from the Coffee Ride. I hung out with them and chatted. Then it was time for Ariana & I to head out.
Right away, I felt like I had weak legs. I blamed it on the pancakes right away (and the fact that I didn’t really eat lunch either — just a Luna bar on the way out to the Cafe.) Ariana was a good sport and rode at my pace.
The wind was a killer, too. The entire way out (and OH-MY-GOD up the High Bridge) it was tough. Many times when I looked down on my computer, I was registering 10-11 mph. Sad, sad. And the worst was that it always felt like a cross wind or a headwind — even when we turned. We had to work today!
Finally, on Hwy 13 on the final stretch, we got to benefit from some tail wind. Still, that hill shredded my legs. I let Ariana pull me back to the cafe.
I felt a little bad. This is our normal Tuesday ride and today it tanked me. Not sure if it was my lack of calories from breakfast, my overall weakness of the season or the 12 miles of running on my legs from yesterday, but we only averaged 15.5 mph for the entire ride and I felt like I worked my ass off. In fact, my legs are kind of sore tonight.
What-ev. This has been a weird season so I’m going to try and not over-analyze today. It WAS a beautiful day and it was fun to ride with Ariana and hear about her greyhound and her entry into the sport of Triathlon (she did her first two races this year). Tomorrow, we head out again. This time with Sascha and for 55 miles. I’m seriously needing my legs to rejuvenate themselves tonight.
The plan for tomorrow: early ride with the ladies and then the Ripple Effect festival to see Will Steger and Michael Franti w/Spearhead in the afternoon. Remember what I said about my freetime? I think I lost it somewhere…
A little free time on my hands
Saturday August 30th 2008, 7:44 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
Allrighty, then. Expect some catch up. I have the three day weekend to myself (although, granted, we are closing out on Day 1 right now). The thing is, my boy works for the Mayor of St. Paul. And since St. Paul is the location of the Republican National Convention this week — well, let’s just say he’s a little busy. So busy that he’s working 12 to 12 shifts for the next six days. Poor guy. And that leaves me kind of winging it.
I have a tendency to over-schedule myself. If you know me in real life, you’re probably very aware that I’m the first person to schedule drinks, a workout, dinner at a new joint, music at the park. I have a hard time saying no or sitting still. And often our weekends are whirlwinds of workouts, errands, parties and whatever other obligations I’ve managed to conjure up.
For some reason, though. I just haven’t been thinking much about Labor Day weekend. Perhaps it’s the distraction of the new puppy. Or the trips we’re taking in September and early October. But this weekend has stayed off the radar and James knew he had to work so he sure as hell didn’t have anything on the calendar.
So, here we are. James is off keeping St. Paul safe with the backing of the Mayor’s office and I’ve had a pleasant day to myself. It’s been quiet. But I’ve been productive. I started off with a 12-mile run. I still actually have one triathlon left this season — a half iron distance next weekend. Can’t say I’m all that trained for it. It’s going to be a “just get through it and enjoy it” race rather than anything competitive. I just haven’t had the time or dedication of late to train seriously. But I did feel like I needed a longer run on my legs prior to next Sunday. Honestly, I can’t remember my last long run (was it a 9 miler? tell me it wasn’t Spirit of Racine’s half marathon in late July…). So I’ve been slightly nervous about pounding out a 1/2 marathon in next week’s race. Today showed me I could do it. It certainly won’t be fast, but I can do it.
After my run, I hung out outside with my laptop and geeked out a bit on TrainingPeaks.com logging information & checking stats. I also blogged and goofed around. Soon, James was leaving for his shift. I ate my lunch, showered, played with the pups and then headed out for some shopping.
[It's terrible. But when I'm left to myself, I shop. Such a bad habit, but so much fun.]
I hit Lucy because of the end of season sale and scored a few deals. I hit Target and gathered an assortment of items from Soy Milk to Mascara to PJs and a new bracelet & Table Runner.
After that, I hit Erik’s Bike Shop for nutrition. I spent way more money than I’m willing to admit on Gus and Clif Blocks (I’m SUCH a nerd). My final stop was the B&N in Roseville where I found a used copy of this month’s book club pick (score!) as well as another intriguing non-fiction book. [Side note: I had lunch with a colleague yesterday and keep feeling progressively out of touch and under read throughout the entire conversation because I didn't have the point of reference for the readings he was calling out. But then I find myself in a book store and I gravitate to my same-old, same-old either adventure or food-oriented non-fiction. Why oh why???? I may not be an expert in my field of work, but I can talk some shit about the American diet and mountain climbing!] On the Line movie full
After arriving home with my purchases, I quickly found them homes and got to work cleaning up the pad. I vacuumed, dusted and washed dishes. I cleaned the bathroom and made my bed. I also took some breaks to play with the puppies. I can never really relax if I feel the house is out of order. So, I did my work and shortly thereafter fed the dogs and myself.
And now here I am. I told myself I would grant myself unlimited Internet tonight since the boy is gone and the house is clean. I’m forcing myself to blog but I actually feel drawn to the couch for some TV (how bad it that?? Especially after two weeks of Olympics and one of the DNC). Maybe it’s just that I’m not as unplugged here as I would be in my living room with my fluffy companions and a stupid movie. That sounds good, no?
That said, you’ll probably get a few extra entries out of me this weekend. With all this time on my hands, there is no doubt I’m going to be glued to the World Wide Web.
Hmmm.
Perhaps I’ll actually upload the official story of Dora, our new pup.
Or finally recap Turtleman.
Or even edit my damn stylesheets on this blog that have been screwed up for years now (literally YEARS, how sad is that?).
I might even answer some emails and get some work done and make some running & spinning playlists.
But right now, I’ve got some relaxin’ to do. The unplugged kind. I also need to make a Poke Cake for my boy. It was a request. And I’m psyched. I haven’t even worked on BettyCrocker.com for one whole year yet and my boy is officially drinking the Kool-aid, too. He wants a Poke Cake. Betty’s Poke Cake
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. I love him.
Night ya’ll. Happy three-day weekend to the Americans!Restraint on dvd
Confession time: SOOOOOO not prepared for SORT
Sunday July 13th 2008, 6:14 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
Third times a charm, right?
Maybe not.
It’s the week before SORT and I’m approaching the race once again with the same lack of preparation that I have for the past two
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years.
The thing is, I haven’t been thinking about it this year as I have in years’ past. Last year was really gnarly work-wise and I felt so unprepared for my first half-iron (not to mention the drama of James’ bike wreck the night before). And the year before that was more work drama and lack of training drama and then drop-out drama.
This year? With Grandma’s as my focus, I’ve just expected to be fine at Racine. Also, having the experience of last year has had me falsely comfortable. The race wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d imagined it would be and that experience has led me to this sense of security coming up on year #2. Whether accurate or not. And with the marathon under my belt, I’ve just assumed I have the appropriate amount of base. Which, again, may or may not be accurate.
So, when I went out for a long ride with some awesome chicks yesterday, I was a little struck over coffee with Judy afterwards. It’s her first half iron and she had all these questions and I’d realized I haven’t even thought about preparation for this year. What would I eat? How often? All this logistical stuff about food and transition and pacing.
Suddenly, I feel like I need a plan. I also need to go and buy me some nutrition: Blocks, drink, gels. The worst? I don’t even remember if I even ate a bar last year during the bike or run. Did I? Guess I’ll bring along one of those, too.
It also occurred to me that I don’t even have my lace locks on my running shoes. Need to make sure I have my race belt ready, too. Do I even know what I’ll be wearing? Do I know where my wet suit it?
This is really sad.
The thing is, with Grandma’s as my big push, I haven’t concentrated much on this race. I figured I could get through it because I did last year. I haven’t been focused on beating any times from last year. In fact, I just want to finish strong (whatever that means).
Worse, the whole dying dog thing has been a real distraction. The plan is that I’ll head to WI with Judy and James will stay home with the sick dog. But we have all these contingency plans based on her having to be put down or what not.
This has just been a really weird time of year.
So, I’m thankful to Judy for at least reminding me I need to think about nutrition. I’m also thankful for all the girls who kicked my ass on our ride to Afton yesterday. I am now going to read my articles and figure out what nutrition I need to bring to Racine with me. I’m not in it to win, I’m in it to finish.
I’m also in it to have fun. It’s Judy’s first half-iron. I know she’s going to rock. And being with her at the finish will totally make the weekend worthwhile. Fit people inspire me and, no matter how ill-prepared I may be, spending the weekend with her in Racine will be a good, good time.
Oakdale Duathlon Official Results
Saturday May 10th 2008, 12:48 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
Okay, I should have waited 30 minutes. Here are the results:
Total Time: 1:34:40
158th out of 332 total participants
35th out of 156 women
10th out of 27 in my division (women 35 – 40)
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Run 1: 24:54 (8:18/mile)
T1: 1:04
Bike: 42:55 (18.9 mph — based on what I think was actually a 13.5 mile course and included a 2 minute pause)
T2: 0:56
Run 2: 24:54 (8:18/mile)
Notes:
- WEIRD that my run times were exactly the same (although, Run 2 would have been slower had it not been for my angel)
- Also, you should probably take 2 minutes of my bike time because of the train. Although, looking at results, Michelle (ironically, the chick I was chatting with at the start) was in 9th place in my division and finished 2 minutes 40 seconds in front of me — meaning, I still would have placed 10th in my division after all.
- I’m happy with 10th in my division even if it only contained 27 peeps total. I still think I did pretty well and I LOVE a top ten finish.
- I’m only slightly bummed that my 2 minute delay on the bike might have likely kept me out of the top 15 female bike times. :(
Okay. Over and out…
[my race report is below]
Oakdale Duathlon Race Report
Saturday May 10th 2008, 12:32 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
The results aren’t online yet and I wasn’t in the mood to stick around and wait for them after the race today. I really just wanted a cup of coffee and nap so I headed home.
That said, I think I had a pretty decent race.
As I’ve repeated everywhere, I wasn’t in the mood to race this morning. Not that I’m ever “in the mood” — racing kind of sucks because it hurts, but I do love the thrill of it. And going into this morning, I just didn’t feel a sense of thrill. I didn’t have teammates to participate with. I hadn’t trained in my aerobars. I’ve been uber-marathon focused so multisport has taken a bit of a back seat and, of course, there is the weather thing.
This morning? I really wanted to stay in bed and watch movies with my dog. (I’d say dogs plural, but Tryna really doesn’t like to watch movies. ;)
But, I knew I had to do it. James had a time-trial this morning, too, so I wasn’t about to be a wimp if he was racing today. I got my gear together last night. I got up early for some pre-race granola and soy milk. I loaded up my car and I was off.
The race was nice and close. It was relaxing to know I didn’t have to be at transition at the crack-ass of dawn. In fact, packet pick-up started after 7:30 am and race time was 9am. I didn’t even leave the house until around 7:30 and I was at the site by 7:45ish.
Parking was starting to get tight. But I’m glad I took my time this morning. The extra sleep and relaxed morning was worth a less than optimal parking spot and less than optimal transition spot. As I unloaded and prepped my bike, I did encounter a problem with my back wheel’s tube. When I unscrewed the valve to check the air pressure, air started just streaming out. I’d replaced my tires a few nights ago but kept my old tubes. This back one had officially had it. So, I needed to swap it out. By this time, it was around 8am and I was thankful I had a full hour before the race start because I did want time to test out my aerobar riding skills. I proceeded to change my tire and I got more than a couple of “do you need help?”s from the men that would pass. Given the early hour and my independent spirit, this annoyed me. I couldn’t see they were being kind. All I could see was, “what??!! you don’t think a girl can change her tire?”
Of course, it was the back wheel which is always a bit of a struggle for me to get both on and off. AND my new tires are super-stiff so getting those on and off are a challenge, too. But I was fine. I could do it. In fact, I DID it. But not without this older man and his son, who were hanging out in the truck next to me, watching me the entire time. I was getting paranoid. They continued to watch and ask me (a few times) if I was okay. The older guy even told me my lights were on (yes, I know — my car radio was on, too — I was listening to it. But he also gave me a mini-lecture on a dead battery after that. Ugh.) It was about the third inquiry when they asked (again) if I was having problems while I was attempting to put my back wheel on. “I’m fine,” I said in what I knew was an exasperated voice. But then I went a step further, “But I feel like you are staring at me.” (I know, I’m not nice.)
I pulled my bike around to the side of the car where I could have more privacy. I got my back wheel on and when I came back out, the guys were gone.
In transition, I found a nice wide spot. Not optimal because it was closer to the run in and out, but space is nice. And transition does seem so much easier when you don’t have to deal with the whole swimming thing. One pair of shoes, your helmet and bike. That’s it. I took the bike out for a little warm-up. I felt fine in position. I dropped the bike off, got my chip, got body marked and then headed to a ginormous port-a-potty line that took about 20 minutes to get through.
By that time, it was about race time start. There was a big group walk to the start line. The air was crisp. I wasn’t sure if I was dressed approriately. I settled on my biking jersey, arm warmers and tri shorts. I took my knee warmers and wind vest off at last minute. I was certainly chilly during the walk to the start and as I waited for my wave (Women age 35+ were dead last) to start.
I met a sweet woman while waiting. She asked me about the bike team and racing. We talked about multisport, too. And then it was race time and we were off.
Right off the bat, I knew I was aiming for staying in the upper 150s as far as my heart rate was concerned. I was curious how fast this would give me in terms of pace on the course. The first 3 mile run was a challenge, but I felt good. I ran averaging my heart rate between 154 and 158. Some women did pass me. I know I’m not the strongest runner. But I also knew this was a C race for me, too. It’s important for me to test and learn in this environment for future races. Not only that, this was also the first leg. I still had to both ride and run again.
There was one woman in particular that passed me and I kept trying to catch her on the course. She had an Ironman Bike Ride bike jersey on and she was my rabbit. I never did catch her on the run course, though.
The 3 miles went pretty fast. It was hillier than I’d expected. We were already at bike transition and I felt I transitioned fast although I did have to trade my ball cap for my helmet. Probably faster if I wouldn’t have worn a hat at all. Oh, well.
On the bike, I had to immediately get around a lot of slower people on slow bikes. It was then that I spotted Ironman Bike Ride chick riding right in front of me and I passed her on the first hill out of the park reserve. The rest of the bike ride was like that. Lots of back and forth between me and the Ironman Bike Ride chick. I’d pass on hills, she’d pass on straights. This did have me lamenting my bike just a tad because I wonder if I’d be faster on a TT bike. Ms. Ironman Bike Ride chick had a TT bike. I felt stronger than her, but I just couldn’t kick up that same speed on the flats (note: this is an often occurance on the bike leg — those bikes do pass me quite a bit. Although, that said, my favorite is passing peeps WITH this equip and still being faster. Hah.)
Ironman Bike Ride chick did eventually pass me strong enough to make it stick. I used this opportunity to suck down some water. I noticed that I was averaging a 157 to 162 heart rate on the bike leg (weird, I always thought my heart rate was higher on the run). But I just powered as much as I could because I know this is my strong suit.
Then we hit the train. Yes, the train. The race was intersected by a train and there we were, backed up and I was right next to Ms. Ironman Bike Ride again. We joked a bit. By this time, we were talking. She noted that she just couldn’t shake me.
We were stopped at the train for about 2 minutes. Wouldn’t be great for my overall time, but it was a nice opportunity to drink and recover. Although, when we got to go again, damn if my calves didn’t scream a little.
It was a lot of the same back and forth with my new friend. She did catch me on one hill and said, “Yay! I made my goal. I caught you on at least one hill.” It was funny and motivating.
The bike leg of 12 miles took a little longer than I’d estimated. The hills on the course in addition to the wind slowed things down a bit. Although, I don’t know my speed yet and didn’t set my computer. I did manage to take my feet out of my shoes on my bike as I approached transition and it was fun to run to my spot in my bare feet — and it was certainly faster than running in bike shoes. I transitioned fast again and was out for the final 3 mile run.
Right away, I noticed it was hard to get my heart rate back up to where I wanted it. It seemed to want to stay around 151 – 152 even though the effort felt more intense than that. I didn’t take in any nutrition except for a Gu prior to the start and I wonder if that had anything to do with it. I kept telling myself, “Only three miles, push it.” I felt my pace was strong. But again, it was hard to get myself up past 154 or 155.
With about a mile left, Ms. Ironman Bike Chick was upon me. “Hah! I finally caught you!” she said. I told her I had thought she was way ahead (I had). She mentioned that she couldn’t catch me on all the hills (even on the run). We started running together and she told me to push it with her the final leg. I could feel how much stronger than me she was, but she wouldn’t let me back off. Soon, I noticed my heart rate was 158 – 159. So, THIS is what it takes to get back up there??
It was super hard, but my little nemesis / angel was dragging my ass that final mile of the course and not letting me back down. Each time I’d even consider slowing, she’d tell me to pick it up. She’d tell me to bring it in. She’d tell me to let my strong legs pull me up the hill. Sooooo super hard. I wanted to quit, but I didn’t and she even got me to sprint towards the finish. Gahhh…
Andrea is her name. She’s 46 and damn strong and I thanked her for coaching me through. There is no way I would have run that strong at the end if it weren’t for her.
At the finish, we ran into a few more girls (including the woman I met at the start). A number of us were all together on the bike and it was fun to chat about how much we all pushed each other. It’s also satisfying to know other notice you in the same way you notice them in terms of competition on the course.
So, it ended up being a very good race. I’m beat. I’m tired. But, thanks to Andrea, I left it all on the course.
Not sure how I finished. My watch says 1:35:14 but I didn’t turn it off right away when we cross. Then there is the 2 minute stop for the train that I don’t know if we’ll get credited for or not. I guess we’ll just see when results are up.
The race itself was fun. The Lake Elmo Park reserve is a lovely place for a race. There were wetlands and wildlife and hills. So, it was both scenic and challenging. It also didn’t rain on us, so while the temps were cool, the weather was just fine. In fact, I run faster when it’s cool and it turned out that I dressed perfect for the temps.
So, there you go. My first duathlon is complete. It was a great experience and I’m so glad I didn’t actually stay in bed instead to watch movies with the dog. Especially since I can do that now — and have a strong race under my belt.Crazy Eights Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie download Red ipod
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Tomorrow's First 2008 Season Multisport Race
Friday May 09th 2008, 8:07 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
I have a duathlon tomorrow morning.
I’ve never done a duathlon before. Kind of weird after all the years of multisport now (is this my 5th season?). I’m not actually sure how hard to go out on the run for the first leg. It’s 3 mile run / 12 mile bike / 3 mile run. Not a 5k effort, but I feel like I should go hard.
I also haven’t ridden in my aerobars all season. How bad is that? James just put them on for me tonight and I was too lazy to go out and try them. So, after all the amazing base I have from Texas and the recent riding, I feel like I’m going into tomorrow a little green. Hopefully, I can ride around a little prior to the race and warm up.
And — it’s only a C race. Just a season warm-up. I still have 13 miles to run on Sunday. I need to squeeze in a swim as well as some Yoga. Then there is all the real-life stuff to mix in.
The truth also is, I’m not really motivated for tomorrow. I think the weather has me a little lethargic. It’s cold. It certainly doesn’t feel like the start of the tri season and I can’t believe I’m seriously considering race in a bike jersey and shorts tomorrow, but even that might be a little chilly.
One final note, I pulled out my race belt to pack it up and I found my Turtleman number from last August’s race still attached. The Turtleman number that I DIDN’T use because my gear was locked in my garage from that crazy storm and I had to squander up used gear and race all ghetto. Ahhh, memories…
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Sunday January 27th 2008, 9:31 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
So, I had a setback this week. My arm (bicep tendonitus or whatever it is) flared up again. The thing is, I wasn’t even skiing. I swam on Tuesday (actually saw a 1:30 100 yd interval!) and I’m thinking between that and sitting at my desk all day and lugging my bag to and from work has flared up what I initially injured.
It was so bad on Friday, I hurt to put on my jacket. It also was tough to turn the steering wheel in my car. For the latter part of the week, I was making a point to carry my bags and brush my teeth with my non-dominant arm (it’s hard!) and sleep on my other side or back and not on my injured arm. I’ve also been icing, using Icy-Hot patches and taking anti-inflammatory drugs. I also scheduled an appointment with the PT on site, but can’t get in until later February which means I may need to see someone through my doctor’s office sooner.
So, while I was not skiing but still swimming, yoga-ing and weight training, I’m officially taking it easy now. I am going to focus on cycling for the next week with a couple of runs maybe at the latter half. I’m going to continue with my anti-inflammatories and icing and carrying bags with my healthy side. I also got some tips from my girlfriend who is a PT and will stretch every 15 minutes at work, be more mindful of my scapula and, as she said, let it cool.
I suppose the good news is the timing is off season and I have plenty of time to recover for both the racing season AND our dog sledding trip that comes up at the end of February. I’m also going to have to bypass the swim coaching sessions I signed up for with my team that resume tomorrow — at least for a few weeks. I understand it is necessary, but I’m sad when I’m seeing really good gains in my swimming.
Ironically, I joined up with some girls from my team for a Friday evening spin class at The Firm in Minneapolis. I figured it was safe since it was cycling. But when we got in there, there were all these push-ups and crazy arm-things on the bike. I didn’t do them (I’m not that dumb) — but it figures I attend the most upper-body dependent spin class in the Twin Cities!
The Firm
Faeries release Crazy Eights buy was an interesting experience as well. The place seems like it is trying so, so hard. Everything is so concrete and minimalist and the music is loud and pounding. The spin class was dark with black lights and a really intense clientele. It was fun for a Friday night. I felt like I was at a dance club. But I don’t know that I could do that everyday. It’s also SOOO physically intense that I can’t imagine going all out at that level all the time. I can’t imagine those workouts all the time are that healthy for you as an athlete. Of course, my goals are probably way different than most of the chicas at that club. I tried the class for free on Friday which means I get a free week of attendance. Not sure I’ll be back though…
I did sit on the trainer for 90 minutes tonight. I put in the documentary Crazy Love
and did some isolated leg training and low intensity base mileage. The documentary was absolutely fascinating. I was glad to have such compelling subject matter for my ride and post-ride stretch.
I also made the Hungry Girl’s recipe for Tamale Pie
Space Chimps ipod Factory Girl video for dinner tonight but it turned out to be a comedy of errors. I didn’t have black beans and substituted navy white beans instead (it was all I had aside from Garbanzo beans). I also didn’t have taco sauce, so I used a couple of tablespoons of tomatillo salsa and some catsup. Finally, I forgot to add the milk to the cornbread mix and it was quite thick and didn’t spread over the entire pan (if only I’d checked before dumping it on the base mixture!). But the final product was edible, if not pretty tasty, so it’s all good.
Finally, did I mention that I’m officially registered for Grandma’s Marathon in June?
I did, didn’t I.
21 weeks and counting….
Afterglow – the final photo
Monday July 30th 2007, 8:17 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
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I know. You all have HAD it with the half iron photos (and I haven’t even gotten to the race-sponsored ones). But, the truth is, I really like this one. Close-up, you can see I was still red and puffy from crying. I think I’m sunburned, too. But I was finally relaxed enough to let go and realize what I had just accomplished. Seriously. Somehow, I had dragged my ass 70.3 miles across this course after having a suck-ass day before with my husband in the ER. I didn’t want to race this morning. But James made me get out there.
And I’m glad he did.
I’m really, really glad he did.
At the Finish w/James
Sunday July 29th 2007, 8:55 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
I just had to share this photo. The photos from Racine keep coming in from my friends and from the race organizers, photographers, etc. When I received this from Brooke tonight, I just had to post. It’s the only image I’ve been able to find of James in his brace the day after his horrible crash. A lot of people saw him on the course cheering, but there wasn’t much documentation or evidence.
Lawman
At least until now.
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Luckily, he’s not in the brace any longer. He’s doing much better (aside from some bruised ribs that are painful). His bike is in miraculous condition (he’ll get it back this week). And he’s actually planning on teaching his first spin class on the bike since the accident tomorrow.
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Good stuff.
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Me, I’ve not been totally resting because Turtleman is in two weeks so I had some speedwork and other training to complete this week. Today was a longer brick and I was wiped afterwards. The combination of heat, sun and a nutso week made it a challenge. But I’m glad I got the 2 hour, 30 minute workout in the bank.
This week will be easier and then a slight taper for my last big race of the season.
Although, I am considering a Fall marathon. I told myself to wait until after Racine to see how a felt before making any committments. Now, after, I feel pretty damn good. I don’t want to take it for granted or risk injury. But I feel pretty confident and I can rest and ramp up for a late October run of 26.2.
Own the number
Thursday July 19th 2007, 9:31 pm
Filed under:
triathlon
Okay. It may be too late to change, but I sent an email to the organizers of the Spirit of Racine triathlon a few days ago asking if I could switch from my age group category of 35 – 39 to the Athena category. For those not in the know, that’s the women 150 lbs. and up cat.
I haven’t post a lot about weight here recently. I’ve been more concerned with training this season than trying to dump the pounds that I’ve gained since I hit goal 2-1/2 years ago. But, the truth is, when I hit goal at 135 lbs., I was a size 8. Right now? I still fit in most of my size 8 clothes. Sure, sometimes, the 10s are more comfy. But I’m not the same 150 lbs. I was years ago. I have much more muscle now. How else can you explain the size 8s?
At any rate, when I stepped on the scale on Monday, I was a little surprised to see myself still at 150.1 (in fact, this morning I was at 151.5). My pants are actually fitting me BETTER than before Colorado and I’m the exact same weight.
So, you know what I decided? I decided to own the weight and try and take advantage of it by trying something new.
I have no idea how strong the chicks in the Athena cat will be. But, I thought it might be more fun to race a smaller field than the larger number of women in my age group. Just to see. Regardless, I’m going to cross the line. The time on the clock will be the number that concerns me most. And if I can get out of the way of my awesome other 35 – 39 female age grouper teammates, all the better.
So, tell me I’m not stupid for making the change if I actually can…
Dolphins rip
Running on Empty Dreams download
Macross video
The Sleeper buy