With the CODRAL, I was able to make it through the opening shift at Starbucks but nothing else. After work, I went home and slept most of the afternoon before Ruth came home. That evening, her mom and Rolf came from Georgia to visit and help with her event.

I tried to do some light weights at home but even that was too much...

SICK DAY (No Workout)

Today was my first day of my three day Starbucks "store immersion" and my shift was scheduled from 1:00-9:30 PM. I started out the morning with Swim Practice and then had breakfast and home and assembled all my workout gear for two days, picked something up at the SCC and headed to Bellevue for my favorite run around the Slough before reporting into work.

2550 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

6 Mile Run @ 01:00:00

I had a feeling that something was wrong when my usual leg muscle soreness did not go away after 30 minutes of running and the entire run felt very hard and long. When I went to the shower after, I was on a pretty strict time line but the hot water felt SO GOOD. I gave myself 48 extra seconds under it and then forced myself out, into my "barista uniform" and reported to work.

That was when it hit me that I was getting sick. I could not focus on the training they put me through and was feeling simultaneously hot and chilled. I made it through until about 8PM and dragged myself home where I found the CODRAL medicine from our trip to New Zealand and took some of that and went straight to bed.

This morning, I got on my bike to commute to work and my back tire flatted about a mile from our home. Repairing it was a bit tricky and I went through 2 CO2 cartridges and many f-bombs... Once I finally had it on after repeated tries, I noticed that one edge of the tire was popped out of the rim so I headed home instead not even sitting on the seat hoping to get home before it popped. I managed to make it about halfway before I heard that loud pop and ended up having to carry it the rest of the way home because the flat would catch on the brake when wheeling it.

So I drove in instead and got in a lift and a short bike ride after work. Ruth has been pretty stressed and with my crazy schedule this week, it was the only time we could get together.

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 12 Triceps @ 40
3 x 8 Biceps @ 15

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
3 x 15 Lower Abs on Bench

14 Mile Bike Ride @ 01:00:00

Tonight is my "work until midnight" night so I slept in a bit and planned a swim with a bike ride around Mercer Island during a long lunch. Unfortunately, my morning peace was disrupted once I realized I had a 10 AM meeting so I shot into work and then went for a ride around the island before starting work.

I felt good for most of the ride and kept the pace aerobic and easy.

24.5 Mile Bike @ 01:45:00

This morning, we ran the Kirkland Half Marathon. It was a cold, windy and cloudy morning with an unfortunate late start. I did not even bother to write a race plan up because it was so short (nutrition focus, 9ish pace, sub-two hour finish). I used my watch workout setting that has a 30 minute warm-up and then a 1 minute recovery every 14 minutes to remind me to eat/drink.

The first three miles hurt like usual as my leg muscles protested actually having to move after the last couple of slacker days. I kept the pace easy and my HR around 145 even though it climbed a bit on the hills. I did a really good job of keeping it My race. My Pace. At one point near mile 8, I had three women around me who had the lean runner body type -- one of whom was simply an Amazon with legs that came up to my shoulders and I thought, "look at me in gazelles". And I ran with the herd happily. For a few moments until I realized that my HR had hit 160 and not going down anytime soon. And so I came back to reality (and a real pace) and watched the Amazon chick float away.

I did do a good job of keeping my attitude in check and did not kill myself to pass anyone wearing pink (as I have in my not so distant not so mature past) but I could not resist that temptation with anyone wearing a "runner skirt". I mean, really...what the hell? They deserve to be dusted. Well, at least the ones I could actually catch.

At mile 10ish, a woman running the other direction was calling out to the women letting us know our place and she told me I was 80th woman overall. I thought "What did you have to say that for? I was so happy with my pace and now I have to pass 10 women." Sigh. And I am pretty sure I did -- kicking up the pace a bit for the last 5k. At the finish line though, one of the last women who I passed (looked to be early twenties) dusted me right at the finish line.

Oh well, I had a really good time and was happy that I could still race the distance -- the results are not official yet but I came in according to the clock at about an hour 52. Ruth also had a terrific race -- not a bad way for her to end her killer training week that included 200 miles of cycling!
__________________________________

It appears that they posted and fixed the results and my name is now posted correctly even though Ruth no longer appears.

Kirkland Half Marathon & 5K - Half Marathon
number of finishers: 642
number of females: 385
number of males: 257
average time: 02:12:09
bib number: 678
age: 40
gender: F
overall place: 196 out of 642
division place: 10 out of 58
gender place: 64 out of 385
time: 1:51:49
pace: 8:33

It took a lot of teamwork but Ruth and I convinced one another to go to the gym to get in our lift.

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 80
3 x 15 Row @ 70
3 x 12 Triceps Dip @ 125
3 x 15 Biceps @ 12

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
3 x 12 Roman Chair
3 x 12 Back @ 15 Weights, 2 x 15 Side

Took it easy during today's rest day. Had the kid over for a pancake breakfast and then walked her to GI Joe's (she considered the 3 mile round trip walk to be a bit of a death march) to buy her a baseball glove. Then after discussing the care of this new glove, and the consequences if she does not care for it (we will take it away and she can only use it when she is with us), we walked to the park where she and Ruth played catch for a bit and broke it in.

CORE
3 x 1 Minute Plank

Swam in the morning and managed to cram in a lift during lunch and cram for my ITIL exam.

2550 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 12 Triceps @ 45
3 x 15 Biceps @ 12

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
3 x 12 Lower Ab with Ball

Was overwhelmed last night trying to get my stuff together and coordinate my workout on Thursday so Ruth had the great suggestion to just get on the rollers in the morning and leave it at that.

12 Mile Ride @ 00:50:00

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

So I did an easy 50 minute roll when I got up and went to my second day of ITIL training. After, I walked to meet Ruth at the Pike Place Brewery to pick up stuff for my Bike to Work team and from there, we went to another bar and grill so she could spend time with a team captain who was hosting a team meeting and I could sit at a table and study for my test.

Had a tough time getting to sleep last night and was up late because of Monday's late work night. When the alarm went off at 5:30, I promptly fell back asleep but fortunately woke up a few minutes later and made it to swim practice.

2550 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

I was in ITIL training all day and even though I brought my workout bag to the training, I was not feeling particularly optimistic about getting another workout in. But the training was in a building across the street from Quest field and I was eyeing the steps there during my breaks. So at lunch, I changed quickly in the unisex bathroom (where I was delighted to learn there was a shower) and put together a terrific workout! Alternating between the steps (where I went up and down about 12 times) and a section that had a long series of short posts I wove through like an ungainly dog doing an agility course, I had a great time and did 4 series before I ran out of time.

Run Stair Workout @ 00:30:00
130a, 177m

Commuted to work this morning after sleeping in. These late hours are going to be a tough adjustment. The ride in was beautiful and sunny. The ride home was cloudy and windy :(

24 Mile Bike Commute @ 02:00:00

CORE
3 x 1 Minute Plank

Today is the start of my transition to my night hours of work. For the rest of the month, I will be working until midnight on Monday nights so I get to go into the office a bit later. I planned my long run around this and slept in until 7:00 and after half a bagel and a few sips of coffee, I headed out the door to Greenlake, around Lake Union and then back home again.

I did focus hard on my nutrition and set my watch to eat or drink every 15 minutes. It was just a beautiful morning and I kept my pace slow and steady. I forgot to actually turn on my watch until I hit Greenlake so my total time is a bit of a guess.

15 Mile Run @ 02:25:00
136a

Nutrition = 10
Attitude = 9
Performance = 8

_______________________

At the (almost) last moment, I realized I only had 30 minutes until the gym closed so I dashed upstairs to get in my lift. And just in time because they were closing around me.

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 65
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 12 Triceps @ 40
3 x 15 Biceps @ 12

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
3 x 12 Back on Ball

Today's workout was a long bike followed by a 2 mile run. I hitched a ride with Ruth to Issaquah where she met a group for a Tour de Cure training ride and took off from there. My route started at Eastlake Sammamish and then followed I90 to Bellevue and across Mercer Island (the long way). From there, around the South end of the lake and up North again over Juanita and finally home on the trail. I was hoping it was 85 miles but my computer indicated I had 7 to go. I had been fighting headwinds the entire day and was pretty grumpy so I let myself go home after promising that I would finish the miles on the rollers. I did but it wasn't pretty and finally ended with a 1.5 mile run around my neighborhood.

I struggled again with this ride and I know it has to do directly with nutrition -- or lack of. I only had half a shake, half a powerbar, a banana and a p and b sandwich. From now on, I am going to set my watch -- just like during a race and be certain to eat/drink every 15 minutes.

Long Bike with Brick @ 06:26:07

85 Mile Bike @ 06:11:01
124a

1.5 Mile Run @ 00:15:06
127a, 137m

I slept in an extra delicious hour this morning while Ruth went to swim practice. And it was a fabulous idea!

Had an easy aerobic run planned this afternoon with Chris but realized I forgot my running bra when I was in the middle of changing. I lucked out though because the girls at the front desk suggested I check out Sears to get one. So I gave it a try and their selection was dismal but I bought a couple of cheap ones and double-bagged.

Chris took off without me but left word at the front desk with his route so I ran towards him and hit him at almost 30 minutes where I turned around and we ran back. It was a good run and he made me sprint the very end (OUCH).

6 Mile Run @ 00:57:53
138a

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

Today was a challenge but I managed to get in my training anyway. We had a team off-site at our manager's home in Issaquah so I went to Swim Practice in the morning and then hit the weight room at SU before heading East. Did my core during a break because I did not get time in the morning.

2300 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down
3 x 15 Row
3 x 12 Triceps
3x 15 Biceps @ 12

CORE
3 x 1:00 Plank

I brought my bike with me and watched the sky anxiously throughout the day. But it remained clear and I drove and parked at Marymoor and had a really nice ride around the lake.

22 Mile Ride @ 01:20:00

Today's long run was only 8 miles so I did it before work. My legs felt pretty much like lead but I made it through...

8 Mile Run @ 01:18:34
137a, 194m

CORE
3 x 1 Minute Plank

Swim was okay this morning.
2500 @ 00:55:00

Got out at lunch and did hill repeats in West Seattle on Avalon starting at Luna Park cafe and finishing at the gas station at the intersection at 35th.

12 Mile Hill Repeat @ 01:00:00

Int 1 @ 03:57
138a 145m

Int 2 @ 03:42
139a 151m

Int 3 @ 03:39
141a 153m

Int 4 @ 03:35
142a 156m

Int 5 @ 03:27
146a 160m

I was pretty happy with the workout and needed it because I am kinda pmsy...did not turn today into a triple and skipped the make-up run I thought I would try to get in.

CORE
3 x 15 Back on Ball

Commuted to work today on the Hindenburg. I had planned to run three miles at lunch followed by weights but never got out at lunch. So I at least did my weights after work before I got on my bike to come home.

26 Mile Bike Commute @ 02:00:00

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 12 Triceps @ 37.5
3 x 15 Biceps @ 12

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

Had a really good ride today with Ruth. I followed her plan and the workout was to bike 50 with a 10 and 5 mile time trial and then finish with a two mile run. We parked at Log Boom and took the trail to Lake Sammamish for a long stretch to time trial on. It was pretty windy but we got to work in aero position with the headwinds and enjoyed the speed of the tailwinds.

Because both of our bikes cannot fit inside our cars, Ruth did her run first while I climbed Juanita and then I met her back at the car and ran -- but not for 2 miles.

66 Mile Ride @ 04:11:04

10 Mile Time Trial @ 00:32:13
137a, 156m

5 Mile Time Trial @ 00:15:29
145a, 157m

1.5 Mile Run @ 00:13:45
139a, 146m

Had a good but unremarkable swim this morning.

2400 Swim Team @ 00:55:00

Was planning to ride during lunch with Leaf but we "postponed" when we saw the rain outside planning instead to ride at the end of the day. By the end of the day though, I just could not get it up and bailed on the ride altogether.

Went for a long run during lunch from work to and beyond the Alki point and back. Felt good throughout but did get a bit tired near the end (nutrition related I am sure).

14 Mile Run @ 02:09:18
133a, 147m

Got in another ride on the rollers this morning. Could not get a respectable speed on the new rollers but got in a good hour.

12 Miles @ 01:00:00
117a, 129m

Went for a 3+ mile run with Chris during lunch. We even threw in a couple of sprints for the heck of it.

3.25 Mile Run @ 00:29:30

Then did my weenie weights.

UPPER
3 x 15 Row @ 65
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 65
3 x 15 Tricep Push Down @ 35
2 x 8 Biceps @ 15, 1 x 12 Biceps @ 12 (did these for the first time one arm at a time and learned that I have been cheating!!!)

CORE

5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
2 x 15 Back on Ball

Had a good swim workout today. Part of the workout included a 3 x 300 (200 for time and 100 recovery). I was pretty happy to do a 3:15, 3:10 and finally 3:07 for the 200's.

2300 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

I got in a spin workout after work. I wanted to do 2 x 12 min but ended up doing 4 x 5 min with 1 min recovery when the first one was pretty hard.

Bike Spin @ 00:40:32

WU @ 00:15:05
116a, 126m

05:03
133a, 146m

05:02
128a, 145m

05:05
137a, 145m

05:04
136a, 147m

Finished the day with some plank.

CORE
3 x 1 Min Core

Despite setting the alarm for 7AM, we got up at 5:40 and got in a nice run down and around Greenlake.

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:49:30

_______________________

Went to the Java Gym to (finally) get in some weights.

UPPER
3 x 15 Row @ 65
3 x 15 Lat Pulldown @ 65
3 x 15 Tricep @ 45
3 x 10 Curl @ 15

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
2 x 10 Lower Ab with Ball

Went to Orting this morning to ride the Daffodil Classic. We were planning to ride a century by completing the first 60 mile loop and then the 40 mile loop. However, after the 60 mile loop, I really did not want to ride for 40 more miles. My legs were fine but I was soaked both on the inside and out and was pretty cold. I was also mentally DONE after a week at work that had completely kicked my ass. Ruth was kind enough to stop too and we agreed to call it a "metric century". We rode with Dave, who posted our stats here.

62.6 Mile Ride @ 04:43:11 (15.1 Ave Pace)
124a

After we got home, we alternated doing core and cleaning our bikes before heading out for Ruth's birthday (eve) sushi dinner.

3 x 15 Crunch on Ball
3 x 15 Back on Ball

Rest Day

Had a good swim practice this morning. Modified the existing workout a bit to get in a long swim.

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Then got in my long run during lunch. I got out a bit late (12:30) so I ran it on the cup of cereal I had at 8AM but did remember to get some nutrients from my gatorade water bottle.

13 Mile Run @ 01:50:34
135a, 184m

Another crazy and intense day at work. At the end of the day, I had a stern self-talking to and got on my bike and rode around Mercer Island.

22.5 Mile Bike @ 01:30:00
125a

Went for a run in the morning down and around Greenlake before work. The run ended in quite the April shower...

6 Mile Run @ 00:51:13
145a, 188m

I started Swim Practice in my own lane and was looking forward to sleepily drifting my way through the hour. Then I was joined by another person and had to work.

I ended up being pretty proud of what I did. We had a set of 5 x 200 on the 3:30 with a 100 kick inbetween followed by a set of 4 x 200 on the 3:25. I did not think I would have the time (or speed) to make it but I did! My attitude started pretty poor but improved as the workout went on.

2750 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00
Attitude 7 Performance 10

During lunch, I attended my first Java Gym Spin class. I was on Bike 8 (aka the one to be avoided at all costs) and rode with the seat permanently pushed forward and a very loose right clip. The instructor was not that terrific either but sometimes that can be motivating as I will work hard to compensate. I started a bit pissy (about the bike condition) but worked hard.

Spin Practice @ 00:51:50
138a, 155m
Attitude 7 Performance 8

Was up past midnight last night and my tempo bike workout definitely suffered. I had planned to ride 25 @ 18mph, 5 recovery and 25 @ 18 mph on my rollers but my legs and body did not oblige. I did make myself do 2 sets of 20 minutes but I could not get my speed up.

Hopefully my run after work will be better.

12 Mile Tempo (not really) Workout @ 00:55:00
20 minute tempo pace
118a, 130m

20 minute tempo pace
120a, 129m
___________________________

Run around Greenlake was windy but fine. My HR was kind of high but I was not exactly running at an impressive clip...

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:28:30
143a, 189m

This morning, Ruth and I got in a really good bike workout before the rain hit.

We rode from UW to Lake Washington BLVD and added a 10 mile Time Trial from Baker to Seward Park (for me, up and around the top) and then back to Baker and finally ending at Seward. It was windy and I did not feel comfortable in my aero bars (need to work on that) but did all the flat parts on my drops. By the end, the two weeks of no rest day combined from yesterday's run prompted my legs to let me know that they were not happy with me.

Ruth is much faster on her bike and we kept up a good pace after the time trial around the South end of the lake. It was a really good ride and definitely felt like we worked hard. Going to enjoy our rest day on Sunday! I had a really good attitude going into the ride but after, I beat myself up a bit because I did not think my time trial was as fast as Ruth's. She had done the whole thing in her aero bars and on a flat route but of course I did not give myself any credit for that in my head... I also need to work on descending and riding in my aero bars. I got so freaked out when I was almost blown off my bike when riding in them in New Zealand that I think I am a bit more cautious right now.

42 Mile Bike Ride @ 2:54:00
127a
10 Mile Time Trial @ 00:36:00
143a
Attitude 7 Performance 10

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
____________________________________

Then went to work for a bit to work on my new cube space and managed to smash the tip of my middle finger with a hammer. It will be quite colorful by tomorrow...

Convinced Ruth to sleep in this morning and skip swim practice. I was invited to go for a run during lunch with a couple of guys during lunch and I was worried I would not be able to keep up with them because they told me they ran 8:30 pace.

I had nothing to worry about and was fine. Ran the same route I did ran on Wednesday morning but quite a bit faster. And felt really good even though it turned out to be more of a tempo run. I did talk a lot though and usually do not do that while running so that probably brought my HR up too.

9ish Mile Run @ 01:13:32
148a

Attitude 10 Performance 10

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank

Planned to either get in spin class at noon or ride after work if the kid cancelled. She did and I was too crazed to get to spin so Leaf and I went for a ride after work around Mercer Island. It was his first time riding that route but he is a stronger (and decade younger) rider so I let him loose on West Mercer Way and met him at the end of East Mercer Way before showing him the way back.

Of course I forgot to check my computer so I am not sure of the exact distance but I guess it was about 20.

20 Mile Ride @ 01:30:00

Went for a run today from work to Alki and back. My legs felt heavy the whole time and my energy was just not there. I am looking forward to my rest day on Sunday!

9 Mile Run @ 01:25:51
130a

Took it easy during swim practice this morning but got in some decent distance.

2550 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00
----------------------------
Had planned a ride around Mercer Island after work but the cold weather and possible rain turned me into a weather weenie. So I got on the rollers and did a 1, 2 and 3 mile pyramid workout with .25 mile recovery in-between each one.

12.5 Mile Pyramid Bike Workout

2 Mile WU @ 09:30
112a, 122m

1 Mile @ 00:03:16
134a, 141m

2 Miles @ 00:06:39
139a, 144m

3 Miles @ 00:08:58
142a, 152m

2 Miles @ 00:06:44
143a, 155m

1 Mile @ 00:03:18
141a, 156m

Planned a tempo ride this morning and wanted to do two twenty minute intervals at my target race pace (18 mph) on the rollers. I could not get the speed to 18 and averaged only about 16 for those intervals but made it through and will work to get stronger and increase my speed.

15 Mile Tempo Ride @ 01:05:00

WU @ 00:15:01
108a, 118m

Lap 1 @ 00:20:03
136a, 147m

5 Minute Recovery

Lap 2 @ 00:20:04
137a, 147m
__________________________________________________

Ran around Greenlake after work and definitely felt tired.

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:28:31
138a, 148m

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

To celebrate Easter, Gisela and I met for our "annual" first open water swim of the season. Jeff joined us for this second swim in four years and Uwe and Ruth watched, commented on our mental health and took pictures to document the occasion.

Before the swim, I coordinated a run with Ruth who dropped me off on her way to grocery shore and I ran from U Village up the Arboretum and along Lake Washington planning to meet everyone back at Madison Beach. I unfortunately did not plan my turn-around time correctly and had to get her to scoop me so I could make it to the start point at 11:00.

10 Mile Run @ 01:40:18
137a

It was fortunately a beautiful sunny day as we entered the water. Even though I got brand new booties and gloves from the Easter Bunny (AKA Jeff), I opted not to wear them because it would not go along with the spirit of this inagural swim -- one to set the standard for how much better (warmer) the subsequent swims of the season will be. Jeff and Gisela hit the water quickly while I lagged behind trying to convince myself to put my arms in the water. Ruth harassed me from shore, offering to get me a kickboard so I would not have to get my arms wet. I finally plunged in and swam out to the corner of the building. My hands, arms, feet and face were tingling like pins and needles and I was having a tough time with it so I decided to turn around before I got completely freaked. When I got closer to shore, I realized that Jeff and Gisela were still out there so I butched up and swam back out with them a for a bit longer before coming in. We all had a nice warm cup of coffee after to celebrate :)

400 Yard Open Water Swim @ 00:10:00

I decided to ride my long ride on the new rollers today. I could go into the reasons why but Ruth already has so I do not need to.

I made it through a movie and TV show before I just could not take it any longer and stopped riding. The resistance on the new rollers is harder than my old and keeping up a decent pace is more difficult. I still have not mastered standing but am feeling more comfortable every time I ride.

33.2 Mile Ride @ 02:30:00

Spent the rest of the afternoon at work trying to get caught up on everything I have to learn.

Slept in this morning because the pool was closed. At lunch, I went for a ride with some members of my new team to the tip of Alki and back. It was a beautiful warm day for a ride and I was able to average 20 mph along the shore. At the end, I suggested to Leaf that we climb California. I have a decade on him and noticed that he was a strong climber and would be a good challenge to chase. It was perfect and he dropped my ass pretty quickly (turns out that he lives on top of that hill and has had a lot of practice climbing it). I decided that if I could chase him up that hill once a week, I could get very strong.

It was a wonderful ride and I was happy to have colleagues to ride with :)

15 Mile Ride @ 01:00:00

Had a good swim this morning and a very pleasant ride around Mercer Island with Diana. The ride was just an excuse to get together and catch up over dinner and a martini :)

2650 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

18 Mile Ride @ 01:15:00

Got up early this morning in time to get in a long (but not long enough) run along the waterfront from work.

It was a beautiful morning and I just loved seeing the city wake up. This was the first perk I have had since starting this new job. I know that there will be many others to follow but I sure needed this after first few days I had.

7 Mile Run @ 01:08:00
139a, 185m

Out @ 00:34:45
141a, 185m

Back @ 00:33:15
137a, 154m

Swim Practice was a rather unpleasant set of descending 125's with complicated intervals to time -- and after struggling through the first 4, I talked Gisela into swimming distance instead. Not a hard sell and we instead swam a 500 swim, 100 kick, 500 swim very happily.

2500 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Ruth dropped me off at work with my commuter bike and I rode home after. Battled quite the headwind along the waterfront and got a bit lost trying to figure out my route. I think that once I know what my route will be, I will be able to get my commute to an hour.

15ish Mile Commute @ 01:10:00

Got in an early morning roller workout. I was planning to do a 20 minute tempo, 5 minute recovery and 20 minute temp ride as my workout but after 5 minutes at a harder pace, I changed it to 7 x 5 minute intervals with 1 minute recovery.

Roller Workout @ 01:0:00

Lap 1
135a, 140m

Lap 2
141a, 150m

Lap 3
141a, 151m

Lap 4
144a, 153m

Lap 5
144a, 155m

Lap 6
146a, 154m

Lap 7
148a, 158m
_____________________________

Was planning a run around Lake Union after work but I struggled way too long with traffic and was too tired so I just did one lap around Greenlake.

Aerobic Run @ 00:28:36
149a, 188m

Rest Day

Tested my new rollers today and my learning curve is a bit steeper than I hoped it would be....but I was able to stand for a few seconds at a time. I was feeling very un-motiviated but I managed to make myself go for my long run (8 miles) turning today into a short bike long run brick.

12 Mile Bike Rollers @ 00:45:00
8 Mile Run @ 01:20:00

Today was my first day at my new job. Started it out with a really good Swim Practice and a very hard set:

2 x 100 @ 01:45
1 x 200 @ 03:30
2 x 100 @ 01:45
1 x 200 @ 03:25
2 x 100 @ 01:45
1 x 200 @ 03:20
2 x 100 @ 01:45

There was an additional 03:15 and 01:45 but I and my shoulder were done.

2550 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

I am officially unemployed :) Spent an hour this morning putting together my new rollers and am now sitting at the service station getting my oil changed. It promises to be a just beautiful day and I am looking forward to spending a lot of it on my bike.

____________________________________________

After getting the oil changed in my car and a bit of nesting/shopping, I finally got on my bike. Went around the lake from home and rode the North end first. I pushed my speed and HR but was DONE when I ran into Ruth at UW who had parked her car and was taking her beautiful new bike for a spin after work. I threw my bike in her car and drove up the hill home.

50 Mile Ride @ 03:15:00
133 ave

I ended up at the office a bit late last night and opted to drive home and get on the rollers rather than ride my bike in as planned. Once I arrived home, it was pretty apparent that I was beat and ended up going to bed at about 7:45 PM. That was the best decision I had made all week as I slept about 9.5 hours and just feel so much better this morning.

Just as I about to hop on the rollers this morning for an aerobic workout, my phone rang and it was a team member whose child was sick. So I switched gears and came into work early.

Today is my last day with my company. I definitely have mixed feelings about it -- this is the longest I have ever worked at any one place and I am so sad to leave my teammates and at the same time, am excited about the future. I will try to get in a run this afternoon before my PM appointment.
______________________________________________

Managed to get in a quick run between picking up my new rollers and a last minute dentist appointment. Parked at 5th and 80th and then ran down and around Greenlake and back.

4 Mile Run @ 00:38:30

I woke up this morning still feeling very tired and a bit congested. I don't feel sick though, just tired -- perhaps the congestion is allergies. I had a tough time at swim practice getting any sort of speed up and limped through.

2200 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

5:20 this morning started way too early but I dragged myself out of bed anyway to go to my last spin class with April in Bellevue. I had a hard time getting my HR up but got in a good workout anyway.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00
133a, 152m

WEIGHTS

CORE
5 x 15 Back

UPPER
3 x 18 Row @ 60
3 x 20 Pull Down @ 60
3 x 18 Tricep Push Down @ 40
3 x 18 Bicep Curls @ 15

LOWER
3 x 18 Squats @ 10 DB
_____________________________________________________________

The last thing I wanted to do after work was to go for a run but I dragged myself around Greenlake anyway. While I am glad I did it, I was definitely not at my best feeling tired both in my lungs and legs.

3.2 Mile Run @ 00:27:53
141a, 172m

This morning, I woke up and did some stuff around the house planning to go for my 8 mile run when Ruth went grocery shopping. Changed into my running clothes and did some core before heading out.

Then I had a change of heart and realized that I really really really did not want to run. Ruth supported that because, as she mentioned, I have a choice now, but will not in a couple of months.

So I put on my "I look like I am going to work-out but these are my good slacking only clothes" and happily took the day off :)

CORE
3 x 1:00 Plank
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
2 x 12 Lower Ab (Ball Lift)

This weekend, I had to get in a 60 mile ride and a 8 mile run and the order could be dictated by the weather. Even though there were dire weather reports about today's rain, I decided to start the ride outside on the Hindenburg and turn around when it started to dump and finish on the rollers.

I had a late start because the front tire was flat and found the piece of glass that must have embedded itself in the tire. The weather stayed decent from home to Seward Park so I decided to continue to around the south end. Once I hit Renton, it started to rain, and then harder to the point where I was feeling quite sorry for myself as I hid in the bathroom at Coulon Park. After a stern self-talking to, I headed to Bellevue and decided to go home over Mercer Island. No idea what the exact mileage was because I do not have a computer on that bike so I estimated the ride to be 40 miles leaving me 20 to finish on the bike.

Once I got home, I had a really tough time getting on the bike. I was wet, cold and DONE. But I managed to get in 15 miles before I just could not take it much more and got off. When Ruth came home to a shaky me, she reviewed my nutrition with me and helped me understand that one Powerbar and 1/3 of a bottle of Gatorade was not enough fuel for that ride.

55 Mile Ride @ 04:06:35
131a

Went for a swim this morning at 24 before meeting with Cheryl to plan my training for the spring. I did a 500 WU (this is all meters) and then 5 x 50 Kick, 10 x 100 on the 2 and 5 x 50 kick. I was consistent but not particularily fast.

2200 Swim @ 00:45:00

I actually thought this morning that I really did not feel the effects of yesterday's hill workout. This assertion was clearly disputed during today's spin class...

Today is my last Thursday with my current company. And probably my last spin class with the Thursday instructor. I do not think I will miss her terribly like I miss Dina but she delivers a solid, but not necessarily inspiring workout.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00
137a, 154m

Okay, enough slacking off for me and back to my training. Today I did my first hill repeat workout in....months. I got in a good mile plus warm-up and then did 5 hill repeats on 108th Ave and finished with some weights.

Hill Repeat Run Workout @ 00:40:43

WU @ 00:15:21
127a, 138m

Hill 1 @ 01:22 ( I did a shorter distance for this first one)
149a, 160m

Hill 2 @ 01:35
147a, 230m

Hill 3 @ 01:33
144a, 227m

Hill 4 @ 01:30
147a, 167m

Hill 5 @ 01:29
147a, 166m

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down
3 x 15 Tricep
3 x 15 Row
3 x 15 Bicep

CORE
5 x 15 Back

Last night, Ruth had a brilliant idea that I swim at Greenlake since our pool is closed for the week. So I set my alarm for 4:40 AM and headed down.

Had a good swim and only had to subject one person to my freestyle only stroke and three point turns. She told me that my right arm was crossing over too much -- good to know because that is my injured shoulder.

2500 Swim @ 00:55:00
______________________________________

Made up a pyramid workout on my bike today for the rollers. But before I describe it, here are the numbers for my gears. I have yet to really understand it but it is important that I do very soon.

Front Cog:
50 / 34

Rear:
23 / 21 / 19 / 17 / 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 / 11

So I did this all in my little front gear (34) and went up a gear every 5 minutes (15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) while maintaining a cadence of 90+ RPM. It felt good and the only time I felt like I had to really push it was when I was at the top at 11.

13.5 Mile Ride @ 00:45:02
131a, 150m

Spin class this morning was a bit abbreviated because 24 opened late. I was also bummed to see that my favorite spin instructor, April was not there. Her substitute was Gina, the screamer :(

I managed to get in a decent workout anyway.

Spin Class @ 00:48:00
135a, 162m
______________________________

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

______________________________

Went for a run during lunch in the rain. My legs felt fine. It just felt hard cardio-wise especially when running inclines.

6 Mile Run @ 00:54:00
140a, 181m

Went to the Helene Madison Master's swim practice this morning. I usually get a solid workout in with them but the climate of the group is very individual and not much of a team environment. It does in a pinch -- and it is amazing how many more yards can be done without the chit-chat :)

3000 Yard Swim Practice @ 01:00:00
_______________________________

Got in a lift after a bit of lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down
3 x 15 Tricep
3 x 15 Row
3 x 15 Bicep

CORE
3 x 1 min Plank
3 x 15 Lower Ab Lift
5 x 15 Back and Side

Got on my bike this morning to try to get in a ride before the rain hit. This is the first time I rode the Orbea since New Zealand and I noticed fairly early my shifting was rather clunky -- but chose to ignore it making a mental note to bring it in to Dean at Pedal Dynamics for him to look at.

My plan was to ride around the lake before Janarah's playoff basketball game at 2:00 starting by going around the South end. On my way to Seward Park, I saw lots of people from Cheryl's group, including Jeff who turned around and rode with me long enough to have a quick chat.

When climbing the hill after Seward my shifting started to really mis-behave and I took my wheel off and put it on again. Noticed my derailleur was bent and tried to bend it back and made it much worse. So I turned around and limped to Triumph MultiSport in Leschi (thank goodness for the tailwind) where they fixed my bike and sold me a new seat. Threw the old seat in my pocket and continued the ride but adjusted the route to go around Mercer Island and then home to make the game.

Had a really good ride until it started to sprinkle and then just plain old RAIN on I90 but I made it home fine. I did push my cadence and HR to stay about 140 throughout but my overall speed was affected by mechanical issues.

45 Mile Ride @ 03:14:00
144a

Okay, my rhythm is not offically completely back. Skipped swim practice this morning and packed my bag for a run either at lunch or after work. But ended up doing neither. Not because I was terribly busy -- but because I was terribly sad. The last time I skipped workouts not either tapering or recovering was when my long term relationship ended in 2004. I have been with my company for 6.5 years and my team has been my family. I have grown a lot and when joining the company, I was 200+ lbs and almost entirely sedentary. They have seen me through a lot of changes and growth and it hit me hard on Friday that things were going to be different. This is the only job I have had where I actually miss people when I am out on vacation.

There are many new wonderful connections awaiting me at Starbucks in addition to the growth opportunities I am seeking so it is the right decision.

I did manage to get some core in this morning though..

CORE
3 x 1 min Plank
2 x 12 SuperGirl

I am offically back in the right rhythm! Part of my angst was interviewing for a new job, then waiting to see if I would be offered it and then a bit of negotiating...

But it ended up well and I will be joining Starbucks in a couple of weeks! :)

Swim practice this morning was good. I actually did my shoulder exercises last night and then swam this morning. And my shoulder has noticed...

2600 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Went to Spin Class this morning also. In my gym bag, I had two shirts, three pair of socks, a hat, two shorts, etc...but no freaking BRA :( So I double-bagged the shirts and went for it.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00
139a

Another crappy sleeping night! But made myself get up at 6 to get in a run so I would be able to sleep tonight.

Drove with Ruth to Greenlake where I ran around it and back home and she did intervals.

4.5 Mile Run @ 00:40:00
_______________________

CORE
3 x 1 min Plank

I had a very difficult time sleeping on Sunday night and ended up not getting in a workout because of my packed Monday schedule.

Things feel much more back to normal today and swim practice this morning was very good.

2700 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00
___________________________
CORE

5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

I went for a ride from home to Seward Park and back on the Hindenburg. Was planning to ride a longer route but learned shortly into the ride that I did not have an endless supply of stamina.

25 Mile Ride @ 01:53:00

CORE
5 x 1 Min Plank

Tough time sleeping last night and I almost skipped swim practice this morning. Rallied at the last moment and dragged myself there.

I was glad I did because I got in a good workout once I realized that I am NOT recovered and that I needed to take it easy...

2600 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Went for a quick run around Greenlake before work. Damn it was HARD.

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:28:05
148a, 189m

Then did some planking.

CORE
5 x 1 Min Plank
____________________________________________________________

Went to spin class this morning and forgot my HR monitor. It was also quite hard and I just did what I could. Followed that with my first weights in months....got a bit "inspired" on the race course to get a lot stronger...

Spin Class @ 00:55:00

UPPER
3 x 15 Lat Pull Down (to top of head) @ 60 machine
3 x 15 Row @ 60 machine
3 x 15 Triceps Push Down @ 40 Machine
1 x 12, 1 x 10 Bicep @ 15 dumbbell

CORE
5 x 12 Back (front and side)

No work-out today except for sprinting through the LAX while pushing a large suitcase and dragging a very heavy bike box to try to make our flight to Seattle because we had to get our bags and bikes in Terminal 2, go through customs and then check in again at Terminal 7.

We ended up missing that flight giving us a total of 9+ hours of airport waiting time on the day that would not end.

I went for my first run this morning since the race and we had a soggy run along the shore up one of the volcanic cones. Actually, Ruth ran up and sheep-dogged me as I switched to walking. I do feel good but just did not feel like pushing anything hard. I believe I am actually getting wise in my advanced age. I think it is because I was quite pleased with my race and do not feel like I need to push myself right now.

2.5 Mile Run @ 0:27:00

CORE
2 x 1 min Plank

Today we are going to explore a bit more of Devonport and hike up the other volcanic cone before taking the ferry back to Aukland to meet our airport shuttle.

Happy 40th Birthday to me :) I get to celebrate my birthday for two days now -- today it is March 6 in New Zealand and tomorrow it will be March 6 in the US.

I had a nice breakfast this morning with cards from Ruth, Helen and Lindsey (the women whose B&B we are staying at) and Erika and Rolf (Ruth's parents).

One thing I LOVE about doing an Ironman around a big birthday like this is seeing my future in the other athletes. And my future is FIT and FAST. I can't wait to someday be able to swim/bike/run as fast as the 40, 50 , 60 and 70 year olds! In the past, I have lamented aging, but doing it on an Ironman only provides motivation and something to look so very forward to.

Today we are planning a trip to Aukland and a swim/lift (my first workout since IM) at the Y there -- and then a trip to the museum. Later today, some sort of celebratory dinner and I plan to have multiple "filthy martini's" to celebrate my birthday.
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We went to the Aukland Y for some lap swimming and were disappointed to read the sign that the pool water was low and no "tumble-turns" allowed. To make sure everyone abided by the rules, they draped a lane line across the pool a couple of feet from the deep end making it almost impossible to even push off the wall. But I managed to get in a good swim and we decided to go to the museum in time to see a Maori show rather than lift weights.

After a bit more sight-seeing, Ruth took me out for a nice birthday dinner and we finished the evening with a most pleasant conversation with our hosts.

2400 Swim @ 00:55:00

Ironman New Zealand 2007 Race Report

Disclaimer:
It is the day after the race and we are at an Internet cafe in Devonport (across the way from Aukland) after eating way too much yummy pizza and salad, as well as touring our way through the beers of New Zealand.

The Report:
Ruth woke me up at 3:30 and mentioned that I had to be awake in 10 minutes...so of course I got up and made some coffee watched a bit of TV while trying to wake up. The night before, it had occurred to me that I would not be able to visit my T2 bag like I had been able to at Canada so I had a bit of pressure to get my running water bottles to my bag before the race started. I went to breakfast with the group and then was shuttled up to the start line where Ruth met me. I had walked to the T2 area and was told by a nice volunteer that I could take my running water bottles with me to T1 and they would transport them to T2 and be in my bag when I needed them. Whew!

For some reason, I was not terribly nervous. Perhaps because I had only been preparing for this for 6 weeks, unlike Canada where I had been preparing for 6 years....so the pressure was not as great. And the weather was a DREAM. Barely a breeze and just the right temperature. The race started with a ceremony from members of the Maori who came in their boat and did a dance/chant on the beach to send us off. VERY COOL.

SWIM (1:19:24):
My swim was fine -- not terribly fast but I did work on sighting a lot and came out of it feeling strong and psyched for the next event. In T1 (00:9:55), I decided against my arm warmers (the sun was out already) and just put a newspaper under my jersey. I did eat a half a power bar while changing and when I came out to get my bike, I noticed how few bikes were left. But I did not let that frazzle me.

BIKE (7:34:38):
And off I went with a nice send-off from Ruth and some people from Stretton's. My lack of cyling shape was immediately apparent and I was dropped very quickly leaving me with a lot of the course to myself. It was cool seeing the lead guys on their way back from their first loop as I headed out -- the helicopter following them the entire way.

Within the first hour, I had a hard lesson on how important it should have been to train in aero position. There were few hills on the route, but I would have been much more efficient if I could have ridden most of it in my aero bars -- like almost everyone else. I was VERY good with my nutrition, alternating between my Rasberrylicious Power Shake and Water/Power Bar bike every 15 minutes. I felt really strong descending back into town, getting my first lap done arm band (very happily) and going for my second lap even though my lower back was really starting to complain.

By the second loop, my back hurt so badly that I had to stand and stretch every few minutes. It was terrible. I tried to do all sorts of visualizations like pulling the pain out behind me and telling myself to focus on making nice fast circles with my legs and keeping my cadence up. But I was not prepared for how painful it would be. I put a lot mentally into getting through the pain and pulled out all my mantras. At one point, I launched into my mantra and a cow interrupted me with a big MOO :)

At the beginning of the second loop, I was leap-frogging a bit with another athlete named Sharyn. Her race number was just one away from mine and we had a really nice chat. She is a Kiwi, but had traveled to the race from London where she was working and living. During the last quarter of the bike leg, I was getting passed by some amazons in my age group who dropped my ass without mercy. A couple of times I tried to chase them down but made myself pull back reminding myself that I was NOT in the right cycling shape -- they were probably at the end of their summer while I was still in winter, and that this was my NUTRITION race. And so it went for the last painful stretch. Force myself to eat, stand and stretch, visualize pain leaving my back, keep it my race my pace. I went through all my shake, 1.5 power bars and a lot of the race supplied powerade. I just could not stomach the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and was also worried about how the whole grain bread would rest on my stomach.

I was extremely grateful to get to T2 (00:10:54) and get off the bike. If a nice volunteer had not grabbed it for me, I would have given it a bit of a kick out of frustration for making me suffer so. I took a few extra minutes in T2 as I was a bit goofy at that point and one of the volunteers kept asking me if I was all right.

RUN (5:00:28):
Finally I made my way out and climbed the scaffolding they erected across the road to start the run. The run was a double-loop but we had to run by the finish line about three (cruel) times because there was a little extra in the beginning. When I was leaving for the run, I learned that the winners were already done. Sharyn and I caught up with each other during the beginning of the run and chatted a bit more. We ran by her (extended family) fan club and then by Ruth who was taking yet another picture.

I stuck to my nutrition and pacing very well the first half. 14 minutes run. 1 minute walk alternating energy drink with my (Happy Hour) Margarita Clif Blocks. I felt strong and was smiling. Even when I passed by Ruth, who had cycled a ahead to a point on road and was partying with some accountants from Strettons. I passed her taking another picture, a BEER tucked under her arm. I yelled incredulously "is that a BEER?!?" and she laughed as well as many others there. And for a moment, I wished I was her and then I realized that I was actually glad I was doing the event, and I know that she probably would have wanted to be doing this rather than drinking too.

I made it back into town to run by the finish line (for the second time) to hear the announcer saying every few moments "insertnamehere...you are an Ironman" and I went right by to get my second lap arm band. I so wanted to be finished and did not want to run 13.1 more miles. The second loop was where it got very very hard. The sun set and my 14 min. run, 1 min. walk turned into more 7 run, 2 walk and then any other excuse I could think of to walk. I was happy that I felt much stronger than I had at this point in Canada but it still was purely mental grit at this point.

When I passed Ruth the second time, I asked her to walk with me for a bit while I did and we chatted. She was off to take a shower and then meet me at the finish line. About 4 miles away from the finish, I had barely stomached my last cliff blok. I forced myself to pull it out and put it in my mouth reminding myself that it was Happy Hour. When I tasted it, I wanted to spit it out but made myself swallow promising that would be the last one. I then switched to flat coke and squeezed some orange slices into my mouth for orange juice.

FINISH (14:15:20):
When I had a little over two miles to go, I passed the Korean flag on the street (the street was lined with country flags for the event) and decided to call on my ancestors to get me through to the end. Even though I had no idea who they were, they had given me the genes to decide to do something like this so they had better help me finish. I ran the remaining way to the finish, my lungs and back cramping up but I finished 45 minutes faster than my Canada time and was very happy how well I had stuck to my plan.

New Zealand Ironman # 644

Even though the date on this post reads Thursday, it is Friday here in New Zealand and the race is tomorrow.

Woke up this morning and went to the pre-race briefing after breakfast. I am glad I went although it sounded a lot like the way the adults in "The Peanuts" talk (blah blah blah) with an aussie accent...with the occasional laugh from the audience at a joke I (and many other Americans with me) did not understand.

We are traveling with an Endurance Travel Group and while we are not one bit enchanted with the (dis)- organizer, he has surrounded himself with quite wonderful people. One of whom, the mechanic who checked our bikes mentioned to me that I may want to consider replacing my tires as I had come a long way and it would be terrible if I had a flat because of some of the minor cuts I had. Of course, our mechanic had "ok'd" them before we left but then last night I had a dream that my tires split in half so off I went to the store to get new tires. And new cleats. And a new stick of Body Glide... He put my tires on for me -- and also my cleats and that was a wonderful extra kindness I had not expected.

I just dropped off my bike and T1 and T2 bags. And picked up my Special Needs bags where volunteers put our numbers and their own special signature (a smiley face or initial).

The weather here is described as "fine". Which we figured meant fair and sunny. We got the real deal the other day. "Fine" means pretty much anything, but people are fine with it. Tomorrow promises a real smorgasbord of weather. Heat, cold, rain and wind. Oh and a "light" wind is anything but....

Yesterday afternoon, Ruth dragged me to Rock n Ropes. This was something she wanted to do ever since we decided to come here and I had a choice to either do it with her or sit there for three hours while she did. I HATE heights but my fear of having to sit with myself quietly for three hours overcame my fear of heights and I signed up.

When I started climbing the first pole, I had a change of heart and decided that having to sit with myself for three hours quietly was a better option. Unfortunately, that was NOT an option for our "guide" who followed me up and yelled and slapped my feet up the damn pole. Ruth said that I was turning into a behavior problem and was glad the he was dealing with me, not her...

But I made it except for the trapeze. He ended up yanking me off the top of the pole that I was precariously balanced on because I would not come down any other way. And gave me a good shake and scare on the way down for his trouble. It actually was good fun after the fact and I did do things I never had before so it was a good distraction and perhaps tomorrow I will wish I were on top of that pole rather than facing 50 more miles of headwind.

At 5:00, we go to Stretton's for a bit of a Happy Hour send-off and then a group dinner. Finally home to bed and hopefully a spot of sleep :)

Thanks all for your kind and encouraging words. I am in a better space today and am looking forward to being on the other side of this event!

Oh, and my mantras...

When I need to get on pace:
"I am a warrior/swimmer/cyclist/runner, mighty mighty warrior/swimmer/cyclist/runner..."

When I get passed/dropped:
"My race, my pace"

When I hurt:
"Breathe in. Breath out." And then do a mental head to toe check of everything on my body that is not in pain and let that information guide me through.

And when I really need it:
"C'mon Bertram, move your ass."

We enjoyed an evening on Lake Taupo with some accountants who sure can party! Caught some good fish and had a lot of laughs. We had such a terrific time that we decided to skip the dinner with our travel group and got some take-away for dinner at home.

This morning Ruth got up and went for a long run while I made myself some coffee, stretched and did some core. I am going to take the day entirely off and go for a 20 minute run tomorrow. And the weather supports my plan because it has been chilly and drizzling all morning.

Ironman is in the air. And I am getting in a space where I do not want to be. Feeling little and like I do not belong among these people strutting around with negative body fat percentages. Last night, someone commented that they were surprised I was the one doing the race because they assumed that Ruth was. I know that is probably more often the case than not but it is tough to have to hear it out loud. Again. No matter how hard I train -- I just do not look like I belong here and I hate to feel like this because I start to believe it. I know it is just pre-race jitters too and right now, I just want to curl up somewhere and be away from all the noise...

CORE
5 x 1 Min Plank
3 x 20 Bicycle

For the first time this morning, we decided not to get in a workout and instead had a leisurely cup of coffee before heading into breakfast.

Went out for an easy two hour ride on the course and nearly got blown over while in my aero-bars when a truck passed. It was good for me to remind myself that I am not that coordinated, especially in a cross-wind and I need to remember to stay in the bike position I am most comfortable with -- not the one I everyone else is in.

@ 25 Mile Ride @ 01:48:00

I wrote out some notes for my race plan and just realized I forgot to bring them into town. Here is what I remember...

I have three goals for this event:

• My pace, my race (do not get flustered by everyone who passes me)
• Stick to my nutrition plan (eat and/or drink every 15 minutes)
• Celebrate being in New Zealand (enjoy the scenery and then experience)

Days before the race:

• Stay away from other twitchy triathletes and do not engage in conversations with them if it turns into a bragging session.
• Take a water bottle with me everywhere I go and sip often.
• Stretch every night.

Race Eve:

• Lay out clothing
• Spray on sunscreen
• Put together food and drinks
• Stretch
• Avoid too much salt
• Try not to alienate Ruth too much with my pre-crankiness...

Race Morning:

• Wake up early and have coffee while relaxing and stretching
• Then eat oatmeal and banana. Sip water.
• Body-glide EVERYTHING I can reach.
• Breathe
• Eat 1/2 a power bar with water at 6:15-6:30
• Make sure watch is set to 15 minute intervals.

Swim:

• Keep it at my pace but draft when I see an opportunity
• Sight over speed (site more often than I want to -- this will pay as I tend to swim zig zag)
• Jog easy from the water to T1.

T1:

• Put on bike clothing (probably jersey) and shoes.
• Eat other half of power bar.
• Drink some water

Bike: (break into quarters)

• Q1: This will probably have a sweet tailwind. Enjoy the ride and eat/drink every 15)
• Q2: This will hurt more because of the tailwind. Keep focused on high cadence and nutrition. Finish 2/3 of shake and at least one power bar.
• Q3: Maybe a break but the cross winds will pick up so continue to keep it at my pace. If my back starts screaming, get off the bike and stretch. Continue to eat.
• Q4: This will be the worst but remember the sweet downhill stretch waiting for me at the end. Do NOT obsess on how few people are left on the course and soak up the scenery.

T2:

• Change shirts, and put sunglasses in bag.
• Bodyglide and Moleskin
• Put on visor and fuel/water belt.

Run:

• This is happy hour time! Alternate Margarita Clif Blocks and water with energy drink.
• Enjoy how much more energy I feel because I earned it from eating and drinking regularly on the bike.
• Run 15, walk 1-3.
• Smile and encourage others.
• Do not get discouraged by the number of people who are ahead of me or gloat at the number of people I want to believe are behind me.

Post Race:

• Extra dirty martini :) (okay, maybe some recovery food first and martini the night after...)

The internet cafe computers here are logged into the German version of Blogger so I do not claim any responsibilities for misspelled words....

We woke up this morning planning another beautiful swim but one look at the waves on the lake turned it instead to a nice run on the path around the lake. I think I am more recovered from the travel than I am and while the run was entirely pleasant, I did not feel super strong or fast. Of course last night's fish and chips probably did not help...even though I peeled most of the breading from the fish before eating it. I do have the sample the native cuisine and beer of course....

Ruth is still fighting a bad cold that has now settled into her chest giving her a cough that echos throughout our little space. In a way it is good for my taper week because it slows her down during our workouts.

6.5 Mile Run @ 01:00:00
138a, 153m

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank
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After our run, we met our group for breakfast and again opted out of any of the group rides and activities except for driving to the Hot Springs this evening. I really do not like to be around other triathletes -- it just makes me too escalated. Our motel is about .75 miles from town so we are getting in a lot of long good walks here.

I just LOVE it here. It is so beautiful and relaxed. And I love the different sayings people have. At some point, I am going to get the courage up to ask someone why there are two different flushing button options on the toilets...

When the winds die down a bit more, we plan to get in our swim.
________________________________

Got in a nice swim along the course route. Worked on rotating hips.

45 Minute Swim

3 x 1 Min Plank

Yesterday was a very very very long travel day. We had a bit of a hassle when trying to get our bikes on the plane but managed to slide them through without additional cost.

The flight to New Zealand was over 12 hours and our economy class accomodations were not exactly spacious or comfy. It did not help that our seatmates (who were also going to the IM because the guy in the couple was racing -- and were a part of our travel group) were newly dating and rather expressive about their desires for one another throughout the trip. That alone could have been ignored but sometimes the impromtu make-out sessions would extend an elbow, shoulder, other body part into my bubble. Ruth agreed to switch seats with me about 2/3 of the way through to prevent me from commiting a crime while overseas.

We got to meet some of the others in our Endurance Travel group and have decided that we will probably not attend many of the group activities as Ruth is my favorite training and travel partner. After a 4+ hour van ride from Aukland to Taupo, we were dropped off at our hotel and went through the very last bit of patience and brain power assembling our bikes. We opted to skip the group ride and instead support the local economy by doing some research into what would be our favorite NZ beer over dinner.

This morning we woke up after sleeping 10+ hours, walked across the street and went for a sunrise swim on part of the Ironman Course. It is just stunningly beautful here and the kindness and hospitality of the locals have already exceeded our expectatations. I am already trying to figure out how to retire here...

We also popped into Stretton's Accounting -- the firm who has "adopted" me through the Adopt and Ironman program and got a very friendly tour of their office. We are meeting them on Wednesday for a boat ride, fishing and "drinkipoos". We are very excited about that!

Right now it is drizzling so we may re-think our plan to ride part of the course today and opt instead for a run.
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It cleared up enough to convince us to go for a ride. I wanted to ride one loop of the Ironman course (1/2 the total) and we set out around 2:45 after a quick check from the group mechanic.

Aside from nearly getting smooshed because I was still trying to get the hang of riding on the left side of the road, it was a fun ride out and got a nice tailwind boost. We opted to turn around early because I was getting a little concerned about the ominous clouds and sweet tailwind. It was a good decision. On the way back, we got a taste of New Zealand drizzle, rain, heavy rain and downpour as well as headwinds and sidewinds. Oh and big scary trucks :)

It sure was a beautiful ride and I plan to very much enjoy the scenery of the route on Saturday.

32 Mile Ride @ 02:11:00

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank

I was supposed to get in a 10 mile run but I only ended up getting in 6 bcause I was so pressed for time. Ran from home, down and around Greenlake and back.

6 Mile Run @ 00:55:00

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CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball
1 x 1 Min Core

Woke up early -- before the alarm and got in some time on the rollers. That was my only workout of the day.

30 Km Ride @ 01:10:00

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CORE
5 x 1 min. Plank

Got in a good swim in the morning. Work was tough and long and I just had enough for 15 minutes on the rollers.

3700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Bike Roller @ 00:15:00

Last night, Ruth asked me to treat Monday like a holiday and sleep in because she got to. I considered it but put my clothes together instead for the morning spin class. When the alarm went off though, I was very supportive of the whole holiday idea and slept in until almost 7 AM!

It was a very busy work day but I managed to get in a run in the afternoon. It was raining and pretty miserable out so I opted for a cozy treadmill run. My HR was very high throughout even though the computer told me I was running at only a 9 min mile pace.

6 Mile Run @ 00:54:00
150a, 173m

CORE
5 x 1:00 Plank

Met Charlie, Duncan and George at the dog for a long ride. They were planning to ride 70 and I needed to get in 100. The first few miles were fabulous -- I kept thinking "It's a beautiful day and I am riding with the big boys!" -- and then they dropped my ass on the I 90 bridge.

When I finally caught up with them, I invited them to go ahead without me because I knew I could not keep their pace. But Charlie said he was planning to ride the 100 with me and he would ride my pace. And he did while Duncan and George took off on E and W Mercer Way. After saying good-bye to Duncan and George at Marymoore, George took me on a really good ride via Newport Way, Renton and and extra out and back on the trail to get in the full distance.

I ended up getting in my full mileage, or distance in km as I needed to get in 161 km. I was WHIPPED when I got home (or at least to the spot near UW where I begged Ruth to scoop me) because I had spent the first half of the ride chasing down the big boys.

163.5 KM @ 06:38:50
134a
Ave Speed 24.7 KPH (15.3 MPH)

Swim practice this morning was good. Had a set of 100's that I was supposed to descend but I only managed to maintain it at 1:45 with 10 sec down to 5 sec rest. At the end of the workout, some people did relays and Duncan got in the lane with me. He suggested a set of 5 x 50's on the minute to cool down. It was perfect.

2700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00
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CORE
4 x 1:00 Plank

Tomorrow I am meeting Duncan and Charlie and (hopefully) riding the first 70 miles with them and then finishing the last 30 to get in my last long ride before my race.

And then....HELLO TAPER!!!

Went for a long run today from home down and around Lake Union and back. Despite the strong winds, I made it through okay and felt good. I ran the entire time and did drink some energy drink near the end of the run -- but not as much through.

13 Mile Run @ 02:06:32
143a

I took the Hindenburg for a spin around Mercer Island during lunch. Of course I forgot my HR monitor strap and had to go by feel but I kept the pace up most of the ride. Near the beginning, some guy blew by me on his drops and that was good reminder to me to get aero -- and so I did as often as I could remember to.

20 Mile Ride @ 01:20:00
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CORE
4 x 1:00 Plank

This morning's swim practice was good and challenging. We did my least favorite set -- 1 x 75, 1 x 100 and 1 x 125 all on the same interval...but I made it within a second on a 2:00.

2650 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

I was supposed to ride my bike home but I ended up leaving work early because I did not feel well. More of an overwhelmed everything was too hard and big place than a sick place. But I hopped on the rollers when Ruth got home and on her trainer. I kept my speed at 30 kph and did some (hard) one-legged drills.

00:45:00 Roller Workout
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CORE
3 x 1:00 Plank

I was very unhappy when the alarm went off this morning and the last thing I wanted to do was go to spin class. But I forced myself out of bed (inspired by Ruth, who had hopped out) and drove to Bellevue where April did an excellent job kicking my ass in spin. I wore my HR monitor watch that did not work with the strap so I have no HR information.

53 Minute Spin Class

CORE
5 x 15 Back and Side

Then after work, I drove to Greenlake for a double loop run. I always find the first loop more difficult than the first and finished happy. Again, no HR information.

6.2 Mile Run @ 0:56:46 (Lap 1 @ 28:29 Lap 2 @ 28:17)

Looks like this morning promises a beautiful day for my 136 KM (85 mile) ride. I am making the same "Rasberrylicious Power Shake" and will set my watch to remind myself to take a sip every 15 minutes. I will also pack a couple of power bars as well as a PB&J sandwich.
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I survived the ride. I rode from home across Mercer Island (the long way) and around the South end of the lake. At Seward Park, I was lucky enough to run into Duncan and Charlie and got to draft them for 5 wonderful fast miles but they could not be convinced to keep riding with me so back around Mercer Island I went again and repeated the loop before heading home.

I was very good about taking in nutrition every time my watch beeped. I alternated between my Rasberrylicious Power Shake and a bite of peanut butter power bar and water. I also ate a banana the first time I stopped at Seward Park. I also choose to do the south loop twice because that route offers the most opportunity to get in my aero bars and I would say that I was in them about 20% of the ride. That is about 19% more than usual so it was a small victory.

Near the end of the ride, I was feeling pretty whiny in my head and was very tempted when Ruth offered to scoop me but I realized that would put me behind in KM so I kept going. I also lost interest in food near the end but forced myself to continue with my nutrition plan because it was excellent training for the real race.

135.48 KM (84 mile) Ride @ 05:45:00
136a

There was a vote last night and sleeping in won. I was grateful because my legs were pretty hashed. During lunch, I headed over to the other 24 hour fitness health club that had a pool to make up my swimming workout.

The pool was oddly shaped with only three lanes. Two of them could not be used for flip turns and I think that the length must have been only 20 yards so I added extra to my workout to make it up. It was cloudy and a suspicious color and I was not sure how long I wanted to swim in it. But I made it through a decent workout and decided that it is an adequate back-up plan but not something I will do with any frequency.

2500 Lap Swim @ 00:55:00

Did the same route as last week around Mercer Island for my run and added a bit on the end to be sure I got in my full mileage. Set my watch to beep at me every 14 minutes and I walked and drank either my energy drink or water. Had 4 blocks and ate them every other time I drank water. I usually have not needed them but this time, I think I did.

I was pretty tired near the end and my legs complained more than they usually do but I made it through.

20 Mile Run @ 03:17:03
145a

Yesterday's time-out did the trick and I woke up feeling much better about training. Hopped on the rollers and got in a good ride.

30 km Bike Rollers @ 01:03:00

Had a good swim this morning -- my lane got pretty full so I grabbed my flippers and joined Charlie. It was nice to swim with someone new.

2400 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

I was planning to ride my bike home from work but I decided instead to just take a time-out. I have been feeling more and more tired -- and my attitude has not been stellar so I drove home and took care of an errand I have been putting 0ff -- getting a new cell phone to replace my ancient one does not hold a charge for more than 15 minutes...

We were locked out of the spinning room this morning so class started late but April still led a good workout.

Spin Class @ 00:46:04
131a, 156m

After work, I went for a run around Lake Union. Coming home, I thought that I really do not like to train hard in the winter. I do not like being tired when it is dark and cold :(

6 Mile Run @ 00:55:44
134a, 159m

I need to get in a 113 km ride today. I will head out soon to beat the rain and hope ride outside the entire time.

I need to keep my pace between 24 kph (14.91 mph) to 28 km (17.40 mph).

For nutrition, I will take a large bottle of the sustained energy drink with some gel mixed in and take a sip every 15 minutes in addition to a smaller bottle of water. I will also take two power bars in my bento box.
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The first part of the ride was terrific. Decided to loop around the lake -- starting with the south end and was planning to ride to Marymoore to meet Ruth in Renton. I was comfortable and enjoying the ride -- and my pace was easy. Then it started to rain and I go very cold coming down Juanita. Called Ruth at the bottom of the hill to try to coordinate a scoop and my cell phone battery started to die after I hung up with her so I decided to head home. By the time I got home, I was very wet, dirty and quite cranky -- but still needed to get in 20k.

So after wiping off my tires to prevent a spectacular wipe out on the rollers, I finished my ride with very little enthusiasm. I think that it has finally dawned on me that I am really going to do an Ironman in a few short weeks...

113 Kilometer Ride @ 04:58:00
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CORE

3 x 1:00 Plank

Swimming this morning was brutal. I was tired and very very very slow.

2000 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

Today I had an 18 mile run planned during lunch. So I decided that I would just run around Mercer Island as that should be about 18 -- maybe less, I could not remember...but it should be fine...

So off I went and realized it was definitely not an 18 mile run. I just checked my blog from other times I circled it on my bike -- 19.5.

I set my watch to ding every 15 minutes to remind me to drink and I alternated water and the usual energy drink. When drinking, I walked a bit -- usually about 30 seconds before running again. Once I realized the distance was further than I thought, I started to panic and ran a bit too fast. I was quite whipped when I got back to work. I also realized when setting out that I should have converted the distance to kilometers -- I will next time to get in that mind set.

Of course I had forgotten my lunch so there I was at Starbucks at 2:30, blue-lipped and shivering trying ask for a hot sandwich -- and not quite able to get the words out... They did take pity on me and heated up a breakfast sandwich.

19.5 Mile Run @ 03:03:53
138a

Had an unpleasant ride in this morning. The ground was still very frosty in parts even though I waited until about 8:30 to leave. Fortunately, the ride was fine but I was pretty freaked out most of the time and rode slowly.

17 Mile Commute @ 01:31:02
122a

Had a good swim this morning. One of the sets was 3 x 200 swim, 1 x 200 kick, 3 x 200 swim and 1 x 200 kick. The 200's were just what I needed -- did them on the 3:30 interval (POKEY) but it still kicked my ass.

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

I commuted home from work today. My directive is to "push it" and then possibly get on the rollers when I get home and push it some more. I did the first part successfully -- I will need to build to the "get on the rollers when I get home part"...

I fastened my HR monitor watch on the Hindenburg handlebars to keep track and headed out. It is much easier to push it while riding up hills on a single speed than down but I made a conscious effort to keep a more aggressive pace than I would normally. It should get easier as I get more daylight as I slowed down when I was unsure of the road.

17 Mile Commute @ 01:22:14
132a

I am also on day two of my "Mindless Eating" plan. I finished this book the other night and decided that my three small food related changes based on my present behaviors are the following:

• Slow Down: Set my food/fork/spoon down between every bite.
• The Power of Two: Choose any two per day -- drink, appetizer or dessert
• Take 20: Wait 20 minutes before getting second helpings.

The author says that it takes 28 days to turn behaviors into habits so I jump-started this in January and will follow through February.

This morning's spin class was the usual terrific ass-kicker. Did some jumps, sprints and hills and I visualized myself riding in New Zealand :)

Spin Class @ 00:53:46
136a, 158m

Got in some core before and after spin too.

CORE

5 x 12 Back and Side
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball

Was not able to get out for a run during lunch so I ran Greenlake twice after work. I was pretty unhappy about it -- I hate to run at the end of my work day and a double-loop on top of it is quite unpleasant. I just wanted to go home to where it was warm and there was light -- eat dinner and drink my cheap wine.

So I made myself change before I left work so I would not have a chance of talking myself out of it and parked near the pool. I had forgotten gloves so I ran with my work socks on my hands. I had to do a bit of self-talking out there and realized that tonight's run was exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I will be starting the run around that time for the Ironman so it was good to do so after a long day. And the run is out and back -- twice so the monotony of the double-loop is perfect training.

It was a good workout and I negative-split it. At one point though, I ended up yelling at some very inconsiderate people who ran three abreast towards me. The first time, I ran straight into them but had to swerve at the last moment because they were so clueless. The second time I had enough and started yelling at them to share the path. I doubt I made any progress in universal civility because I am sure that somewhere out there, there is a runner blogging about a crazy chick wearing dress socks on her hands yelling for no reason whatsoever.

6.2 Mile Run @ 00:57:55
142a, 159m

Lap 1 @ 00:29:45
136a, 146m

Lap 2 @ 00:28:09
148a, 159m

Getting ready to go for my 55 mile ride. Jeff is here and is helping Ruth change her tire as the valve busted as she tried to pump it up.

My plan is to ride around the lake. For breakfast, I had a bagel with swiss cheese. For the bike, a large bottle of the Hammer Sustained Energy drink with some Hammer Gel squirted in and a smaller bottle of water. Taking two power bars too.

I also converted to KM and need to get in 88.5 Kilometers (55 miles) today. I will keep my speed from 24 kph (14.91 mph) to 28 km (17.40 mph).

Okay, we are headed out.
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Had a really good ride. We rode from home to Log Boom Park where Jeff realized he had left his keys, credit card and license on the front seat of his unlocked car. I decided to continue to ride around the lake when he turned around. After riding a bit, I realized that I should have ridden back with him -- he was not completely sure about the directions back and his cell phone battery died. So I chased him back down the trail and finally caught up with and rode uphill back home -- where he found everything the way he had left it. We then went down via Greenlake and Stone Way to Seward Park and back. I got a chance to get in my aero bars on Lake Washington blvd -- overall it was a terrific ride and we had a good time.

I drank almost all my bottle with the endurance/gel combination, ate half a banana and an entire power bar. My legs hurt more near the end and while my nutrition was good, I need to get in more during the ride. Near the end, I started sipping the drink every 15 minutes and decided that I needed to start to do that much earlier.

86.15 km (53.5 mile) Long Ride @ 3:52:27
130a

22.23 kmh (13.8 mph)
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Did some stretching and planks when I got home.

3 x 1:00 Plank

Was pretty tired this morning and kept the swim easy. Pretty grateful that was my only workout of the day.

2000 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Got in my long run during lunch today. Ran from work across Mercer Island, over the I90 Bridge to Seattle and then back -- with a bit extra at the end to be sure I got in the full distance.

16 Mile Run @ 02:35:02
137a, 159m