Got up at 5 to get in my tempo run to beat the heat, and to make it in on time for core class. I ran down to Greenlake and then ran the outer loop at a tempo pace (keeping my HR in the high 140's to low 150's). It was a good run, still not super fast but I need to accept that is in alignment with my goal. I did have to hold my breath a lot to keep from inhaling bugs...

5.5 Mile Tempo Run @ 00:48:00
3.2 Tempo Pace @ 00:25:25

Core class was fine -- Natalie taught and I hoped that since I saw her out on Pride weekend that she might have a bit of mercy on us. Not a chance...

Core Class @ 00:30:00

Speaking of no mercy...I meet with Jerome today at 12:30 for a weight training assessment. More on that later.
____________________________

My meeting with Jerome was not too bad...yet. He was polite enough to not give me a hard time about my lack of flexibility but there were a couple of "really? that's it?". Unlike Tija who asked why I was not sitting right next to her in yoga class on Tuesday mornings. We did some flexibility and strength. The good news is that I could do 47 crunches and leg press 550 pounds. The bad news is that my hamstring flexibility is 50% on my right and 45% on my left (that was were the Really?'s came in). I got in a upper body weight session after my assessment.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00

I called Gisela yesterday to see if she would be up for a swim tomorrow morning. She was :) Swam from the beach to the far buoy and back. Beautiful morning for a swim! Caught a bit of the parade and then headed home to make dinner for my aunt and other visiting relatives.

2000 Swim @ 00:45:00

Happy Pride!

This morning, Katie and I ran on the trails in St. Edwards Park. We just looped around and took turns leading. I had 9 miles on my schedule but since neither of us know any distances around there, we just ran for an hour and a half. That's pretty much it for the weekend.

9 Mile Trail @ 01:30:00

Was lucky this morning and did not have too much work to do in the early morning so I was able to get in a quick lift before core class.

Upper Weights @ 00:20:00
Core Class @ 00:30:00

I then got in a great run in the sunshine at lunch. Ran in the stones along the railroad track and the dirt path along the water. It was just fabulous!

6.5 Mile Run @ 01:03:00

My only shot at a workout was early this morning because I had an early AM meeting with Germany, an off-site meeting in the afternoon and plans in the evening.

I got up early and did a quick hill repeat workout on Roosevelt. Just three intervals of 00:03:15 each with a quick WU and CD.

3 Mile Hill Run @ 00:32:00

I am really having a tough time getting myself out of bed for 5 AM swim practice. The alarm went off again this morning and I just re-set it and went back to sleep. I think the medication I am taking continues to make me exceptionally sleepy and unable to reason with myself well that early.

I slept in an extra hour and then caught the 6 AM bus to work to get in a lift and then core class.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00
Core Class @ 00:30:00

I decided to make up my swim by getting in an evening swim at Greenlake. I went home, studied, ate dinner, studied some more and then tried to see if I could get into my wetsuit by myself. Nope. Fortunately, Ted was home so I drove to their house -- he met me outside and zipped me up. I went to the beach by the pool and swam across and back. My sighting on the way over was pretty bad so I wove a bit on my way over but it got better on the way back.

1ish Mile Swim @ 00:40:00

This morning was my first interval run workout since...April. I was dreading it even though I did put together a wussy little workout for my first one (8 x 400, or if I am feeling really good - add 2 more). I woke up early and drove to Greenlake to run the long way to the track. It was interesting how my pace would slow the closer I got to the track but I finally made it there.

It was an ass-kicking and I am just not in interval shape. I was lucky to have the track mostly to myself so that helped. I ran 8 of them and that was plenty thankyouverymuch. I did a walk/jog for about 200 before setting off again. During one of them I felt like I wanted to hurl. Turned out it was my fastest one. At least I did negative split most of the 2nd half and I did maintain as sub-7 pace although I know I could not make a full mile at that pace.

6.2 Mile Interval Run @ 53:01
WU @ 19:37 (dragging feet near the end)
8 x 400 @ (1:44, 1:42, 1:41, 1:42, 1:42, 1:40, 1:36 (ouch), 1:39)
CD @ 12:05

Tija promised us waterfalls during this afternoon's spin class. They are steady hard effort and rather painful. More whining to come.

Made it through and am done torturing my legs for the rest of the day.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Even though I was in bed by 9:00 last night, I could not fall asleep until close to 11. Of course the moment I did, my phone rang at 11:20 with a work issue jarring me wide awake for at least another hour. I had to set my alarm early this morning to work a bit before heading in on the bus and that a brutal awaking. Ouch.

But I made it in for core and hope to sneak in a lift too.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

It took an hour to do but I am now officially registered for Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2009. I am not sure whether I am excited or terrified...but apparently I wanted it badly enough to wrestle with their website and wait on hold for 25 minutes.

Got in a lift today and felt strong despite the lack of sleep.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00

Today started with an 8:00 AM conference call that took took a chunk out of my morning. Then I drove to the Mercer Slough to run it 2.5 times to get in my 16 mile run. The idea was that I was to start out with tired legs from yesterday's bike. Mission accomplished. I started out with tired legs and ended with tired legs. I noticed that part of the trail was closed off my first loop keeping me on the road for a bit. I decided to run figure eight's in one side for the rest of the run to keep on the trail.

I argued a lot with myself because I just wanted to quit so many times...but made it through. It would have helped if I had worn a short sleeve shirt rather than the long sleeve one I chose but I was okay comfortable (although soaked) when running on the trail. I am not sure if I did a full 16 miles but I had a comfortable clip going so I guestimated. It may be time to get a Garmin...

Met a friend for a nice recovery soy latte chat and then came home and got my butt kicked once again finishing up some work and then studying. I wonder what it means that I aced critical reasoning but bombed problem solving...

16 Mile Run @ 2:33:41

I had the best ride this morning! Cheryl's group met at Marymoor and even though I was supposed to be able to ride a group down (the fast group has been kicking my "not in great bike shape" butt), I ended up riding with them because someone was sick. And I was glad I did! I rode with two really strong guys and just happily sat on their wheels going 20+ mph at times! Of course they dropped me on the hills but chivalrously waited for me once in a while so I could hop back on.

A beautiful day for a ride and the route/scenery was just gorgeous. I could barely believe when it was over -- it felt like such a short fast ride.

59 Mile Ride @ 03:37:00 (16.1 mph)

I was at work late yesterday but I optimistically set my alarm clock for 5 AM swim practice. No go. But I optimistically re-set it to wake me up an hour later for Core class. Again, no go. So finally, after sleeping in until 6:30, I went directly to work.

I was able to take a bit of time between "on fire" meetings this morning to get in a lift. That's it for today.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00
Core @ 00:15:00

It's been building for a few days now, but things finally erupted at work and I am now getting to flex some new skills. And put in more time...

I planned a stair workout this morning before my first (of many meetings) at 7:30. I wanted to do the stairs at Quest Field figuring that would give me a decent workout that was close but when I got there, I saw they had fenced them off. So instead, I did a workout on the stairs at King Street Station. Not that many stairs but they were neatly divided into 4 sections so I went up and down each section 10x alternating between running them one at a time and walking them two at a time. The plan worked out pretty well although I had times when I had to dodge a bunch of people when the trains let out.

Stair Run Workout @ 00:30:00


I took my cell phone to spin class, and sent my manager a note asking him to call me if I was needed urgently. Otherwise, I was going to spin my little legs off. And so I did. The music was GREAT -- all 60's stuff but my quads were disappointed to do so much climbing after this morning.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

The cool news is that I organized a little stair climb challenge for a group here and we made it into the corporate newsletter :) along with a picture of us on the spiral staircase. I pasted the blurb below.

********************************************************************************
83 King Partners Take the Stairs!

We’ve all heard that small changes like parking further away from your destination, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, can be a great way to stay in shape. Eleven IT Support team partners at 83 King have taken this to heart by creating a stair challenge that will last through the summer.

Participants have agreed to take the stairs from the lobby to the 8th floor once a day. They track their progress on a chart, and anyone who misses a day is "fined" ten dollars. The proceeds go to a happy hour celebration to be held at the end of the challenge. So far, the group has enjoyed the challenge and everyone is feeling stronger and fitter.

Another challenge will start in the fall. Please contact Seujan Bertram if you’d like to participate.

I had my usual "wrestling match" between my mind and body when the alarm went off at 4:44 for swim practice. I did have enough presence of mind to remember that this would be my only opportunity to get in a workout today because my entire day is packed so I hauled myself out of bed for "distance Wednesday".

Because the rows were crowded, the coach moved us around a bit and I swam in the faster lane. I had a tough time keeping up but got in a really good workout!

2700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

I managed to get in a shower, zip home and hop on the bus in time for core class.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

And that's it for the day.

Last night, I was so sleepy that I was in bed by 8:30 with lights out at 9:00. Fabulous!

This morning, I woke up refreshed and did my AT Test run. I ran down to Greenlake and then ran the inner loop (gravel) at 80%. Definitely glad to stop when it was over!

4.5 AT Test Run @ 00:50:00
Inner Loop @ 00:22:16
152a, 159m

Spin class offered an extra helping of butt-whooping with an unecessary number of sprint sets (4, if anyone is wondering...). Tired legs.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

I received the nicest reply from the Baker Lake 50k Race Director when I asked about elevation.

There is no elevation map, because elevation gain/loss is insignificant. Many marathons have more elevation change. That is not to say that it doesn't roll along, with ups and downs, like one most wooded trails along mountain lakes, but they are all runnable! Elevation change would be less than 1,000 feet, I would bet, but I don't think anyone has used an altimeter. The USFS has the difference between the north and south end of the trailheads at 400 feet.

Essentially, what to expect is to run 1.75 miles on road/gravel road(which includes going over Upper Baker Lake Dam), 28 miles on forested trail along Baker Lake (with an aid station halfway, at the turnaround), then the 1.75 miles back across the dam to the S/F.

Because of all the up/down, and just the nature of having to be alert for footing hazards (rocks, roots, moss, etc.), you will be tired when you finish. There are a lot of bridges to cross that can be slippery. But just looking from an elevation perspective, it is a lake run, not a "mountain" run.

My phone rang this morning @ 5:30 because there was a potential problem at work and I was the on-call manager. Fortunately, it was not a big enough deal to make me miss my weights or core although I did have to have a couple of discussions that cut into my upper weight time. So I adjusted and did only one type of each area.

Upper Weights @ 00:20:00
Core Class @ 00:30:00

I got in a run around lunch. Wow, what a BEAUTIFUL day for it! I was most delighted to learn that there was an almost parallel gravel/dirt path on my usual route up to and along the water. It was there all along but I did not see it before -- funny how that is. After meeting with Cheryl, I now have a new directive to do more runs in gravel/dirt. On the way back, I even ran right along the railroad tracks in the not-quite-gravel-but-more-rock for an even better workout. And it really cut down on the road rage on the path... I added a bit more length to call it an even 6.

6 Mile Run @ 00:57:00

Over Happy Hour on Friday, Gisela and I decided to meet at Madison Beach on Sunday morning for a swim in the lake. Yesterday, when I met with Cheryl, I learned that the lake temperature was in the 50's and she warned us against trying to swim. I decided against trying to reschedule with Gisela because she mentioned donuts and I figured even if we just dipped our toes in, there would be donuts :) And the shorter the swim, the shorter the wait for fried dough!

It was a beautiful morning and we noticed that our feet did not immediately go numb when we waded in so we decided to swim to the post. Once we hit the post, we decided to swim to the first dock. And used that strategy to get to the tennis courts. We had a great time even though coming back was more difficult than going out there. Apple fritters and coffee after. YUM!!!

1 Mile Swim @ 00:40:00 (?)

This morning, I ran the Cougar Mountain Trail Run -- the 7ish mile distance. I was kinda nervous but figured that it was only 7 miles so it wouldn't be too hard and since this was my first trail race, I would not race it and take my time and learn.

We started out with a pre-race information session and the one great tip he told us was to run the more difficult area with our toes pointed out. We also learned that the run was 7.5-7.8 miles. We started as a group and then the trail quickly narrowed into single track. I seeded myself where I thought I belonged but did see two women I knew I could take on the road, so I pushed ahead of them in the beginning. They passed me right before it narrowed and it turned out that I was wrong and ended up actually drafting one of them for almost 3/4 of the race.

I had a blast! The hills were tough but I was happy to have the cardio, strength and endurance to run the whole thing. What I need to work on is agility because I got nervous and slowed down on the steep downhill parts. At one point, I kinda shrieked (btw -- not a good way to bond with your fellow racers who are trapped behind you) when hitting a steep downhill that was really muddy and a bit scary. Surprisingly, I did not fall. This time. It was hard to focus on the trail itself when deprived of oxygen.

At the end, it got flat and widened and I was able to pick off quite a few people. And no one in a race skirt passed or came in before me :) I am hooked!

7.6 mile trail race @ 1:22:56
(Pace = 10:55/mi). 134th out of 230.
155a

I needed to work early this morning but took a break to go to Core Class where Jon was on quite the roll! And we had stupid partner obliques -- 25 each and she yelled at me to stop using my back for them (gee, that does not sound at all familiar).

Core Class @ 00:30:00

Because tomorrow is my first trail run race (race is being used very loosely), I decided to just go for a short quick run to loosen my legs a bit. I felt really good and kept my pace up!

3.75 Mile Run @ 00:32:00

Still a bit nauseous this morning but a bit better than last night. Got in a lift before an early morning meeting and then spin class. Fun class -- the CD was all female artists :)

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Last night before going to bed, I took a new medication and skimmed through some of the side effects as I swallowed (the usual dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, etc...) and figured I am not terribly sensitive.

When the alarm went off at 4:44 this morning, I got up, put on my suit and started to drive to swim practice figuring I had extra cobwebs to shake this morning but after a block or so, I realized I felt like I was seasick and the thought of swimming just made me want to hurl. So I turned my car around and stumbled gratefully back into bed to try to shake it.

I slept for about an hour but woke up in time to make it to core class. Still feeling a bit woozy but better than earlier.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

I got in a run today during lunch and felt much better coming back than on the way down so that is a good sign!

6 Mile Run @ 00:58:00

This morning, I managed to get myself out of bed and head down to my car for swim practice. When I turned the key in the ignition...nothing. I realized that I had left an interior light on in the car since my run on Sunday when I had turned it on to search for something :(

I went upstairs, changed into my bike clothes and hit the rollers for 45 minutes.

12 Mile Roller Ride @ 00:45:00

I had a Dr. appointment in the afternoon, so I came home early, worked a bit and then ran to the office (only @ 3/4 miles from my home). After my appointment, I ran down and around Greenlake and back to the office where I picked up my prescriptions and then home.

5 Mile Run @ 00:50:00

Had an early morning meeting with UK followed by another intense meeting so I was good and wiped by 9 AM. It's hard to believe I was in Hawaii last Monday...

Did get in a weight workout and have decided to call it good for today.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00
Core @ 00:05:00

I planned to run for two hours today on Lake Washington Blvd and keep the pace easy, but increase my mileage a bit from my 9 miler in Hawaii last Sunday. I started at Madrona, and ran to and around Seward Park (dodging the last of the Furry 5K walkers near the end) and back. When I started out, I knew something was wrong. I was feeling light-headed and just not myself. I know part if it was that I probably did not eat enough breakfast this morning. I did alternate between Gatorade and water but at no point, did I ever feel super strong or good. My pace was pretty slow and I just had to stop at Leschi. There I got a soy latte and a muffin, and walked back to my car.

11.5 Mile Run @ 01:50:00

Went for a bike ride with the group. It was advertised as a 70 mile ride but we learned at the beginning that it was actually 62 miles but we could add if we wanted. We didn't.

It was a healthy humbling ass kicking all together with extra humbling moments when my legs would not agree to help me keep up with Mike or Annemeika when they blew through Rainier... I do think that this was my longest ride in about 4 weeks and it is stunning how quickly I can lose fitness :( I am so so so glad I am not racing a Half Iron in a couple of weeks!!!

My slacker weeks are now over and Cheryl and I are meeting soon to talk about my torture plan for my fall 50k...

62 Mile Ride @ 04:00:00

Another humbling moment (apparently I have not had enough recently) was when I realized that the 5 lb weight loss I recently celebrated after Hawaii was probably actually muscle loss :(. This week, I also asked Tija if she could recommend a trainer from her gym to work with to help me with a weight training program and advise on nutrition. Because I am not planning to train for any races this summer (my goal is to not put aero-bars on my bike at all), this is the time for me to focus on getting my weight down. Jerome (the trainer who is going to make my life much harder) and I are not meeting until after he gets back the week but in the meantime, I am now blogging my food intake in Training Log. Not exactly proud of my food intake yesterday...

Went to swim practice this morning and because my lane was so crowded, I moved up to the next one and hung on the tail end for dear life. I did (mostly) keep up and was proud to be swimming with the "big girls"!

2600 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

I made it to core class too and suffered a bit more than usual. Also broke into a complete sweat -- maybe because I put lotion on after the swim and was still sweating from that.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

Got in a weight session in the afternoon.

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00

Went for a run this morning down and around Greenlake. Felt good (should because I have not run in a few days) although I still was coughing a bit by the end :(

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:49:30

Made it to spin class and even though it was the "easier" class, I still got my butt kicked.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Got home @ 1:00 AM this morning so I did not even attempt to get in a workout before work. I did lift weights and go to spin class. Despite the fun music, spin class was HARD and I had a tough time getting through...

Upper Weights @ 00:30:00
Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Had a great swim this morning with the Hona swim team. They made me lead the set of 1 x 400, 2 x 300, 3 x 200 and then by the second 100, the guy who had been drafting me the whole time took over the remaining 3 100's. I sure would love to be able to swim with them year round. Outdoor pool, great coach - I would be in such amazing shape! One of the people in my lane qualified too!

2500 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Last night, I was almost asleep @ 9:30 and was startled awake by someone knocking on sliding glass door of the lanai of the little condo I rented. Then the knocking went to the front door, and then back again to the sliding glass door. I was startled and creeped out and did not answer the door. (note to self, never stay on the 1st floor again...) It kept me awake though pretty late and I slept in until @ 7:30.

I decided to get in my long run this morning as I am feeling much better and the overcast sky looked as though it would keep the temperature down. I set out to run 2 hours -- and out and back. The clouds burned off pretty quickly and I was feeling the effects of the heat and decided to turn around 45 minutes in rather than going the complete hour figuring that if I was feeling like I had extra, I could add it on the other side. Good choice because the return trip was pretty much in the sun and mostly uphill. I had to talk myself into running to the end and was pretty much wilted by the time I hit the end. No extra for me although I did negative split it by 1 minute...

9ish Mile Run @ 01:30:00

Then, after breakfast I went for another swim at the Ironman start but this time, turned around at the 1/2 mile buoy and called it good.

1 Mile Swim @ 00:25:00