Not much to report this week except I am the proud parent of a HIGH SCHOOLER! Recovering from my PR at last week's race. I guess No News is GOOD NEWS right? This week on Monday, I attended a "Recovery Ride" led by pro cyclist Eric Marcotte who is also a chiropractor and focuses on helping athletes with wellness and prevention. He rode along my side and helped me work on techniques to help rid the muscles of waste products and drills to work on technique and cadence. It is just a shift in mindset to give up my day off for an active recovery. It is hard to judge the effectiveness of this method after working hard at a race vs. a regular training weekend as it still seemed to take a few days to recover and then this weekend was a bit of a struggle with fatigue and heat. The good news is I know I am due for a good weekend when I have a bad weekend, so hopefully the good weekend will occur next Saturday during my long course race, Deuces Wild in Showlow, AZ.
This weekend our local triathlon store held a ride to raise funding for ALS research which brought out a few riders from a number of triathlon and cycling clubs to raise money for this disease in memory of one of our local pro triathlete's mother. It is always nice to see the cycling/triathlon community come together to support a cause. It is great to take what you love to do, share it with others, and do something good by just pedaling. The course was perfect training for Deuces with a lot of climbing too.
This morning I went out for my long run for 2 hours and just went my standard turtle pace, slow and steady practicing nutrition along the way and hoping that I can put my body in auto pilot next week after swimming and biking and go 13.1 miles.
This week I attended a talk about heart concerns among Endurance Athletes. We had a panel of doctors and athletes that had various cardiac issues and discussion about if we should be concerned about long distance having a negative impact on our heart and if there are any special testing that we should undergo. Despite the recent press about the deaths that have occurred during Ironman Swim and the changes IM is proposing to make it safer, the consensus of the panel was that no additional testing was recommended in addition to routine physicals unless you are symptomatic or have a strong family history. It is great to have these opportunities to learn more about various triathlon lifestyle topics as science is always changing. For every study showing one correlation, there is a one with the opposite conclusion. You can make yourself crazy trying to find the correct method of training, nutrition and equipment of the times or you can just filter through all the information and find what works for you.
This week I will find balance and rest in preparation of Saturday's race. It is a building week and the race is for training to prepare for Vineman 70.3. I have also been researching opportunities in California while I am there and found another club to train with called Forward Motion Racing Club. I have received messages from several members giving me information about workouts and events happening in the area and they have 30 athletes going to Vineman. There are several events to choose from while we will be in town. One can never have enough TRIATHLETE friends in their life. I love being around the people, the lifestyle and bonding through sport, training and accomplishments. As I have said before, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE. I am thankful for every day I can swim another lap, pedal another stroke, and run another mile. May we all live long and prosperous and be able to tri for the duration! (Just saw Star Trek today, so I had to throw that in there).
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
FINALLY A PR!
Tempe International Triathlon May 19, 2013
Personal Record. Sometimes it is hard to compare 2 races to determine if you truly earned your personal best because distances and course design vary, but today I finally made my first sub 3 hour Olympic Race at Tempe Town Lake and posted my fastest time at an Olympic Distance Event 2:54:36 (unofficial). I will take it! When I arrived at the venue, I questioned how I even ended up at Tempe Town Lake again when I vow at each race at this venu will be my last. And especially when the heat is turned up and it is rare that these races start on time and today the race was delayed almost an hour which is not good when you start in the old lady group (one of the last groups). My group started around 8 am and the water temperature was barely wetsuit legal, but if you are to be competitive, you put your suit on to be like everyone else (besides I am consistently a few minutes faster with it on). I love playing the game, "pass the caps" where I see how many color waves I can pass. If they are going to make me start in one of the last waves, I am going to see how many age groups I can catch up to....green, yellow, red! The lead I gain in the swim does not last for long because I slowly get passed back up on the bike. The time gained was on my strongest event, the swim. I have been doing group swim workouts on Wednesdays which are like crossfit in the water, open water swims on Fridays, and a set of 4 lessons with Frank Sole, owner of Sole Swim Solutions. He seems to be helping me unlock some potential energy in the water! The time I gained in the water today, I probably lost trying to pull my wetsuit off. One area where I still feel so clutsy is the transition. 48 year old fingers and eyes don't work as good as they used to and a lot of fumbling goes on., Needless to say, I am happy to get my fins back and where I really need some speed is on the run. If I was equally strong in all 3 events, I would cut a significant number of minutes off my time. Today, I am happy to have finished a run in the heat at Tempe Town Lake without cramping. I was very conscientious about my nutrition and fluids today taking enough calories, salt, electrolytes and water over the head and sponges against my skin. I also have learned to hold back and find a steady pace where my body can sustain the work, but it is at the sacrifice of speed. I have thrown away my heart rate monitor for a while and I have been just listening to my body. It is liberating thing for me and I am more focused on using technique and strategy to sustain my workload. My bicyclologist, Jeff Lockwood has spent time working on Energy Management with me. I have a lot of words in my head and there is always something to think about. So maybe every 10 strokes in the water or on the bike, I go back to my technique. I want to go back to being in "Lala Land" when I TRI, but I go in and out of my own little world. It is great when you reach the point past where it feels hard to where you are on auto pilot where something that seems bigger than you takes over your body. Thus, 3 hours is just enough to get you started. And that my friends is why we go longer.
Sometimes we don't know what we are capable of, but slowly we chip away at our own outer turtle shell and create a piece of art within ourselves. Today gave me hope that there is still a lot of room for improvement and the great part is this is a sport that you can grow in at any age. Triathlon is a FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH! I would like to improve my time in a half IM distance race next. Now I know a sub 6 hour race is possible for me and something to strive for. I will have 2 chances coming up. I would have to shave off 20-30 minutes, so I will keep chipping away.
Satisfied, Happy Turtle!
Personal Record. Sometimes it is hard to compare 2 races to determine if you truly earned your personal best because distances and course design vary, but today I finally made my first sub 3 hour Olympic Race at Tempe Town Lake and posted my fastest time at an Olympic Distance Event 2:54:36 (unofficial). I will take it! When I arrived at the venue, I questioned how I even ended up at Tempe Town Lake again when I vow at each race at this venu will be my last. And especially when the heat is turned up and it is rare that these races start on time and today the race was delayed almost an hour which is not good when you start in the old lady group (one of the last groups). My group started around 8 am and the water temperature was barely wetsuit legal, but if you are to be competitive, you put your suit on to be like everyone else (besides I am consistently a few minutes faster with it on). I love playing the game, "pass the caps" where I see how many color waves I can pass. If they are going to make me start in one of the last waves, I am going to see how many age groups I can catch up to....green, yellow, red! The lead I gain in the swim does not last for long because I slowly get passed back up on the bike. The time gained was on my strongest event, the swim. I have been doing group swim workouts on Wednesdays which are like crossfit in the water, open water swims on Fridays, and a set of 4 lessons with Frank Sole, owner of Sole Swim Solutions. He seems to be helping me unlock some potential energy in the water! The time I gained in the water today, I probably lost trying to pull my wetsuit off. One area where I still feel so clutsy is the transition. 48 year old fingers and eyes don't work as good as they used to and a lot of fumbling goes on., Needless to say, I am happy to get my fins back and where I really need some speed is on the run. If I was equally strong in all 3 events, I would cut a significant number of minutes off my time. Today, I am happy to have finished a run in the heat at Tempe Town Lake without cramping. I was very conscientious about my nutrition and fluids today taking enough calories, salt, electrolytes and water over the head and sponges against my skin. I also have learned to hold back and find a steady pace where my body can sustain the work, but it is at the sacrifice of speed. I have thrown away my heart rate monitor for a while and I have been just listening to my body. It is liberating thing for me and I am more focused on using technique and strategy to sustain my workload. My bicyclologist, Jeff Lockwood has spent time working on Energy Management with me. I have a lot of words in my head and there is always something to think about. So maybe every 10 strokes in the water or on the bike, I go back to my technique. I want to go back to being in "Lala Land" when I TRI, but I go in and out of my own little world. It is great when you reach the point past where it feels hard to where you are on auto pilot where something that seems bigger than you takes over your body. Thus, 3 hours is just enough to get you started. And that my friends is why we go longer.
Sometimes we don't know what we are capable of, but slowly we chip away at our own outer turtle shell and create a piece of art within ourselves. Today gave me hope that there is still a lot of room for improvement and the great part is this is a sport that you can grow in at any age. Triathlon is a FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH! I would like to improve my time in a half IM distance race next. Now I know a sub 6 hour race is possible for me and something to strive for. I will have 2 chances coming up. I would have to shave off 20-30 minutes, so I will keep chipping away.
Satisfied, Happy Turtle!
Monday, May 13, 2013
EXTRA EXTRA Read all about it...Weekly Triathlon Tribune: Turtle Trilights
This week was full of miles and smiles along with a lot of time to think! So I thought I would do a short newspaper style entry this week.
IRONMAN INTRODUCES SWIMSMART INITIATIVE IN NORTH AMERICA:
Ironman pilots alternative swim starts and other enhancements to swim course at select North America events.
This announcement stirred up quite a reaction in the triathlon community. Several friends posted this article on facebook this week with very passionate discussions and debate amongst fellow triathletes. Many die hard and top notch triathletes feel very strongly about protecting the history of the event which includes a mass swim start where 2500 athletes start in the water together while many middle of the packers are concerned about safety and making the swim more a more pleasant experience. Some people feel that Ironman has become too readily available or achievable and feel threatened about the average person being able to complete the challenging course to earn the title of Ironman crossing the finish line in under 17 hours. They seem to feel that what once used to be an amazing feat is now as common as marathons have become and that by modifying the rules, it becomes accessible to more people. Other folks feel like the mass start and the rules from the original race is what makes the race challenging and weeds out the Iron Man from the Common Man. Times have changed and the original race has grown from 12 competitors to over 2500. Safety and liability are issues of the new Ironman generation. The average age groupers bring in the cash flow to pay for the pro prize purses and cover the cost of putting on these incredible events that require road closures, city permits, police support, liability insurance, race gear, signage and printed materails, awards, t-shirts, etc. and so on. Though a small group of elite athletes would like to maintain the integrity of the challenge and the rights to earn the title, it is great to see many people inspired by other triathletes to overcome personal challenges, to set goals that seem a bit out of reach, put together a plan, work really really hard and learn about themselves and what the human body and spirit are capable of. Since many more people are being inspired to sign up for such events, I think we should embrace, encourage and support them in their efforts. I also think it is necessary to evaluate the safety of the sport when allowing 2500 athletes on a course that has to be condensed to a small area to make the race logistics work. For me, I fully support the pilot program to make the sport safe for everyone. It was just interesting to hear the reaction to this announcement as I have been concerned about the mass start and wondering what it was going to take for change to happen. It personally did not enhance my Ironman experience, but for others it is an important part of the experience. For a moment I felt like I was amongst hockey parents again who do not recognize the medical research and new recommendations for concussion prevention in hockey with reactions saying "toughen up, if you can't take it, don't play" when there are kids out there with permanent brain damage and even death that return to sport too soon after a concussion. There is also research on professional football players now on the long term effects on repeated concussions and we have seen how this plays out with dangerous behaviors, poor judgement, Parkinson's symptoms and even suicide. I think as long as we are willing to pay to participate in Ironman Events, we should respect their efforts to making the sport safer for everyone. That is my opinion on the matter. I also think IM listens, so instead of whining, share how you feel with IM, but be willing to try out the pilot program. If it prevents injury or death of even 1 person, it is worth waiting a few more seconds to start your day at IM.
S3: Sole Swim Solutions:
Frank Sole coaches ONE swim workouts on Wednesdays at the Village. He owns a swim studio and also trains all levels of athletes. I think this S3 stands for Satanic Swim Solutions. And further more if you mention that the workout was hard, the coaches take that as a challenge to prove to you that there is always something harder waiting around the corner. So I have learned to keep the comments to myself (and hopefully he does not read my blog!).
THE THREE SISTERS:
Met up with a few ONE riders and headed for the hills. There are 3 steep hills to ride at the end of Via Linda known as the 3 sisters. I had heard about them but had yet to conquer. I have been up the common hill in the middle which I thought was hard, but little do I know, my friends saved the Queen of All Hills For Last. Watch Who You Follow or you might end up getting stronger!
THE LONG RIDE:
This week, I had to complete a 70 mile long ride in preparation for my upcoming Long Courses. I was on my own this week due to racing schedule this past weekend. My legs seem to be catching onto a little higher cadence on the uphills. I enjoyed one of my favorite loops through the town of Cave Creek ( a little western town) and then the climb past the Towers. I made this climb 2 times to prepare myself for the 10 mile climb on the Deuceman Course. I had intended to do a brick, but I was on empty when I returned home as it is heating up in AZ.
TESTING, TESTING....OPEN WATER SWIM at CANYON LAKE
On Saturday, I completed my brick workout by doing a short run before heading to Canyon Lake. I decided to enter an OWS event to practice swimming for a time and with more people in the lake. I had signed up for the 2000 meter open swim because I thought I had a better chance getting an age group award then being in the top 3 in the master's category. I had no specific time goal, but just wanted to work on improving my comfort and speed in the water while surrounded by other triathletes. I wanted to get my "swim" back. Before I started getting serious about triathlons, I felt very comfortable and smooth in the water when I first started open water swimming and then I started training with a group with coaching and training for IM and my swim seemed to fall apart. I was swimming more frequently, harder and longer distance along with trying to change my technique. Before Ironman, I developed shoulder pain that I just had to manage to make it to the IM start. My times slowed during the year, but I pulled off a decent IM swim of 1:12. I took some time off to try and let me shoulder heal after IM. I seemed to have an impingement syndrome and I had different people evaluate it. A PT gave me one helpful exercise to help get the glide back and manage the problem and I have been working with a new coach who has identified some different areas that I needed to work on. I have kept my workouts shorter, less frequent and focused on arm and body position. My weekly group workout is challenging and helping with conditioning. So the outcome of this swim was positive with a time of 36:32. Unfortunately I misunderstood about there being age group awards and I had finished 6th in the Women's Open, but they were not giving out age group awards so I left without a medal :( after being excited about my results. I would have finished 2nd in Women's Masters.....so next time I will take my chances and stick with the OLD LADIES!
I am reading the book SWIM SPEED SECRETS by Shirley Taormina. She was an Olympic Medalist and only 5'2 so I am excited to learn her secrets! Really in swimming size does not matter if you know the secret.
DAYDREAMER: How to Occupy the Mind on a 15 mile Run
Here we go again. A long run on very tired legs to prepare for the half ironman distance. What do you think about when you are just out there running for several hours. It is a dreamlike state where your mind travels to many places and when you wake, you forget most of where you have been. Here are some of the thoughts I remember:
1. I am going to sip water at every traffic light (no garmin, so I though I would try drinking at every light)
2. Plan an incentive plan for my son to work hard and get good grades in high school
3. Happy Mother's Day to Me!!!!!
4. What races am I going to do next.
5. Why am I so slow?
6. Maybe you just get slower with age.
7. What races am I going to do next.
8. Oh, I just want to be done.
9. How many weeks until Vineman? Try to do math while running, I dare you!
10.. Should I stop to go to the bathroom, should I stop? Don't stop. Mind over matter. Keep going.
What do you think about on your long run? All and all a good week on triathlon front. This week will be the beginning of the next phase so more rest and will end up with the Tempe International Triathlon where I will try to redeem myself for the flat at the last race and see what time I can post hopefully without any technical problems.
Don't forget to recycle your newspaper after you are done reading! Have a great newsworthy week tri peeps!
IRONMAN INTRODUCES SWIMSMART INITIATIVE IN NORTH AMERICA:
Ironman pilots alternative swim starts and other enhancements to swim course at select North America events.
This announcement stirred up quite a reaction in the triathlon community. Several friends posted this article on facebook this week with very passionate discussions and debate amongst fellow triathletes. Many die hard and top notch triathletes feel very strongly about protecting the history of the event which includes a mass swim start where 2500 athletes start in the water together while many middle of the packers are concerned about safety and making the swim more a more pleasant experience. Some people feel that Ironman has become too readily available or achievable and feel threatened about the average person being able to complete the challenging course to earn the title of Ironman crossing the finish line in under 17 hours. They seem to feel that what once used to be an amazing feat is now as common as marathons have become and that by modifying the rules, it becomes accessible to more people. Other folks feel like the mass start and the rules from the original race is what makes the race challenging and weeds out the Iron Man from the Common Man. Times have changed and the original race has grown from 12 competitors to over 2500. Safety and liability are issues of the new Ironman generation. The average age groupers bring in the cash flow to pay for the pro prize purses and cover the cost of putting on these incredible events that require road closures, city permits, police support, liability insurance, race gear, signage and printed materails, awards, t-shirts, etc. and so on. Though a small group of elite athletes would like to maintain the integrity of the challenge and the rights to earn the title, it is great to see many people inspired by other triathletes to overcome personal challenges, to set goals that seem a bit out of reach, put together a plan, work really really hard and learn about themselves and what the human body and spirit are capable of. Since many more people are being inspired to sign up for such events, I think we should embrace, encourage and support them in their efforts. I also think it is necessary to evaluate the safety of the sport when allowing 2500 athletes on a course that has to be condensed to a small area to make the race logistics work. For me, I fully support the pilot program to make the sport safe for everyone. It was just interesting to hear the reaction to this announcement as I have been concerned about the mass start and wondering what it was going to take for change to happen. It personally did not enhance my Ironman experience, but for others it is an important part of the experience. For a moment I felt like I was amongst hockey parents again who do not recognize the medical research and new recommendations for concussion prevention in hockey with reactions saying "toughen up, if you can't take it, don't play" when there are kids out there with permanent brain damage and even death that return to sport too soon after a concussion. There is also research on professional football players now on the long term effects on repeated concussions and we have seen how this plays out with dangerous behaviors, poor judgement, Parkinson's symptoms and even suicide. I think as long as we are willing to pay to participate in Ironman Events, we should respect their efforts to making the sport safer for everyone. That is my opinion on the matter. I also think IM listens, so instead of whining, share how you feel with IM, but be willing to try out the pilot program. If it prevents injury or death of even 1 person, it is worth waiting a few more seconds to start your day at IM.
S3: Sole Swim Solutions:
Frank Sole coaches ONE swim workouts on Wednesdays at the Village. He owns a swim studio and also trains all levels of athletes. I think this S3 stands for Satanic Swim Solutions. And further more if you mention that the workout was hard, the coaches take that as a challenge to prove to you that there is always something harder waiting around the corner. So I have learned to keep the comments to myself (and hopefully he does not read my blog!).
THE THREE SISTERS:
Met up with a few ONE riders and headed for the hills. There are 3 steep hills to ride at the end of Via Linda known as the 3 sisters. I had heard about them but had yet to conquer. I have been up the common hill in the middle which I thought was hard, but little do I know, my friends saved the Queen of All Hills For Last. Watch Who You Follow or you might end up getting stronger!
THE LONG RIDE:
This week, I had to complete a 70 mile long ride in preparation for my upcoming Long Courses. I was on my own this week due to racing schedule this past weekend. My legs seem to be catching onto a little higher cadence on the uphills. I enjoyed one of my favorite loops through the town of Cave Creek ( a little western town) and then the climb past the Towers. I made this climb 2 times to prepare myself for the 10 mile climb on the Deuceman Course. I had intended to do a brick, but I was on empty when I returned home as it is heating up in AZ.
TESTING, TESTING....OPEN WATER SWIM at CANYON LAKE
On Saturday, I completed my brick workout by doing a short run before heading to Canyon Lake. I decided to enter an OWS event to practice swimming for a time and with more people in the lake. I had signed up for the 2000 meter open swim because I thought I had a better chance getting an age group award then being in the top 3 in the master's category. I had no specific time goal, but just wanted to work on improving my comfort and speed in the water while surrounded by other triathletes. I wanted to get my "swim" back. Before I started getting serious about triathlons, I felt very comfortable and smooth in the water when I first started open water swimming and then I started training with a group with coaching and training for IM and my swim seemed to fall apart. I was swimming more frequently, harder and longer distance along with trying to change my technique. Before Ironman, I developed shoulder pain that I just had to manage to make it to the IM start. My times slowed during the year, but I pulled off a decent IM swim of 1:12. I took some time off to try and let me shoulder heal after IM. I seemed to have an impingement syndrome and I had different people evaluate it. A PT gave me one helpful exercise to help get the glide back and manage the problem and I have been working with a new coach who has identified some different areas that I needed to work on. I have kept my workouts shorter, less frequent and focused on arm and body position. My weekly group workout is challenging and helping with conditioning. So the outcome of this swim was positive with a time of 36:32. Unfortunately I misunderstood about there being age group awards and I had finished 6th in the Women's Open, but they were not giving out age group awards so I left without a medal :( after being excited about my results. I would have finished 2nd in Women's Masters.....so next time I will take my chances and stick with the OLD LADIES!
I am reading the book SWIM SPEED SECRETS by Shirley Taormina. She was an Olympic Medalist and only 5'2 so I am excited to learn her secrets! Really in swimming size does not matter if you know the secret.
DAYDREAMER: How to Occupy the Mind on a 15 mile Run
Here we go again. A long run on very tired legs to prepare for the half ironman distance. What do you think about when you are just out there running for several hours. It is a dreamlike state where your mind travels to many places and when you wake, you forget most of where you have been. Here are some of the thoughts I remember:
1. I am going to sip water at every traffic light (no garmin, so I though I would try drinking at every light)
2. Plan an incentive plan for my son to work hard and get good grades in high school
3. Happy Mother's Day to Me!!!!!
4. What races am I going to do next.
5. Why am I so slow?
6. Maybe you just get slower with age.
7. What races am I going to do next.
8. Oh, I just want to be done.
9. How many weeks until Vineman? Try to do math while running, I dare you!
10.. Should I stop to go to the bathroom, should I stop? Don't stop. Mind over matter. Keep going.
What do you think about on your long run? All and all a good week on triathlon front. This week will be the beginning of the next phase so more rest and will end up with the Tempe International Triathlon where I will try to redeem myself for the flat at the last race and see what time I can post hopefully without any technical problems.
Don't forget to recycle your newspaper after you are done reading! Have a great newsworthy week tri peeps!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
For Every Up Hill, There is a Down!
A solid week in triathlon training to report with a good ending. The lesson that I was reminded of this weekend racing and training in Prescott, AZ for every up hill, there is a down hill. For every struggle, there is a reprieve. Life is just like that. So after a hard long ride last weekend, my body came back stronger this week. I am still trying to find more ups then downs or a way to make the downs less steep. The more hills you climb, the stronger you get, both mentally and physically.
This week included 3 swims (1 pool workout to practice technique, 1 tough group workout in the pool, and 1 open water swim in choppy waters), 3 bike workouts (1 hill workout, 1 easy, and 1 very hard medium distance) and 3 runs (6 mile, 3 mile, and Whiskey Row Half Marathon). The weekend portion was challenging and I am left with very sore muscles, but a big confidence boost.
My friend Alveratta and I went up to Prescott for some altitude training. We ran the 35th Annual Whiskey Row Half Marathon which is probably one of the hardest courses in Arizona. For the first 2 miles the streets were lined with bumper to bumper runners and I found it a little hard to breathe as we slowly climbed the first gradual hill and then I reached a steady state when we turned into a neighborhood with several challenging rollers. Every time you made it to the top of one peak, another steep section was waiting for you, teasing you that it would level off only to round a bend for more punishment. The course climbs 1000 feet to 6200 ft at the turn around and then it is all down hill (minus a few short steep climbs). The thought of what would happen at the turn around was motivating because there was a reward waiting for you.....a 6.5 mile downhill. People were going all out on the downs, but I knew I had to show some restraint because there were a few steep rollers waiting right where we left them on this out and back course. I averaged between an 11 and 12 minute mile on the way UP and a 10 minute mile on the way DOWN. Yes, I did a NEGATIVE SPLIT! I was estimating about a 2:30 half on this course and finished in 2:22 (a little bit faster than my Ironman Marathon Pace). I find it fascinating that I move around the same pace no matter what distance I go. There is for sure room for improvement in my speed, but I am hoping that I am heading in the right direction. My body just does not seem to have the fast gear anymore. (my fast used to be between 8:30 5K, 9:00 10K to 10 minute marathon pace). I am most definitely in the back of the pack in running these days, though steady as can be. I cannot go any slower unless I walk (And that is just a bad thing mentally for me to do). I was annoyed by the people who were walking up the hills and passing me sprinting down the hills, especially this women who was in her 70s I would say...she would speedwalk up and then she would scream her head off while sprinting down. I was just trying to enjoy the serenity in the pines and I finally dropped her after the first half, but I was happy she was so strong for her age and hoped I would be out there when I am in my 70s and beyond.....I just wish she would have saved her enthusiasm for her solo runs. My legs did start to fatigue on the last mile but I was able push through the shortening that was happening in my muscles. My friend Al finished strong about 5 minutes ahead and me and we enjoyed some post race refreshments, a snooze on the grass, and lunch. The race motto was "ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH" and the question was answered at the finish and on our shirts....YES, WE ARE TOUGH ENOUGH! They had a few signs on the course that were so funny right before the hills, like "WHAT THE HILL IS THAT". The runners and volunteers were fun and I enjoyed the section that was on a forest road in the pines and took the time to take it all in. Our friend Cory was there who is running the 50 in 50 (50 marathons in 50 states) just doing an easy run between marathons. He is going to write a book called......"Just Another Long Run". I feel privileged to have taken a few steps with him at the start I spent the rest of the day hanging out at my parent's house recovering. The true test would come the following day.
We set out to do a 2+ hour bike ride and I had a course in mind that takes you from downtown Prescott on Highway 89 over a mountain pass to the town of Wilhoit. I have done this ride about 6 times (including 3 Skull Valley Loops). Today was my best climb back up 89 from Wilhoit even on tired running muscles. I remembered the first few times a did this ride with my old steel bike with my 650 wheels. I have felt pain on this ride and suffering, but today was different. I was practicing what Jeff, my bicyclologist taught me during my last lesson where we worked on hills and trying to incorporate his teachings into my pedaling and shifting. My legs did not burn on one hill and what looked and felt so steep in the past, did not feel so bad. It still looked scary when you saw what was ahead, but when your wheel met the hill, it did not feel so hard. Slow and steady I went up the 3 climbs. When you ride the Skull Valley Loop, you have already gone 40 miles before you get to this part, but today was out and back, so I had only gone 14.5 miles before we had to turn around and climb back out (although I think the half marathon from the day before might count as the 40 miles of riding time). The SCOTT FOIL had been berry berry good to me and learning to ride with better form and shifting has got to be helping. Or just maybe it was my day! The UP after the DOWN or is it the DOWN after the UP. My motto today when we saw our sag vehicle (Al's husband...thanks John).....was "FOR EVERY UP, THERE IS A DOWN" as I chugged on by. When we reached the summit at 6100 feet, my work was done and I got to enjoy 5 miles of fast downhill through the scrumptious pine trees. Did I mention, I love pine trees.
Everything was aligned and that is a good way to end a weekend because that is where our mind travels to a place where it believes we believe the message it is sending.....I THINK I CAN. I am feeling better about my upcoming Deuceman Race (half IM distance) on June 1 where altitude will be a factor. ALTITUDE AND HILLS WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER......But as my friend Cory pointed out, all you have to do is change one letter and it turns into ATTITUDE which maybe is what really makes you stronger.
Did I mention that I am very sore now.....so perhaps tomorrow is a good day to try out the RECOVERY RIDE that ONE is fortunate to have on our schedule with one of the top AZ cyclists leading on Monday mornings. It is worth a try at least ONEce. My new club ONE has me going on puns with the word ONE in it. So bare with me. Remember for every uphill, there will always be a down. Never stop on a hill for you will miss the greatest reward, the exhilaration on the way down!
This week included 3 swims (1 pool workout to practice technique, 1 tough group workout in the pool, and 1 open water swim in choppy waters), 3 bike workouts (1 hill workout, 1 easy, and 1 very hard medium distance) and 3 runs (6 mile, 3 mile, and Whiskey Row Half Marathon). The weekend portion was challenging and I am left with very sore muscles, but a big confidence boost.
My friend Alveratta and I went up to Prescott for some altitude training. We ran the 35th Annual Whiskey Row Half Marathon which is probably one of the hardest courses in Arizona. For the first 2 miles the streets were lined with bumper to bumper runners and I found it a little hard to breathe as we slowly climbed the first gradual hill and then I reached a steady state when we turned into a neighborhood with several challenging rollers. Every time you made it to the top of one peak, another steep section was waiting for you, teasing you that it would level off only to round a bend for more punishment. The course climbs 1000 feet to 6200 ft at the turn around and then it is all down hill (minus a few short steep climbs). The thought of what would happen at the turn around was motivating because there was a reward waiting for you.....a 6.5 mile downhill. People were going all out on the downs, but I knew I had to show some restraint because there were a few steep rollers waiting right where we left them on this out and back course. I averaged between an 11 and 12 minute mile on the way UP and a 10 minute mile on the way DOWN. Yes, I did a NEGATIVE SPLIT! I was estimating about a 2:30 half on this course and finished in 2:22 (a little bit faster than my Ironman Marathon Pace). I find it fascinating that I move around the same pace no matter what distance I go. There is for sure room for improvement in my speed, but I am hoping that I am heading in the right direction. My body just does not seem to have the fast gear anymore. (my fast used to be between 8:30 5K, 9:00 10K to 10 minute marathon pace). I am most definitely in the back of the pack in running these days, though steady as can be. I cannot go any slower unless I walk (And that is just a bad thing mentally for me to do). I was annoyed by the people who were walking up the hills and passing me sprinting down the hills, especially this women who was in her 70s I would say...she would speedwalk up and then she would scream her head off while sprinting down. I was just trying to enjoy the serenity in the pines and I finally dropped her after the first half, but I was happy she was so strong for her age and hoped I would be out there when I am in my 70s and beyond.....I just wish she would have saved her enthusiasm for her solo runs. My legs did start to fatigue on the last mile but I was able push through the shortening that was happening in my muscles. My friend Al finished strong about 5 minutes ahead and me and we enjoyed some post race refreshments, a snooze on the grass, and lunch. The race motto was "ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH" and the question was answered at the finish and on our shirts....YES, WE ARE TOUGH ENOUGH! They had a few signs on the course that were so funny right before the hills, like "WHAT THE HILL IS THAT". The runners and volunteers were fun and I enjoyed the section that was on a forest road in the pines and took the time to take it all in. Our friend Cory was there who is running the 50 in 50 (50 marathons in 50 states) just doing an easy run between marathons. He is going to write a book called......"Just Another Long Run". I feel privileged to have taken a few steps with him at the start I spent the rest of the day hanging out at my parent's house recovering. The true test would come the following day.
We set out to do a 2+ hour bike ride and I had a course in mind that takes you from downtown Prescott on Highway 89 over a mountain pass to the town of Wilhoit. I have done this ride about 6 times (including 3 Skull Valley Loops). Today was my best climb back up 89 from Wilhoit even on tired running muscles. I remembered the first few times a did this ride with my old steel bike with my 650 wheels. I have felt pain on this ride and suffering, but today was different. I was practicing what Jeff, my bicyclologist taught me during my last lesson where we worked on hills and trying to incorporate his teachings into my pedaling and shifting. My legs did not burn on one hill and what looked and felt so steep in the past, did not feel so bad. It still looked scary when you saw what was ahead, but when your wheel met the hill, it did not feel so hard. Slow and steady I went up the 3 climbs. When you ride the Skull Valley Loop, you have already gone 40 miles before you get to this part, but today was out and back, so I had only gone 14.5 miles before we had to turn around and climb back out (although I think the half marathon from the day before might count as the 40 miles of riding time). The SCOTT FOIL had been berry berry good to me and learning to ride with better form and shifting has got to be helping. Or just maybe it was my day! The UP after the DOWN or is it the DOWN after the UP. My motto today when we saw our sag vehicle (Al's husband...thanks John).....was "FOR EVERY UP, THERE IS A DOWN" as I chugged on by. When we reached the summit at 6100 feet, my work was done and I got to enjoy 5 miles of fast downhill through the scrumptious pine trees. Did I mention, I love pine trees.
Everything was aligned and that is a good way to end a weekend because that is where our mind travels to a place where it believes we believe the message it is sending.....I THINK I CAN. I am feeling better about my upcoming Deuceman Race (half IM distance) on June 1 where altitude will be a factor. ALTITUDE AND HILLS WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER......But as my friend Cory pointed out, all you have to do is change one letter and it turns into ATTITUDE which maybe is what really makes you stronger.
Did I mention that I am very sore now.....so perhaps tomorrow is a good day to try out the RECOVERY RIDE that ONE is fortunate to have on our schedule with one of the top AZ cyclists leading on Monday mornings. It is worth a try at least ONEce. My new club ONE has me going on puns with the word ONE in it. So bare with me. Remember for every uphill, there will always be a down. Never stop on a hill for you will miss the greatest reward, the exhilaration on the way down!
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