Last Sharon Woods Run!

Tonight, I went out after work for my last hour-long run before the race.  It was the perfect temperature, 50 maybe, though it was strange to think that our high today was about the low in Panama City Beach...  I'm not thrilled with the predicted high of 78 down there on race day, but it's better than the 90s!  Plus, 0% chance of rain looks good.  Just hoping it's not a windy day!

Oh, yeah, so... my run.  I did two laps around the lake.  The first took 30:02, just shy of my typical 30 min/lap goal.  But the second lap only took 29:04!  Woo-hoo negative split!  Wish I could maintain an 11 or 12 min/mi pace in Florida, but I won't hold my breath.  Still, I felt great tonight!

Chill

Well, today was the last Lifetime Cycle Club ride I had to lead this year.  It was pretty chilly when I woke up, and I was pretty sure no one would show up.  Still, I had to go, and I'm glad I had to, otherwise I might not have gotten out of my warm bed.  And believe it or not, a first-timer actually came to ride!  Which was awesome, because if I'd been alone, I probably would have just stayed on the trail, and I'm kinda tired of the trail.

So, yeah.  It was pretty cold, but I dressed really well (except that I forgot my ear warmer) and was actually comfortable.  And the bike with fancy race wheels rode like a dream, even though I was a bit worried about the rear tire...  (When I took off the valve cap to pump up the tire, part of the valve apparently got stuck in the cap and came off, too.  So that most of the air came out in a few seconds' time.  Fortunately, we were able to just screw it back in, but I was concerned that it would leak or something since I don't think that part was supposed to come off.  Still not sure if I'll replace the tube before the race or not...  Maybe I'll ask someone there if it's really a problem.)

Anyway!  We only rode 26 miles, but it was perfect.  And I had just enough time to run two miles, too, before I had to get home for an afternoon shift.  Felt strong, and my foot didn't even hurt afterward either!  One week from today...

Ink

In other news...  I've really been thinking about an Ironman M-dot tattoo, and I'm 99% sure I'm going to get one if - no, when -  I finish.  I've looked at a ton of pictures online, and I know I don't want just the basic, iconic red M-dot:

I've seen some cool designs with the logo and a bit of embellishment:

And some that really spice it up:

But I wanted something uniquely mine.  So I only had one option: design it myself!  I've been sketching for a couple of days now, and I think I've finally perfected it.  Here's what I'm planning to get:

The M-dot will be on the back of my ankle with the design-y part wrapping around both sides.  I'm totally loving it!  And yay - more motivation to get me to that finish line!

Fun Run!

And no, that's not an oxymoron!

So, I wanted some overtime tonight, but I needed to run.  If I worked late, I knew I wouldn't have any daylight left by the time I got off, and I didn't want to run alone.  So I compromised: I worked only one extra hour, so that I could make it to Fleet Feet in time for their Halloween Fun Run.  And it was!  Fun, that is.  I forgot how enjoyable it is to run with other people, and it was nice to catch up with a few friends I've trained with in the past.  We went about 4.75 miles at an average 12:09 min/mi pace.  It was a little chilly out, but I loved it.  And I got to wear the new stuff I bought last night!  And I noted, too, that if it's supposed to get below 50 degrees by the time I finish the IM, I'll want a light jacket or long sleeves.  Good to know!

Lesson Learned

This morning, I got up super early to clean my bike (it was filthy!) and take it to my bike guy for a final tune-up before the race.  He was so great to meet me there at 7:30, long before the shop's supposed to open.  And we'll probably do the same thing on Friday when I go to pick it up.  Can't wait to try it out with the fancy wheels this Saturday at my last Lifetime Cycle Club ride!

Anyway, I said I couldn't work late again tonight so that I could get my workouts in.  And I actually got going pretty quickly since I had to get to the gym for a 6:00 spin class.  I love having the accountability of class to get me moving.  Still, having a trainer at home sure would be nice, too...  (We're looking for a used one - or two - but no luck just yet.)

Anyway, after the class, I got into my suit and went into the pool area.  Two lanes were occupied with the kids' swim team practice, and there were already two people in each of the other lanes.  I asked the lifeguard about the time of things, because I could have sworn that swim team used to be from six to seven, followed by the masters' swim class/practice.  But today, they were BOTH going on at the same time, hence the full pool.  But at least by asking I learned that none of them were going to be leaving in until the top of the hour, and I wasn't about to wait 45 minutes for a lane.  Yep, VERY frustrating, but now I've learned my lesson: don't try to swim on Wednesday nights!

So I just got showered up, then decided to hit Dick's to look for some last-minute run gear for the race.  I tried on tons of shirts and finally found the perfect tee.   (Bought two!)  And a jacket for if it gets cool when the sun sets.  Although...  If I put the jacket in my special needs bag, I'm going to have to get it even if I don't want to wear it, because otherwise I might not see it again.  And that's not an option since it was a $65 jacket.  So, yeah.  Still have to figure all my gear out, but I'm getting closer to having everything I need!

Double Dose

Yesterday, I was supposed to run after work.  But I agreed to work late, so that it was dark when I got off.  I was o.k. with that, planning to just go to the gym to swim instead.  But then I made plans to get the race wheels I'm borrowing for my race from my friend.  And after THAT, I was too tired for anything else.  So I came home and cooked a little and went to bed.

I vaguely remember deciding that I wouldn't work any overtime until after my race, but greed and guilt (greed for the extra money, guilt because when I don't stay late, no one on my team can stay late either) got the better of me, and I paid the price.  Why don't I ever learn?!?

Actually, I kind of learned.  I said I couldn't stay late tonight, and I went out for a run after work.  I was feeling pretty slow, and I only had time for one lap around the lake, but it's better than nothing!  I felt like calling it quits after that, but Coach (Hubby) told me I had to swim, too.  So, after a quick rest, I headed to the gym.

I felt pretty good in the pool, but more than anything, I felt like a triathlete again.  And THAT is a really good feeling!  Anyway, here's what I did:

Warm-up
4 x 200  Swim/pull/kick/drill x 200

Main set
1 x 400  Free - pace
1 x 300  Free - pace
2 x 200  Free - pace
2 x 100  Free - pace

Cool-down
1 x 200  Free - sighting drill
1 x 200  Easy

I kept miscalculating since I didn't plan my workout before I got there, so I thought I did more than the 2500 meters I actually swam, but that's still respectable: 50 laps in 60 minutes.

Forced

Surprise, surprise...  I didn't feel like going out to ride today.  But Coach (aka Hubby) reminded me how important this is.  So I took a quick nap after church (I've been SO tired lately!), and finally went out at about 2:00.  I obviously didn't have time for 4 or more hours, but I did ride 2.5, 40 miles.  And I felt pretty good about that considering that I didn't want to go at all!

Overcoming Inertia

Well, the good news is, I started feeling better shortly after my last post!  My cold was very short-lived and never moved from my head to my chest or anywhere else.  So I got lucky!

Unfortunately...  My week was already shot.  I had been at rest for a full week, and I was definitely feeling the inertia.

I was supposed to do a long ride (4, 5, 6 hours) today, but that didn't happen.  So, I figured I could run instead, then just do my ride tomorrow after church.  The Hubs and I headed out this evening; he was going to walk while I ran around the lake.  But then we were talking, and I realized I'd forgotten my watch (a very important tool for a run/walker), so... yeah.  I just walked with him.  Still, it's something.  I just hope it's enough to get me back on track tomorrow and next week!

The truth is...  I'm just really feeling unprepared for this race.  I know I haven't done nearly as much as I should have over the last six months, but I also know that there's nothing I can do to fix that now.  It's too late.  So I'm feeling stuck, aimless, lost.  But I'm going to race.  And I'm going to finish.  And it probably won't be easy or fun, but it'll get done.  The next two weeks of training won't really help me be more prepared physically, but they can ready me mentally.  So that's what I need to focus on now.

Blaaaahhh

Well, I thought we might hike a bit up at Hocking Hills this weekend, but instead we enjoyed a wonderful weekend of doing NOTHING.  I don't do nothing nearly enough!

Monday was our actual anniversary, but I was still planning on running before we curled up on the floor with a fire.  Instead... I brought some of the bedroom furniture in from the garage and put together our new bed (with Hubby's help, of course).  Not exactly a romantic evening, and not very useful workout-wise, but you know me: once I get something in my head, I've just got to do it.

Last night, I was planning on taking a spin class and swimming.  But I woke up with a stuffy/runny nose and was sneezing all day, so I wasn't sure how much I should exert myself.  Toward the end of my shift, I also started working in the kitchen, so I just kept at that into the evening instead of hitting they gym.  I made three complete meals that we can eat all week, so I reasoned that it was a good use of my time since now I have no excuses NOT to get my workouts in the rest of the week!

Unfortunately, I still feel pretty stuffy/sniffly/sneezy today, and I think I really am getting sick. :-(  I was thinking I'd run and swim tonight, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea.  Plus, Hubby's class is canceled tonight, so I'm thinking I'll probably just lie around and read and go to bed early.  There's still so much more I wanted to do workout-wise before my Ironman, but I guess it's much better for me to get sick now than race week!  Still, super frustrating.

30-Mile Brick

Well, after last week, when I only worked out three days but did really long workouts each time, I'm glad I was able to spread things out this week and do something every day.  Till today, anyway, since we're going out of town to celebrate our 2nd anniversary this weekend.  Proud of myself, too, for getting up and out relatively early to get a good brick in before we head out this afternoon.

I started with a 22-mile ride in 1:26ish.  It was chilly, and a bit annoying because the bike trail was almost completely covered with wet fallen leaves.  And I'm noticing more and more just how bumpy it's becoming!  So I was actually glad to get off the bike and put on my running shoes (having new pretty shoes does help, too :-)!  Then I ran 8 miles, the longest I've done in awhile, apart from the 13-mile runs in my half-IM races.  Most importantly, it was actually fun!  Nice new shoes, PERFECT running weather, flat, and I was able to maintain an 11:45 pace, which I'm very please with! <sigh>  Love days like this!

Upper Body Galore

This morning I worked in the kitchen a bit because I volunteered to make a meal for a friend from church who just had a baby.  I took that over there a little after noon, then went straight to the gym.  I was planning to swim, but I wanted to do something else first to warm me up so that the water would feel like a reward rather than a punishment.  The only class at that time was kickboxing, so I figured I'd give it a try.  It was a little boring, but served the purpose.

After the class, I headed down for my swim - FINALLY!  Took me long enough to finally make myself swim this week!  Here's what I did (a speed workout):

Warm-up
3 x 400  Swim/pull/kick x 400

Main set
2 x 200  Free - pace
4 x 100  EBEH x 25
2 x 200  Free - pace
8 x 50    Sprint through turn, easy back

Cool-down
1 x 200  Free - sighting drill
1 x 200  Easy

I felt really slow, especially for the first half, but then again, it has been awhile since I've swum!  Must... be... more... consistent!

And tonight I'm going to pick up some bedroom furniture I'm buying off Craigslist, so that'll be a little more upper body work, as if I haven't gotten enough already today. :-)

Scary Run!

Again, not sure what I was doing all morning, but I didn't get out for my run till after my rescore shift this afternoon.  And even then, I was pokey getting my butt out the door, so I didn't head out till almost 6:30.  The first lap around the lake was nice, and there were a lot of people out before 7:00.  But it really started to get dark on my second lap!  Like, I could barely see the path or the few other runners/walkers who were crazy enough to still be out there.  Plus, I had my music on, so I was just praying that no one attacked me.  And they didn't.  Still, I learned my lesson: be done running before 7:00!

Loved the new shoes, though. :-)

A Quick Ride

I don't know why it took me so long to get going today, but I didn't head out for my ride until well after noon.  So even though I had wanted to swim after my ride too (since I didn't do it yesterday), I didn't have enough time before my Yahoo Sports online meeting thing at 4:00.  In fact, I got back from my 28-mile, hour-and-40-minute bike ride JUST in time for the meeting.  And I had intended to go to the gym afterward to swim, but, well, yeah.  That didn't happen.  Still, it was a good ride.

I also noticed something interesting today: my foot seems to hurt a lot more immediately after, as well as the next day(s), when I run on the treadmill vs. running outside.  I guess I must be doing something differently, though I can't imagine what.  At any rate, I'm glad I realized this now so I can make sure to do the rest of my run training outside!

I also got some new running shoes today, and I'm excited to try them out tomorrow.  I'll be trying the new Brooks Pure Cadence.  They are a lot lighter and have less cushioning and everything, so they're supposed to allow you to run more naturally, especially for mid- or fore-foot strikers.  They felt great when I tried them out at Fleet Feet, so I'm hoping they work out when I really run in them!

Treadmilling

I was supposed to run and swim tonight, but after 50 minutes and a little over 4 miles on the treadmill, I was starving!  I had tried to buy a bar in the gym's cafe when I first arrived, but I'd only brought in $2 and they were a little more than that.  Ripoff!  Yeah, just wasn't feeling the pool, so I headed home.  But at least I ran!

Looooong...

So, I was supposed to do a long (5.5-hour) ride today.  I really didn't feel like it since I was enjoying my book and just wanted to stay home and read.  But Coach (aka Hubby) told me I really needed to do it, and I knew he was right.

When I finally headed out, it was already after noon, though, so I thought I might just do 4 hours or so.  I started up the trail, and I just felt tired and slow.  But I pushed on.  I kept trying to figure out how far I should ride before turning around, and Corwin seemed like as good a place as any.  But when I got there, I hadn't even been riding 2 hours or 30 miles (which would make 4 hours or 60 miles round-trip), so I kept going.

I ended up riding all the way to Xenia, 42 miles, and I was pooped.  But I still had to turn around and ride back!  Not sure why my body was so reluctant to move, or why it took me 5.5 hours to ride 84 miles (an average of just over 15 mph - yikes!), but I AM glad I got the workout done.

Brick!

Well, I "wasted" my morning and early afternoon reading an engrossing Dean Koontz book, but I finally headed out a little before 3:00 for what was supposed to be a 4-hour brick workout.  My schedule called for a 90-minute swim, a 60-minute bike, and a 90-minute run, most of which I accomplished.

In the pool, I did 2 x 2000 meters with a 1-minute water break in between.  2.5 miles overall in an hour-and-a-half, so I'm maybe I really can do my Ironman 2.4 in the same amount of time, or at least close to it.

After the swim, I drove down to the bike trail and started part two.  When I set out, my legs (quads in particular) felt heavy and tired, so I tried to just spin a low gear.  I rode 18.5 miles in just over an hour, which I was pleased with.

Then I changed clothes and started my run.  I was feeling pretty tired and a little hungry at that point, and I considered calling it quits, but I really wanted to do this key workout well.  I was losing daylight quickly, though, so I only ran for one hour instead of the hour-and-a-half on the plan.  When I started, my foot was hurting a little, so I stopped to stretch, which seemed to help.  Both knees were also hurting, so I switched from my 3-and-1 run/walk to a 2-and-1 instead.  I wasn't sure how far I went so I didn't know what my speed was till I got home and mapped it out, but I ended up with just under 5 miles in my one hour, which isn't bad at all!

All in all, I'm very proud of myself for getting this done today.  I feel good!  Until I think about the fact that I only did 26 miles today and I have to do 140 in a few weeks...  Yikes!  Hopefully I can keep my momentum and motivation to keep training hard for one more month.

Back At It

Yesterday, the day after my race, I was surprised to find that my foot actually felt better than normal, rather than worse.  I could actually walk normally, and the only soreness was in my quads and other leg muscles, but that's a much better kind of hurt.  Still, I figured a day of rest was in order.  Today, though, I was right back at it.  Even though my work shift ended early, I rested for a bit (and fell asleep on the couch), so I didn't get going as soon as I should have.  But I finally got it done: first a 20-mile ride on the trail, then a one-hour swim.  Here's what I did:

Warm-up
4 x 300  Swim/pull/kick/drill x 300

Main set
6 x 100  Free, play with various breathing frequencies/patterns
3 x 200  Free, same

Cool-down
1 x 200  Free, breathing drills
1 x 200  Easy

For the six 100s, I tried breathing every 4 then 5 strokes, every 3 then 4, every 3, and every 2 then 3.  My speed didn't really change much: I was pretty consistently doing each 100 in 1:52.  I did feel a little different, though.  The 4/5 breathing seemed a bit long, and the 2/3 pattern seemed like way too much.  I tried a few different things with the 200s as well, the last one focusing on stroke length rather than breathing.  Interestingly, that was the only one where my speed improved, and it was last so I was tired.  Something good to keep in mind, though.  Perhaps I should be working more on my distance per stroke and worrying less about "proper" breathing patterns.

Deer Creek Fall Challenge

Well, despite a very challenging drive up to the park yesterday (stopped on the highway for an hour, turned around and drove the wrong way up the shoulder back to the last exit...), we arrived at Deer Creek just in time for me to register for the race today.  As I was signing up, though, I started wondering what I was thinking since it was COLD!  Ah, well.  More mental training than anything, I reasoned, and a chance to experiment with layering in case Florida is chilly as well.

After that, we checked in at the lodge where we'd booked a room for the night.  The lodge was very rustic and cute, and the room was fine.  Not sure it was worth $140, but at least I was able to sleep in till 7:00 rather than having to get up at 4:00 a.m. if we'd stayed at home.  Plus, it was kind of fun getting away for the night with my super-supportive coach and Hubby. :-)

This morning, Derek dropped me off at the park to get set up in transition.  He did not, however, get out of the car or come wait with me because it was so cold!  Can't blame him there.  Fortunately, I wasn't there TOO early, so I didn't have to stand around as long as I often have to for these things.  Plus, I was prepared this time with a jacket, hat, and gloves.  Unfortunately, I had to shed those and get into my wetsuit before too long, and that was rough.  My feet went a bit numb as I waited on the beach, and I just wanted to get going.

The water was warmer than the air at that point - 65 degrees versus about 39 - but it didn't feel warm when we got in.  On the other hand, it didn't feel particularly cold either, so I tried to just settle in and swim.  Again, I got into a rhythm and steadied my breathing before too long, but again, try as I might, I couldn't make myself pee while I swam.  Trying to relax enough to do so really slows me down, too, so I'm thinking I should just stop worrying about it and plan to use the bathroom in T1 come IM day.

Getting out of the water wasn't as bad as I'd feared, and I sat down to put on my socks and shoes and base layer and bike jersey.  Out on the road, it was chilly, but not unbearably so, and I was pleased with the clothing choices I'd made.  It was, however, windy.  The three-lap bike course was mostly flat, as I'd remembered, but the extra out-and-back for the half folks had a few more hills.  That, along with a stretch of road with fresh loose gravel and the WIND made the bike take a little longer than I'd expected.  Still, I came very close to making my three-hour goal, and I was glad to be off the bike.

The run was better than I expected.  I was still slow, but my foot was barely hurting at all.  I was tired, especially after the challenging bike bit, but even though I didn't really want to keep running, I realized that I really had no reason not to.  And so I plodded along.  I utilized a 2-and-1 run/walk, and pretty much stuck to that throughout, except when I needed a little more time to eat.  I felt weak and hungry at a few points, so getting calories in became a priority whenever I had the chance.  On my way back on my first lap, I passed Russ, a guy I ran with a couple of years ago with Fleet Feet and who I met again on my century ride a few weeks ago.  He was actually part of the reason I decided to do this race, and I was encouraged that I wouldn't be the last person out there.  We slow folks have to stick together!  I passed him a couple more times on the run, which was nice, but I was just ready to be done at that point.  Derek drove past me as I was running back in on the second lap.  He even had my bike on the car and informed me that he'd packed up all my gear so I didn't have to worry about that when I got through.  How sweet. :-)

Anyway, my total time ended up being about 7:15 rather than the 7 hours I thought I would be close to achieving: 53 minutes for the swim, 3:05 for the bike, and just over 3 hours for the run, plus transitions.  I'm o.k. with that.  I've been hobbling around the rest of the day, just sore and stiff, but thankfully my foot doesn't feel too bad!  I feel much better than I did after Steelhead, but I AM a little worried about having to do TWICE that in Florida...  What was I thinking?!?