This morning's swim practice was a little tough. Not because it was necessarily a hard workout but because I just had a hard time with it. Don't feel fully recovered right today and struggled throughout. Odd because I felt fine yesterday. Have a run planned for after work and will keep it aerobic.

Swim Team 2850 @ 01:00:00

Did an aerobic run at Mercer Slough with Aimee after work today in the rain. Went well, except when I ran into a tree...ouch. I figure that because I have been running this route for a couple of years, I had no knowledge of a tree and ran like it. Aimee saw the the trunk was a little low on the trail and ducked...I was not used to there being one there. One resounding smack and it had me flat on my back. A little bit of walking it off later, I was fine. My neck does hurt a bit now though so I will continue to be aware of it.

Aerobic Run 6+ Miles @ 00:57:19
143a 166m

Had a great time riding the 7 Hills of Kirkland ride with Ruth and Dave. We did the 74 mile 11 hill version and had a terrific time! Ruth easily spun up the hills on her new bike (and just told me rather indignantly that she did not granny gear it). I did not try to keep up with her on the hills but instead just kept the pace steady choosing to save my energy for the next hill (and the next hill...). I can't wait to see the difference my new bike will make on my riding!

All in all, a quite wonderful way to spend Memorial Day.

74 Miles @ 05:11:10
124a 164m

What a beautiful day for a brick! Today's workout was 15 mile bike @ AT and 12 mile run. Got started kind of late because Ruth and I coordinated the workout to do it together and she had a lot of adjusting to do to her new bike first. Drove to and parked at Seward Park. Then we rode North on Lake Washington Blvd going up through Coleman Park and then up again to Madison. I turned around and headed back going back up through Coleman Park and finished the ride off with a lap around the top of Seward Park. Then transitioned in 4 minutes and ran around Seward Park and then up the blvd to the bus stop in Madrona and back. Was feeling pretty good through most but the last 1/2 hour and heat kicked my butt. I had a wild fantasy that I would do Last Mile Fast Mile but I ended up doing Last Mile Don't Pass Out Mile. Took a total of 3 hours and had a refreshing dip in Lake Washington at the end of it all.

Bike Ride (15+ Miles @ 00:57:28)
131a 158m 110e

Run (12+ Miles @ 01:59:01)
147a 158m 153e

So that's what 3000 feels like. I had completely forgotten! Reese, our favorite Friday swim coach had a terrific distance workout for us. I was wiped but made it through and am now quite grateful that I do not have to work out again for 24 hours! This last few weeks of training seemed so innocuous when my coach and I were hanging out last Sunday discussing it over breakfast. I was fooled. This is a time of pain and recovery....over and over...

Swim Practice 3000 @ 01:00:00
WU
400S, 100K
Main Set
4x100 on 1:45
2x500 (1st kick focus, 2nd no breath off walls)
4x25 Sprint on :30
1x1000 (1st 25 kick)

Went to Redmond Cycles again at lunch today and bought my new bike -- in the grey/red color. I am very excited and will be far less resentful when picking up Ruth's new bike from Gregg's Bellevue Cycle after work today. Mine will be ready next week and it probably is a good thing I need to wait as I will be happy to still have my triple and 650 wheels when doing the Seven Hills of Kirkland ride with Ruth and her new triple gearing on Monday.

Pretty good swim this AM. Of course, it started with a bunch of 25's...the kind of workout that makes me sigh rather dramatically. However, I did do a set of 8x50's on the 50 so that was good.

Swim 2700 @01:00:00

Bike filled afternoon. Left work at noon to go bike shopping at Redmond Cycles and did fall in love with an Orbea that stretches the top of my price range. Then spent a couple of hours at Greggs Bellevue Cycle trying to find a bike that would fit me there. Unfortunately, this adventure was completely unsuccessful for me but I did find a good bike for Ruth at a great deal. She bought the 2004 Trek 2100 tonight at Greggs :)

Today's Tempo Bike workout was hard but I feel great about it except for the hill I hit very slowly on the way back East. Did the long side of Mercer Island twice after warm up. Kept shifting throughout and worked on ascending, curves and descending on the few rollers there --averaged 17.7 after the warm up and tempo set. Very grateful that I just have to swim tomorrow morning.

Tempo Bike @ 25 miles @ 01:30:00
WU 00:11:24
107a 135m 119e
Main Tempo Set 01:08:40
149a 166m 128e
CD 00:12:56
117a 138m 117e

Today's brick workout was much harder than it looked. I went into it thinking "no problem, 10 miles on the bike and a 3 mile Interval run" -- I can do that half awake. Once again, hubris was flattened by a bit of a headwind on my way back from the bike, uncooperative legs and, oh yes -- sucking wind...

Bike 12 Miles @ 00:48:41
Parked at Leschi and went a bit North on Lake Washington before heading South. Took the hill up the I90 bridge and then to Seward where I looped around the hill there. Had a bit of a headwind back but still felt good.
128a 159m 120e

Interval Run 3.5 Miles @ 00:30:00
This hurt. This hurt everything. I never even did a half mile interval and had a hard time getting my heart rate up and down. I tried to go for 2 minutes hard, and then one minute recovery. On the way back, I could not HR back down below mid-130's so I walked that last @ 3/4 miles. HR during intervals was averaging about 158-160.

I think that part of it was that I ran too hard yesterday. I am grateful that I have 24 hours plus to recover before my tempo hilly ride tomorrow night :(

Gisela is back! Came to swim practice this morning and my best swimming friend Gisela is back, healed and ready to kick some butt. So the practice was much better just because she was there.
Have an 80% 5-6 Mile run planned for lunchtime.

Swim 2400 @ 00:55:00

Run 6 Miles @ 00:48:18 (8 minute mile pace on treadmill)
WU (00:04:09) @ 9 pace
108a 129m 129e
Main (00:44:03) @ 8 pace
155a 167m 164e
CD (00:03:36)
130a 164m 113e

Just got an email from the race organizer for the Victoria Half Ironman and I'm in!

Also, my coach came over this AM and we went through the game plan for the next next month. Rest day tomorrow followed by three weeks of pain....

Long run with Katie this morning. Breathing like Darth Vader about 20 minutes in and not feeling at my best for the run. But made it through fine -- she is my favorite person to run with even though she did take us on a very hilly route. Guestimate our route was 11 miles or so.

11 Mile Run @ 01:40:00
136a 155m

Ruth and I went for a terrific ride in Monroe with the Cascade Bicycle Club. It was >60 miles and the first half was pretty hilly (with a climb 2 miles in -- ouch). Unfortunately, the ride leader left the maps/cue sheets on the table and because she rode slower than we do, we had little direction. But we were super lucky because kept finding groups of people who knew where they were going. At one point, we were riding with this guy, who reminded me of a bicycling lounge lizard who really liked riding with the ladies :) unfortunately, that meant that he did a lot of speeding ahead and and then soft pedaling (down the middle of the road) when he could engage in conversation.

After lunch, we rode with my favorite ride leaders (Per and Shana Sunde) who were just attending this ride and stayed with us so we did not get lost.

Tomorrow my coach is coming over to go through my training for the next few weeks. Still on the waiting list for the New Balance 1/2 IM with no update despite emailing the organizer last week :( Either way, my life is about to get much harder....

62 Mile Bicycle Ride @ 04:00:00

Great swim! My favorite coach wrote us a good workout. Today is national Bike to Work day. Because of that, I rode my bike from swim practice at SU into work. Didn't check the mileage but I am pretty sure it was under 10 miles. Stopped twice at some of the Bike to Work stations to pick up swag for everyone who helped set up the breakfast here and in our Portland office.

Swim 2600 @ 00:55:00
WU
400S, 100K
Main Set
2x200 (S, IM)
400S (150 @ 60%, 50hard)
4x100 S (2:05, 1:55, 1:45, 1:35)
8x50 (12.5K, 32.5S)
600S (1st 25 of every 100 challenge breathing)

Bike to Work 10 Miles @ 00:45:00

Practice was okay once we got past the 25 set.

Swim 2650 @ 00:55:00

WU
400S, 100K
Main Set
4x25 (odd back, even free)
4x25 (2 cycles fast, 2 cycles slow)
4x50 (switch strokes every 4 cycles)
100 IM
4x25 Fast on :40
400 Pull
3x300 Swim
4x25 (odd back, even free)
4x25 (2 cycles fast, 2 cycles slow)
CD
50 Kick

Bike (01:15:00)
Road home from work. Ruth biked to my work, picked up my car and I biked home. Rained throughout. Did push it when I could but overall it was not too difficult.

127a 163m

Interval run at Greenlake Track today in the rain with Ruth and Katie. 10 seconds slower than my last interval run a few weeks ago. Katie pushed me at the last interval but it sure was hard. Just looked at my last Interval workout and realized I ran an extra one today. My last intervals were 7:22, 7:18 and 7:17.

Interval Run @ 7 Miles Total (4x1 mile)

WU @ 00:21:36
131a 148m 129e
Interval 1 @ 00:07:27
160a 168m 167e
Interval 2 @ 00:07:38
161a 168m 167e
Interval 3 @ 00:07:25
162a 169m 169e
Interval 4 @ 00:07:24
166a 176m 176e

Got in an okay swim this morning. Coach did not show up so Sarah wrote us a workout.

Swim Practice 01:00:00

WU
400 S, 100 K
Main Set
4x75 S, K, S (2 and 4 non-free)
4x50 Descend
4x100 Free @ 1:45
4x25 Sprint @ 1:00
4x100 Free @ 1:45
4x25 Sprint @ 1:00
2x200 Free
2x25 Sprint @ 01:00
CD
50 Back

Good run at lunch -- did my usual loop! No coughing at all.

6 Mile Aerobic Run @ 00:51:09
149A 163M

Hawaii Picture