Woke up at 5 to catch the 5:23 bus in order to make it to the core class at the Java Gym. Unfortunately, the first bus was late and the driver incompetent so I missed the connecting bus in time to make the class.

So I did my own core and weights before starting my day.

Core @ 00:10:00
Upper @ 00:30:00

Ruth and I had planned a ride after work but bagged it in favor of a BBQ at our friend's house. I am on sabbatical after all :)

After spending a good part of the morning (as Ruth puts it) farting around cleaning my chain and walking to the hardware store for a new battery for my speedometer, I finally got my butt on my bike for a ride.

I rode from home up the Burke Gilman train and then from there up to Marymoore and on E/W Lake Samm and over to Bellevue, across Mercer Island and then finally back home. Unfortunately, I neglected my nutrition (I had a powerbar but really could not stomach the thought of eating it) and bonked after coming back over the I-90 bridge.

Fortunately, Ruth scooped me at the McDonalds on 25th where I stopped to get a chicken sandwich and only chastised me lightly for not eating.

56.2 Mile Ride @ 03:52:36

Rode to Greenlake with Ruth and ran around it and then back home. My speed is nowhere near where I would like it to be :(

4.3 Mile Run @ 00:40:00

I got up at 5:30 AM in order to drive to work to take the 6:30 AM core class. Yesterday wiped me out and just plan to do weights today.

I got humbled pretty quickly in the half hour core class and will probably be pretty damn sore tomorrow!

Core @ 00:30:00

Upper @ 00:30:00

After getting WAY over served on rum and coke, I managed to get out of bed at 5:15 AM and drag myself to swim practice. My pace was very very very slow...

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Because we have plans tonight, I got in a spin class during lunch and I think it completely wiped me out. At least I sweated out the rest of the rum...

Spin Class @ 00:52:54
139a, 156m

Had to work today but managed to get in a long run before dinner at our friend's house. Ruth picked me up and then dropped me at Alki. From there I ran along the beach and up Marine view drive to her house. I was pretty pokey but ran the entire time including the last 1.5 uphill miles.

8.5 Mile Run @ 01:27:00
148a

Walked to the gym from home (> 1 mile) for a non-weenie weight workout!

Upper Strength Training @ 00:30:00

CORE
5 x 15 Crunch on Ball (front and side)
5 x 15 Back and Side Extension

Had a nice ride from UW across Mercer Island to and around Lake Sammamish and back although it was about 10 miles too long...

55.5 Mile Ride @ 03:54:00

Got in a lake swim this morning while watching the sun rise. Kept the pace easy and simply enjoyed swimming again.

1 Mile-ish Swim @ 00:35:00

Then had a great "wrap up the season meeting" with Cheryl. My focus for the next few months is strength, flexibility, core and nutrition.

5 x 1 Minute Plank with Rotation

Drove down to Greenlake and had a pleasant aerobic run around it. Went into work for my one day work week.

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:30:00

This morning, Ruth and I met at Leschi and rode around the south end of the lake. I took my aero-bars off this morning (I had planned to but a garage door vs aero bar mishap helped accelerate that decision) and was happy to re-discover my bike without them :)

The pace was easy, the views beautiful and our mood very very very good. I actually enjoyed my bike again. And no HR monitor!

27.5 Mile Ride @ 02:00:00

Had a wonderful recovery day yesterday. Started out the morning with a big salty greasy breakfast from Denny's. Even the waitress was impressed by my order and mentioned that I must be very hungry! I did my best but could not make it all the way through the mega meat lover's breakfast :)

Then off to Penticton to visit Jeff in the 2008 registration line, signed up for a massage and then came back to the house again for a nap. We returned to Penticton for our massage (OUCH OUCH OUCH) but I know that it will help a great deal with the healing long term and then a celebration dinner complete with champagne. Ruth's mom told us that Germans mix it with beer and we tried it with our Sleemans and it was very good.

Slept in until 6:30 this morning and hit the lake for a swim. I felt really good, strong and powerful going out but figured I better turn around before it fades. And just in time as I made it back and precisely the end of my little energy streak.

30 Minute Lake Swim

I am IRON, hear me....fart

This is my last Ironman Race report before I head off to my Ironman-free sabbatical -- formally known as retirement but adjusted since my friends and coach have called "BS" on my plan to retire completely. If anyone is counting, this is Ironman #3 in 366 days...

We set the alarm for 4:15 AM and had our usual coffee/bagel and last moment preparations before heading out to the course start on a dark and cloudy but not terribly cold morning.

We did not get there early enough to score a decent parking place so we ended up hiking to the start with a lot of our stuff, including the entire water supply of Summerland that Ruth was carrying in her gazillion water bottles. Unfortunately, the body-marking stations were not set up as efficiently as last year and there were fairly long lines to get our numbers written on us but we made it in on time to visit our transition bags and get everything ready.

Swim @ 1:20:48 (2:08 per 100 pace)
I found Ruth again at the start of the swim and was able to give her a final hug before we took off -- to the biggest swim start in Ironman history... Now that sounds really important and like an impressive thing but if you are one of the chum, it is not as much fun. Because I am not as fast as the fast female triathletes but faster than the slower women, I usually end up swimming with the slower men which means I was pretty much kicked, slapped and punched for the first bit of the swim and that encouraged me to position myself a bit further from the group, but also made for a longer swim.

Transition 1 @ 7:16
Had a good transition and left the tent feeling so light that I wondered if I had forgotten anything. I had not :)

Bike @ 7:26:34 (15.0 mph pace)
Got out on the course and the first 50 miles were GRAVY. Beautiful tailwind and the temperature was perfectly cool. Of course, I got dropped by everyone but my spirits were high and I was feeling good. The best part was running into our friend Joel a couple of times because he is just so sweet and encouraging. He helped me more than he knows out there. I remember passing the 50 mile marker and saying to myself "almost halfway done and feeling fresh as a G-D Daisy". Note how this includes "The Richtor" as I felt confident and powerful climbing it -- as well as descending it. No brakes!!!

And the other riders were okay too except for one of the guys who was in front of me who had apparently just learned how to pee on his bike. He slowed down and swerved all over the place and then swerved some more rinsing his $10,000 toilet off with his water bottle.

At every rest stop, I would slow down when approaching it and eat a bite of power bar (chopped into bite size pieces and then frozen the night before for easy access). Then I would ask for a water and sip from that until I hit the end of the aid station and throw out the 2/3 full bottle. I quickly switched to Gatorade and abandoned my Nuun because my body starting craving Gatorade right away. Plus it was not as much work.

Then the second half started and my hell began with headwinds and a back that refused to tolerate an aero position for one moment longer. The out and back to the special needs area was longer than it seemed as though it should be. I got off my bike then to use the bathroom and re-apply butt butter and ate some potatoes. I was still strong climbing Yellow Lake (and passed many of my "pace peers" only to have them drop me again on the descents. I really need to get better at descending. I have so much to offer a descent (weight...) and waste it.

On my way back into town, I saw Cheryl and Jeff on my way into town and proudly announced that I ate 2 powerbars on the bike :) I was very very very anxious to get off my bike and it took a good few minutes before I could stand upright without a bent back after hurling it at the nice volunteers who racked it for us.

Transition 2 @ 5:58
Got to see Ann in the transition tent and wish her a good run before heading out. I changed into my red running shirt (favorite) and was excited to begin my run. I was planning to drop the many chicks who kicked my ass on the bike (and definitely caught up with some of them).

Run @ 5:06:25 (11:42 Pace)
I got to high-five Ruth's mom and Rolf on my way out and had a really good first half of the marathon holding a 10-11 pace. My plan was to walk the aid stations and alternate between gatorade and water/gel blocks. I got to see Cheryl and Jeff again on my way out and was feeling really terrific. I did appreciate the crowds but did want to get to a section without spectators because I was trying really hard not to fart in front of them. I thought to myself "I am Iron, hear me fart" and shared that with Cheryl when I passed her.

Got to see Ruth near the turn around and she looked strong and beautiful. She wished me a Happy Anniversary -- what a way to celebrate three years!

With about 10 miles left, I started to struggle with my nutrition and tried really really hard to eat the gels but ended up just spitting out the last two I ate. I did all sorts of self-talk but my body would not listen. The pain started in my back (higher than the pain from the bike). I promised myself that I would not have to eat any more gels and would take my nutrition from the aid stations. At about 10k left, I could not approach an aid station without having to struggle against the urge to hurl and did not eat/drink anything for the last 3 or so miles and ran it all on fumes.

Cheryl ran with me during a part of the second to last mile and I told her that I was not going to make my goal (14 hour finish) and she told me to not let my attitude deteriorate (too late...) because I yelled back at the next spectator who said "you did it" -- "No, I haven't yet" and that reflects my tude even though I stand behind original thought that it was a stupid thing to say to someone who has not yet crossed the finish line.

I finished over my goal, but a PR for me and 53 minutes faster than last year with a 14:06:59 and am pretty satisfied with my season. Ruth finished almost 1/2 an hour sooner (kick ASS for her first Ironman) and greeted me at the finish line. She told the volunteers that "she's with me" and took me to a chair.

Now off to my sabbatical -- I am thinking Water Aerobics!

We had a beautiful ride to Penticton yesterday and woke up (no alarm!) at 6 AM. I hopped on my bike and biked from where we are staying in Summerland to Pentiction and back for a nice 13.5 mile round trip.

13.5 Bike Ride @ 00:45:00

We registered for the race and spent too much money on over-priced merchandise with the magic "Ironman Canada 25th" words embroidered on it.

I am feeling strangely calm about the entire thing. I cannot say that I am looking forward to racing but I do not feel a sense of dread like I did last year. It will be what it will be. Sunday will hold a lot of lessons and I am ready to accept them all - well, at least not fight them all :)

We are renting the same home we did last year with Ruth's folks and it feels very comfortable and relaxing here. I sure am glad that we are not staying in town with the other twitchy participants. We are hosting a BBQ tomorrow from 2-5 and look forward to spending time with everyone!

Today, Ruth got very very quiet as we headed out of town and we realized that she was having HER meltdown. But she is working through it by relaxing outside with a book and I am going to head over to the hammock beside her shortly.

After an excellent night's sleep (did I mention that I even took a NAP yesterday), I leisurely drove to Log Boom and parked to stage my brick. Rode up Juanita and down and around the South end of the lake and up Lake Washington BLVD and across Mercer Island. Then back up and over Juanita. Got almost 3000 feet of climbing in. Was not able to get in a 10 mile time trial but took many opportunities to get in my aero bars and hammer whenever I could. Kept up my nutrition and felt good the entire ride, and the run.

55 Mile Bike Ride @ 04:00:00
2 Mile Run @ 00:20:00

4 x 1 min Plank with Rotation

Woke up this morning still very tired but hauled my butt to the lake where I got to watch a beautiful sunrise.

1 Mile Swim @ 00:40:00

Then got a really nice send-off from our friends at Essential Bakery complete with customized cards for the 4 of us who are racing.

After that, I had a really good meeting with Cheryl this morning that put me into exactly the place I needed to be. I have been very stressed out trying to train for this race with a new job I am not crazy about. She convinced me that I am ready and can do this. I still need to work on a more comprehensive race plan but here are the basics:

Total Goal Time: 14 Hours (last year Canada was 14:56 and New Zealand was 14:15)

Swim @ 01:20

T1 @ :08
drink something with calories

Bike @ 07:00 (16 mph)
Alternate calorie drink with nuun/power bar bite every 15 minutes. Set watch to beep.
2 Shakes (2.5 scoops + 2 gels)
4 Nuun bottles
2 Powerbars
Put cheap cheese/cracker packet and salt potatoes in special needs bag

T2 @ :08

Run @ 05:00 (11.27 pace)
Carry gel blocks in varied flavors (Margarita!)
Walk every stop.
Odd miles drink water and eat block
Even miles drink calorie drink

And the two most important things I need to remember:

• Let go of Ruth on the race course
• Eat and Drink

Today was our annual I-90 Bridge Swim. I decided not to try to make it to the other shore because I had no reason to -- and I wanted to be sure I got some food :) I decided to swim to "M" but after reaching "M", I continued to "O".

2 Mile Swim @ 01:00:00

Last long run!

15 Miles @ 02:30:00

Commuted to work on Hindy.

13 Mile Ride @ 00:50:00

Slept in a bit and got in a weight session during lunch.

Weights

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
3 x 10 Biceps @ 15

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

After work, I rode the Hindenbug to Madrona where I met Ruth, who was in the middle of her hill repeat workout. I did not hit the lap button hard enough so I do not know what my first lap time was.

Hill Repeat Workout @ 01:00:00
125a

• Interval 2 @ 06:41
  144a, 162m
• Interval 3 @ 06:51
  146a
• Interval 4 @ 06:38
  151a

Had a nice easy swim practice with the lane completely to myself.

2600 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

I then got my interval run in along Alki. It took a bit longer than I would have liked to get to a path that was marked with 1/2 mile markers but it was worth it. I did the first 4 intervals as a back and forth and then the last 1/2 on my way back in a section that was not marked so I decided to run to the corner or until 3:45 -- whichever one came first. My HR monitor did not pick up on the strap so I have no HR data.

6.5 Mile Run @ 01:08:00

• Interval 1 @ 03:40:00
• Interval 2 @ 03:45:00 (ugh, headwind...)
• Interval 3 @ 03:30:00 (whee...tailwind)
• Interval 4 @ 03:35:00
• Interval 5 @ 03:20:00 (not quite .5 miles I strongly suspect)

I also got to read Jeff, Karen and Cheryl's race reports and was so happy for the many small victories they had along the way! :)

Rode from Green Water to Sunrise and back. It was a good ride but once we really started climbing, I tried to keep up with Ruth but she ended up dropping me halfway up. My HR was @ 168 and I was starting to lose it so I just let her go ahead.

I did not have the best attitude in the world either...but when do I ever when I am getting my ass kicked.

66 Mile Bike Ride @ 04:45:00

Feeling still pretty tired from Thursday's monster run so I slept in to try to let my legs heal. Took the bus (small victory) to the downtown gym and got in a very easy swim.

1200 Swim @ 00:30:00

Went for a very long run this morning before work. Started at work and then ran completely around West Seattle for a run that ended up being about 2 miles more than the 20 mile plan. That was pretty disappointing when I realized that I still had a way to go even though I should have been done. My left calf muscle was pretty unhappy with me about 15 miles in but fortunately, that was the worst.

Then I ended up putting in a full day at work with lots of stuff coming up long after I should have left for the day. It was a very very very long day.

22 Mile Run @ 03:40:03

This morning, I got my bike interval workout in before work. The plan was to ride hard for 3 minutes taking my HR to 150 and then recovering until it dropped to 120 -- 6 times.

17 Mile Bike @ 01:10:00

Interval 1
143a, 152m

Interval 2
144a, 152m

Interval 3
145a, 155m

Interval 4
143a, 155m

Interval 5
145a, 154m

Interval 6
146a, 153m

Weights

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
3 x 10 Biceps @ 15

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

Planned a swim, run (hill repeat) and bike commute day and made it as far as the swim.

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Then I proceeded to get my butt kicked quite solidly at work and when Ruth offered a scoop, I took her up on it AND we went out for drinks and burgers with a friend and had a wonderful relaxing evening.

I got the confidence booster I needed today. Ruth came up with a really good route and we drove to Logboom at 9 AM to stage our ride. On the way there, I was really quiet and not at all looking forward to the ride nor feeling confident about my ability to finish it.

The other day, I had a realization about nutrition. When talking with Ruth, I realized that I had done IM New Zealand with far less training and the only reason I was successful was because I made it my "nutrition" race. So this morning, I set my watch so on 14 minute intervals with a minute recovery that was to be my nutrition window and stuck to that plan.

We started at Logboom to Marymoore, then around Lake Sammamish and did the 50 mile Tour de Cure route with an extra out and back at Snohomish. I was very good about my nutrition and got in some nice distance in my aerobars. I kept up with Ruth easily and we took turns pulling each other at times. When we hit Marymoore, I forced myself to eat the last half of my second powerbar and almost gagged with the last bite but was able to get it down by promising myself that I would not have to eat another one this ride.

We finished the last bit of the trail really strong and I volunteered to rack the bikes so Ruth could have a really fast transition (really, so I could rest longer...). It took me some time to get mine on the rack and locked but eventually I ran out of things to do and had to go for my run.

I was thrilled to finish feeling so strong and feel ready for the race for the first time.

115 Mile Ride @ 07:15:00

2 Mile Run @ 00:20:00

Got to see a nice sunrise on the lake this morning during our swim. It was un-eventful and I kept it at an easy pace. I did realize during the swim that I was not one bit excited about the Ironman Race in a month and I am still trying to figure out what that is about.

1.2 Mile Swim @ 00:40:00

Got in a quick weight session in the afternoon.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
2 x 10, 1 x 8 Biceps @ 15

CORE
3 x 1 min Plank with Rotation
3 x 15 Back

Ran to work from home this morning and had a very sleepy start at 5:30 AM. Got a little lost in Ballard when I crossed the wrong bridge first and could not find the trail but ended up just making it on time for my 8 AM meeting. Did it at a 9 minute run/1 minute walk pace.

13.5 Mile Run @ 02:14:31
145a, 186m

Swam with a new person in the lane this morning who asked a lot of questions about the sets. Between that and having to open up the pool, I did not get in a lot of yardage. Probably a good thing after the last couple of days.

2150 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

Then commuted to work on the Hindenburg from the pool and then to my appointment on the hill and finally home after work. Number below is a guess of it all combined.

15 Mile Commute @ 01:15:00

Slept in this morning and got in a quick weight session at lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
2 x 10, 1 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

Then met Ruth after work for some hill repeats. My legs were sore and I was tired but managed to get in 4 after riding to Madrona from work.

15 Mile Bike Ride @ 01:15:00

Interval 1 @ 05:52
139a, 152m

Interval 2 @05:54
140a, 153m

Interval 4 @ 05:51
142a, 157m

Interval 5 @ 05:48
138a, 158m

Had a nice easy swim this morning with the lane completely to myself.

2600 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

And that was a good thing because the Interval Run workout HURT. A lot. After work, I went to the same track Ruth used that morning. Aside from dodging cheerleaders who kept taking over all the lanes (I did have a chat with their coach about etiquette and she herded them to one side, but they kept on drifting) and feeling like I was standing still running next to some guys who were doing real sprints, I was able to run fairly un-disturbed.

And that was good because it took A LOT Of self-talking! I just felt so slow and just could not let go of how pokey I had gotten. Mind you, this was my first interval run in months but for some reason, I could not let it go. The good news is that I ran the entire thing in Lane 6 so that actually added about 20 yards per lap so I was actually running faster than I thought.

5 Mile Interval Run @ 00:53:52
149a

1 Lap @ 01:58
154a, 163m

2 Laps @ 03:54
154a, 168m

3 Laps @ 05:58
161a, 171m

4 Laps @ 07:49
162a, 176m

3 Laps @ 05:52
160a, 180m

2 Laps @ 03:52
164a, 195m

1 Lap @ 01:52
15a, 171m

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank with Rotation

Yesterday was my "Saturday" and I decided to sleep in instead of going to the lake for a swim. With my new schedule, I don't get real sleep in day anymore. I planned to go for an aerobic ride once the rain stopped and maybe a swim at Coleman pool at noon. The rain continued and I finally just made peace with being a big ole couch potato.

Instead of braving the rain today, I did the long ride on the rollers. My plan was a 10 mile WU, 15 mile Time Trial, 10 Minute Recovery, 15 Mile Time Trial, 10 Mile Recovery. I sure do hope that the miles on rollers really are two for one because I could not make past 51 miles. It is also humbling to ride those damn rollers because I can barely manage 15 mph working my butt off on them. In the beginning, I was really worried because if felt super hard but then realized that the magnet had slipped and I was riding with some resistance. Someday I hope to be able to be strong enough to handle that resistance but for now, "0" is enough...

51 Mile Ride @ 03:45:00
137a, 159m

1st 15 Mile Time Trial @ 00:58:14
145a, 156m

2nd 15 Mile Time Trial @ 00:59:36
146a, 159m

Had a really good long run today. Did an out and back from where we are house-sitting in West Seattle and got to run along the water almost the entre time.

Set my watch for a 9 minute run and 1 minute walk and alternated drinking Gatorade and a water/block combo every 10 minutes. I was pretty happy with the run -- stuck to the plan and felt strong the entire time. Even ran the last mile that was entirely uphill. I had mapped out a 19 mile route but I think I added a bit extra by running right along the beach at Lincoln Park rather than taking the road.

19+ Mile Run @ 3:11:54
142a

Great swim with Leonore this morning! The rest of my day is packed so this was my only workout.

2700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Got in a quick weight session at lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
2 x 10, 1 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

Then went for a ride after work around the South end of the lake. Of course, I did not eat enough :( (1 bottle of nuun and one bite of powerbar...)

39.5 Mile Ride @ 02:45:00

Went to swim team practice and was pretty excited to be back with my team! I sure missed everyone and need to not compromise that time and connection ever again. Attendance was light and I got a lane to myself. Had a good workout and pushed myself a bit more than I usually do.

2700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Usual crazy Monday at work! Went to the house during lunch to let the dogs out and ended up staying late at work. But I did get in a nice short run along Alki after work.

3.5ish Mile Run @ 00:31:41
136a

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank with rotation

We are house-sitting for our friend and her two dogs so last night was the first in her home. We got up early to be at the Fat Salmon Swim site at 6 AM to help out as volunteers. The dogs thought we were nuts and could not believe that they were being awoken at a very un-cool hour.

I had no goal time for the race and just planned to swim it paying the most attention to my sighting and body rotation. The conditions were beautiful and sunny and as usual, it was a longer swim than I anticipated (even though I should know better -- I think this is the fourth time doing this).

3.1 Mile Swim @ 01:50:56

Spent the rest of the day relaxing!

Had a nice bike commute into work -- actually worked it a bit and felt good. But by the end of the day, I was feeling pretty tired and convinced Ruth to scoop me.

12 Mile Commute @ 00:50:00

I have been lucky enough to swap hours with a teammate so my start time is now a more reasonable 8 AM. Now I can get in a workout before work without having to get up at 4ish AM. This morning, I ran from work down the waterfront knowing that it might be a half to hour run depending on how I felt. The first two miles were HARD and my body felt rusty. But after I warmed up a bit, it started to feel better and I ended up getting in a 7ish mile run -- and even negative split it!

7 Mile Run @ 01:08:54
141a, 149m

Out @ 00:35:00
138a, 146m

Back @ 00:33:53
144a, 149m

Had a very nice leisurely AM swim in the lake before heading back home. Definitely tired but enjoyed the scenery -- perhaps too much :)...

1 Mile Swim @ 00:40:00

WARNING: The contents of this post may contain coarse language and describe scenes not appropriate for anyone who has signed up for IM Canada or is thinking about signing up for IM Canada without either a triple, compact, electric or mental assist.

This morning, Ruth went out and brought us back some Starbucks and we had a nice breakfast at the hotel. Our directive was to ride the Ironman Canada course two days after racing the Desert Half Iron. Note how this was a directive, not an idea either Ruth or I had but for some reason, we decided to follow it...

We were on the bikes by 7:30 AM and had a lovely ride to Osoyoos boosted by a delightful tail wind and very pleasant temperatures. Then we made the mistake of turning right up "The Richter". There the wind turned and stayed firmly in our faces for the remainder of the ride accompanied by an unrelenting sun and only the occasional faintest tissue whisper of clouds.

This descent down "TR" was much better than the race because I left the Zipp wheels in the hotel room. I was okay with the slow grind -- both up and down and did a lot of self-talk throughout the descents. Ruth dropped me pretty quickly happily flying down any descents. She did make the mistake though of turning around to check on me and that unfortunately, is a trigger for me and my tude completely dropped. I was back on the race course that had kicked my ass so badly two days ago -- and it was doing so again and I was not a gracious cycling companion nor a nice girlfriend. This was not helped by the wicked headwind we were grinding through and the fact that I did not get enough to drink.

We turned into the first fruit stand in Cawston and refilled on water. By that point, I was really out of it and just sat there ignoring Ruth telling me to eat something. I finally did eat a PB & J and we also split a pint of cherries. I then gave Ruth the half of my powerbar that I had not eaten because I had another one in my bento bag. I did re-adjust my tude and decided that I probably would not leave Ruth, Triathlons or Seattle anytime soon to escape to a life that did not include riding Ironman courses during a "vacation".

From that point on, I pretty much had the worst GD F^%$&*ing ride of my life. Ever. The headwind and temperatures were unrelenting and no incline or descent was unaccompanied by varying degrees of headwinds. At one point we were climbing up to Yellow Lake at an 8% grade and were pummeled by a headwind the entire time. My HR hit 163 and the expletives we both let loose did nothing to help us up the hills. And the descents were not much better -- at one point we were "descending" a -2% grade and could not get our speed past 13 mph. Both of us agreed that this was the very very very worst idea Cheryl has ever had and took her name in vain more than once...

We finally limped back into town and I was losing it again. I had not eaten since the fruit stand (I just CAN'T in this heat) but did drink almost another bottle of Nuun.

We hit the hotel room, changed into swim suits and then jumped into the pool. For some reason, I got super chilled in the pool and my teeth started chattering and I could not think right... But I got out, wrapped in towels and drank some sweetened iced tea and got back to normal.

97 Mile Ride @ 07:00:00
Attitude = D-
Nutrition = D-

Desert Half Iron 2007 Race Report

In summary, this race was not my race and I did the best I could with the tools I had. Ruth, on the other hand kicked some serious ASS and I am SO PROUD OF HER! She will report on that shortly.

The best part about the race was the swim and it went downhill (and uphill) from there... I supposed that is to be expected for a race with the word "Desert" in the title and billed as Canada's toughest triathlon. As well as the 2007 Long Distance Triathlon National Championships (that explains why 99% of the participants were uber buff).

SWIM 41:14 (137a, 150m) but my actual swim time was 36:56
Went in two waves with two minutes between them. I thought I had enough time to put on my wetsuit and get in the water to pee but all of a sudden everyone was getting kicked out and I did not have time. Had a good swim and learned how to pee while swimming and considered that a bit of a victory. Did not like having to get out of the water and run on the beach after the first loop but it went quickly. On my way to T1, I dropped my swim cap twice and retrieved it once and left it the second time.

BIKE 04:08:06 (143a, 167m) 13.5 mph
I knew going in that this was NOT my kind of bike course. I am not a good climber (getting better but not good yet), was using my new crank set and was testing my Zipp wheels for this race to see if I would use them for IM Canada. It started out climbing and for the first 8ish miles, I felt good even though it was all a slow grinding climb. The side winds started up and caught on the deep rims of my wheels blowing me more than I was comfortable. During the first descent down Richter Pass, I was SO SCARED. I am not a good descender and now I was descending on wheels I did not trust or feel comfortable riding. Despite making myself breathe and doing a lot of self-talk, I finished the descent terrified and very very tense. The winds continued and I just did not feel safe enough to ride in my aerobars. At every rest stop, I added more water to my water bottle and nuun and met my goal of eating a powerbar before the turn around point.

Right after the turn around, I heard (for the millionth time) "on your left" and was passed by a bright orange jersey -- it was Jeff and he was kicking my ass! I was so happy for him and told him to go for it. Had a nice tailwind for a bit and relished it and then started to climb again. I was fine climbing even though I was slow. It was the descending that was the worst. My bike just wiggled under me the entire time and I did not want to go as fast as my body weight was taking me so I would apply the brakes -- unfortunately they were not aligned correctly and it was like braking with a corrugated surface and that made me even more tense. I knew that I was going to be near the end of the pack and made peace with the fact that this was not going to be my best race. I resolved myself to finishing the race but not killing myself to do so and to support Ruth and Jeff as much as possible on the course. Near the end of the bike, I had a fantasy of kneeling on the dismount line and kissing the ground and even though I restrained myself from doing so, I did express my delight to the volunteers to be off my bike.

RUN 02:27:50 (152a, 163m)
Usually the run is where I can regain things a bit but not today in the heat. I saw Ruth coming back from a turn-around when I was heading out and told her how proud I was of her. I drank water and Gatorade and grabbed ice and sponges at every station. I kept seeing my HR soar and tried to keep it down but was unsuccessful. Because we had plans to ride the Ironman course in 2 days and because I was already so far behind, I did not push myself on the run and took a lot of walking breaks. I got to see Ruth and Jeff a lot on the course and was able to high-five and encourage them. And finally it was over :)

07:17:47 Overall Finish (145a, 167m)

07 Desert Half Ironman Race Plan

Race Eve
Today is about hydrating, breathing and relaxing.

RELAXING
The town is going to fill up with athletes of all shapes and sizes. I will NOT obsess about how different I look than the super buff looking ones strutting around drinking grass and pebble shakes out of blender pitchers during breakfast. I will take a deep breath and remind myself as many times as it takes that "I Belong Here". I have been consistent about training despite all the challenges of taking on a new job and have the fitness and mental strength needed for this race.

HYDRATION
Drink a minimum of two liters of water today sipping from the bottle throughout the day. No booze until tomorrow.

BREATHING
Control breathing first and thoughts will follow. Take every opportunity to stretch and breathe through the day. Stretch with Ruth tonight and apply sunscreen.

Race Morning
Drink coffee, water and eat a bagel 1.5-2 hours before race start. Re-apply sunscreen and stretch in the hotel room. Bodyglide everything :)

SWIM
Position myself to the outside and at the end of the fast half of the pack. Work hard on rotating hips and bi-lateral breathing. Follow through with long arms. Most importantly, sight every 3-5 strokes because that has been the biggest time waster of all for me on other swims. Use the first loop as an aerobic scouting loop and take it up a notch and negative split the second.

"I am a swimmer, mighty mighty swimmer"

T1
Stay in my bubble and don't look around at everyone else racing to go through this. Make sure I have everything and then jog out of the area with the bike. Accept any offers of sunscreen and water.

BIKE
Know that this is going to be challenging especially because it is not my ideal course with all the climbing and descending. Race my own race. When I get passed, visualize the energy from their pedal stroke behind them and absorb it for my race. Keep breathing climbing and especially when descending. Eat a power bar and drink half my nuun and shake during the first half and finish it all on the way back.

Get in aero-bars when feasible and keep shifting to optimize ride.

"I am a cyclist, mighty mighty cyclist"

T2
Rack bike and put on shoes efficiently and quickly without rushing. Put on race belt with water and gatorade bottles. Dump a cup of water on my head and accept any offers of sunscreen.

RUN
Here's where I can realize the most success if I keep my pace steady and strong. This is a double loop with four Greenlake sized sections. Drink every 10 minutes alternating between water and aid. During the second loop, take a clif block when taking a sip of water.

"I am a runner, mighty mighty runner"

Post Race
Regardless of finish time, know that I raced steady, smart and strong. Congratulate Ruth for kicking ass on her first Half Ironman :)

We had a very pleasant drive North yesterday in our air conditioned car while watching the temperature rise on the thermometer - at one point hitting 103! YIKES. Went out for a nice dinner and even ate outside to help get acclimated to this damn heat.

I feel so disconnected from this race -- this is the most disconnected I have ever been from a race! I plan to spend part of today working on my race plan and getting my head where it belongs. On vacation and in a Half Ironman.

Of course yesterday while we were waiting in the lobby a guy came up to Ruth and chatted her up with something like "You look like are going to pick up a race packet". Grrr. I was standing right there. Of course that is a trigger for me and made me feel like I do not belong here. HATE THAT. Ruth said that it was fine, I will just dust him at the end. So I am working on letting that go even though I have yet to be successful 12+ hours later...

More later...

This morning started with early wake up and when Ruth mentioned it was the first day of our vacation, I asked when it would start because a 5:10 wake up does not necessarily indicate vacation for me. She said it will start at Essential Bakery with coffee and toast AFTER our swim.

Had a really good swim -- wetsuit is beginning to finally stretch to accommodate me horizontally... And a really conversations and toast/coffee with the gang. I (heart) Fridays in the lake!

1.2 Mile Open Water Swim @ 00:45:00

3 x 1 min Plank

I was planning a lift in the afternoon and interval run after work but last night's activities resulted in a headache most of the day. I did get in my weenie weight session but noticed while lifting that I smelled like a big martini :(

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
2 x 10, 1 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

I bagged the run after work and instead went to pick up my car from being serviced ($1,200 later) and then we went to get our bikes that were tuned up ($500 later) and finally back home to an 8:20 bedtime.

A holiday for most, a work day for me. Rode the Hindenburg into work this morning and will then ride it to West Seattle for a 4th of July BBQ.

12 Mile Commute @ 00:50:00

Ended up getting a scoop from Ruth to West Seattle and went to a fun party where I was a bit overserved.... :) But at least I was relaxed for the first time in a while!

I was having a tough time on Monday night trying to figure out how to juggle my training, work, appointment and time with the kid. I needed to get in both a swim and bike but had no time in my schedule to do both so I decided to do a swim/bike interval brick in the morning and get to work a little late. Here was my schedule for the day:

4:40 Wake Up
5:00 2250 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

6:15 Bike Interval Workout on Rollers
10 Min WU
5 x 3 min hard, 2 min recovery
10 Min CD

7:45 Work
3:40 Appointment @ Capital Hill
4:50 Meet Ruth and drive to West Seattle to pick up Janarah
5:30 At Key Arena for Storm Basketball Game
9:00 Back to West Seattle to Target to get basketball shorts for Janarah
10:30 Finally home!!!

Got in my usual weenie weight session in during lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
3 x 10 Biceps @ 15

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

Went for a run around Greenlake after work. Legs still tired and was happy to only have to do 3 miles :)

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:29:13
140a, 154m

It was a beautiful day for a ride and the rain that was threatening earlier had disappeared. The plan was to get in a 100 mile bike ride followed by a 2 mile run. My personal plan was to get my nutrition together for this ride and chopped up two power bars, prepared a shake and packed my Nuun.

We started out the ride climbing Juanita and that offered me very false sense of athletic ability because I climbed it easily and the ride from Bellevue to Redmond and around Lake Sammamish felt good despite CMcC's tude :). I was drinking and eating well and my legs felt strong. Then we hit Inglewood Hill and that completely kicked my ass...at one point I was actually hallucinating about the road that is perpendicular to it to the point where I thought I was almost there and looked up again and I was not even close. But we made it up and had a really nice ride to Carnation.

After Carnation, we re-fueled again and it the road. When we hit Redmond/Fall City road, my goal was to keep up with Ruth as we climbed and I worked my butt off to try to stick to her. She did drop me but I was able to keep her in my sights the entire time even though my breathing I am sure frightened all the wildlife within a mile radius and my HR hit almost 170 (at least that was what I could see between the black dots dancing in front of my eyes). Someday .

The best part of the ride was the descent back to Lake Sammamish -- one where I usually just ride my brakes and hang on for dear life. I remembered the article Ruth had me read a couple of weeks ago and focused on my breathing while descending -- and was able to almost keep up with her! Whoop Whoop!

I was pretty much DONE when we got back to the car and only had the tiniest of a tinge of guilt for not getting in the entire 100 miles. Did a quick run and then caught Ruth's bike when she went out on her run.

86.6 Mile Bike @ 05:35:00
132a

1.9 Mile Run @ 00:19:00
142a

Nutrition: C- (started out well but deteriorated)
Descending: B+

Nice swim this morning even though I entered the water pretty sleepy. Gisela was back this week so it was really nice to have someone to swim with.

2200 Open Water Swim @ 00:45:00

Today's long run was 14 miles and I decided to run home after work to get in the distance. For lunch, I (over) carbo-loaded on some spaghetti but that was definitely a mistake as I felt it in my gut way too long on the run! Ran via the I90 tunnel and Lake Washington Blvd and then took the trail down to Gasworks and up Stone Way to get in the full mileage before Ruth scooped me at Greenlake.

I think it can be best summed up by what I said to Ruth when she asked me how the run went. "If there was a long run pill, I would have taken that instead today." Long runs at the end of a long work day are HARD but I know they are good training for an Ironman...

14 Mile Run @ 02:18:20
132a

Commuted in and back home on the Hindenburg.

25 Mile Commute @ 02:00:00

An 8:30 bedtime helped and I was able to get out of bed and make it to swim practice. It was an IM set and so I trailed in the back doing a lot of 1 arm fly with my good shoulder.

2500 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Got in a lift at lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
3 x 10 Biceps @ 15

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

I had about two hours to get in a hill repeat workout before my board meeting at REi. To make this even more challenging, I could not stage it from work because of a Mariners game at 7 that would have had me trapped in traffic. So I drove and parked at REI and then headed over to a hill Ruth suggested at Roanoke. Even though there was a bike lane on both sides, I was not having any fun -- the bike lanes had a lot of debris, there was a lot of traffic and drivers were cranky. So after two, I pedaled around a bit looking for a better hill but actually ended up on that same hill for the third time. Then I decided to head up Interlakken and found THE perfect hill repeat hill going up past the Hebrew school. It was a beautiful road with enough curves to make it interesting, very little traffic and perfect turn around points at either end. I was so happy that I did 5 repeats before heading back downtown for my meeting.

16 Mile Hill Repeat Bike Ride @ 01:30:00

Bad Hill 1 @ 03:17
127a, 144m

Bad Hill 2 @ 03:23
126a, 145m

Bad Hill 3 @ 03:15
127a, 145m

Good Hill 1 @ 03:46
133a, 150m

Good Hill 2 @ 03:38
137a, 155m

Good Hill 3 @ 03:46
135a, 152m

Good Hill 4 @ 03:46
136a, 152m

Good Hill 5 @ 03:46
138a, 154m

When the alarm went off in in them morning, I made the decision to sleep in instead of going to swim practice because I was just still so tired. I hoped to get in a lift during lunch and then a run after work but my lunch plans were thwarted by things erupting at work.

I managed to escape at the end of the day and run around Lake Union. I did feel pretty much the entire time like I was running uphill and wondered if I have ever felt good and light while running...

6 Mile Run @ 00:57:44
138a, 164m

Today's plan was a 50 mile bike with a 15 mile and 10 mile time trial followed by a 20 minute run. I decided to try this on my new Zipp wheels and wasted a lot of time this morning putting them on and trying to get the brakes aligned. When we finally got the park, I still was having technical difficulties trying to figure out where to put the spare tube tire (ended up in my pocket) and lost one of my handlebar plugs. By the time we started, I was pretty escalated and hearing the rubbing sound of a brake pad against my wheel did not help one bit. I ended up stopping no less than 4 times to adjust and tweak the wheels, brakes and sensor that was not reading mph. Of course every time I stopped a mini-swarm of Team in Training would whoosh by and I was not happy thinking that I would probably have to pass them soon -- and they tend to ride three across with about 5 feet between them.

Reminding myself that this was an opportunity to re-frame my thinking (see Ruth, I do read all those articles you print out) I decided to focus on my goals for the ride and let go of the rubbing noise that I could not figure out how to fix.

My time trials unfortunately had two stops in them but I felt strong albeit a bit slower than I would have liked. My legs were very unhappy about the 10 and let me know about mile 7 as I was climbing that damn hill again.

55 Mile Bike Ride @ 03:13:35

WU @ 01:04:59
124a,

15 Mile Time Trial @ 00:49:15
143a, 166m

Recovery @ 00:11:02

10 Mile Time Trial @ 00:33:17
147a, 158m

I then followed it with a longer run than the plan because I really wanted to get in more running miles this week. The run felt strong and even though I knew I was running on fumes (I got 200 calories max on the bike damn it). I told myself that this run was going to be a mental challenge and that I was going to feel uncomfortable and under-caloried during races. I could not make myself eat any of the bloks but did sip from my gatorade every 10 minutes. Not sure of the exact mileage (I ran from Marymoor to the Bothell rest stop where Ruth scooped me) but I know that I was running a sub-10 pace because I kept gaining on the mileage markers. Even though it completely emptied me physically, I needed it mentally.

7.75 Mile Run @ 01:10:01
146a, 157m

As Ruth said, the swim this morning was hilly. My wetsuit felt better though and I did not run into any docks this time.

1 Mile Swim @ 00:40:00

Then had a really nice social paced aerobic ride with Diana around the South end of the lake.

37 Mile Ride @ 02:45:00

Got in my long run before work and because I do not have the fancy GPS system that Ruth does, I just ran for a 2 hours out and back from work to Alki. Because it was so early, I ran on an empty stomach and got my calories from an endurance drink.

12 Mile Run @ 02:00:00
131a

Another busy day at work but I knew that in advance so I got in my aerobic bike on the rollers first thing in the morning.

13 Mile Roller Ride @ 01:00:00
123a

Was able to sneak out for a lift during a break so I call today good.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
2 x 10, 1 x 8 Biceps @ 15

CORE
3 x 1 min Plank

Crazy day at work and ended up doing my interval workout at home on the rollers. I did 5 x (5 minutes hard, 2 minutes recover).

Interval Bike Workout @ 00:45:08

Interval 1 @ 05:00
143a, 150m

Interval 2 @ 05:00
144a, 153m

Interval 3 @ 05:00
145a, 157m

Interval 4 @ 05:00
144am 156m

Interval 5 @ 05:00
148a, 159m

Finally got in the right lane today but they made me lead! I did lead a set of 3 x 100 on the 3:35 and it nearly killed me :) But I did it twice...

2250 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Got in weights at lunch.

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
1 x 10, 2 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

Then picked up Janarah and her bike in West Seattle and took her to Greenlake where I ran and she rode. Did hill repeats while Ruth walked down and caught up with her -- then we had dinner together before taking her home. But the most exciting news is that she ate broccoli!!!

Hill Run @ 00:37:27

Interval 1 @ 01:55
141a, 150m

Interval 2 @ 01:50
136a, 152m

Interval 3 @ 01:51
136a, 151m

Interval 4 @ 01:49
137a, 151m

Interval 5 @ 01:49
136a, 153m

This morning promised rain later in the day so I went with my tentative plan to ride the Flying Wheels Century. The start time for the century was 8 AM and I was surprised by the line of cars turning into Marymoor. I chose not to ride with Ruth because she had to start super early and planned to ride a fairly flat route. I wanted to test out my new crank on a hilly ride.

My first 25 miles were absolutely THE BEST. I was completely in love with my new crank and all gears I knew I had been missing were right there. I could accelerate and cruise easily at speeds I had not been able to before. I did mentally gasp for mercy going up Inglewood hill but it was not as hard as last year when I did it on Ruth's ride on the Hindenburg.

By the time I hit the rest stop at 55, I knew I had not done as good a job with my nutrition and spent a bit of time there catching up, re-filling my bottles and talking to Ruth for a few to hear about her workout. Then off to the 2nd half...the one with the real elevation. The climbing was definitely harder and I quickly maxed out my gears but made it. I figured it was nothing a little more hill repeat work and a little less beer couldn't fix.

During the last 12 miles, I passed a woman who was an amazing descender and told her so. She replied that I was really strong rider and let me know that she had been keeping my Starbucks jersey in her sights throughout the ride. I was really surprised to hear that as I really view myself as someone who tries to keep up with everyone else. It was a flattering alternative perspective and I got a bit puffy chested for a few miles :)

My plans to run after were thwarted when I went back to the car and learned I forgot to pack my running shoes. I had packed two types of running shirts and hats, had worn my running bra the entire ride (not the most fun to ride in) but neglected the one thing I could not run without. So I decided to put on my regular shoes and walk briskly over to the festival area as a really lame substitute for a run.

99 Mile Ride @ 06:09:00
>3500 Elevation Gain, 16 mph ave (proud of this because I did not draft at all)
133a, 171m

PS: I am writing to remind myself to NEVER do this ride again. It was a complete clusterF*%#$ -- the lines at the porta's were ridiculous and I spent a lot of time trying to ride around people who were completely oblivious to others. Aside from the people who would just swerve and STOP when riding uphill, my two favs were the two girls who took up the ENTIRE bike lane and would not budge when I said "on your left" and I almost got hit by a car trying to pass them and the dude who loved to ride in his aerobars down the yellow line with his iPod blaring. However, I should not have been so cranky about the last one -- it was my opportunity to see Darwinism real-time.

Had my first open water swim in my new wetsuit -- the first time I have ever swum in wetsuit with sleeves. I felt a bit like a princess and the pea finding all sorts of uncomfortable things with it throughout the swim. But I think it will be good with more practice.

1 Mile Open Water Swim @ 00:40:00

Then came home and cleaned Wenatchee off my bike. Because it was raining this morning, I test drove my new grown up crank on the rollers and LOVE IT. It offered me exactly the gears I needed and this was the best ride I have ever had on the new rollers. Hopefully my experience will be comparable on the road.

15 Mile Bike on Rollers @ 01:00:00
17a, 148m

Chose sleep over swim this morning and slept in until 6:18. Had another busy day at work but was able to still fit in a long run after before coming home to have dinner with our friend Dave.

10 Mile Run @ 01:40:48
140a, 201m

I decided to go for a bike ride around Mercer Island in the morning to get another bike in this week. Unfortunately, I only had the Hindenburg but it was a good ride anyway.

19 Mile Ride @ 01:20:00

Then got in my weights later in the afternoon. Did my PT exercises too!

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
1 x 10, 2 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

I was supposed to commute in and do a tempo run at lunch but I remembered that we were supposed to have a good-bye lunch out with the team so I ran in the morning and decided to get in a bike ride after picking up my bike from Speedy Reedy.

The run was awesome! I ran easy down to Greenlake and then ran hard around the lake and finally easy back home. I hit my HR monitor and lost my stats but I remember the tempo part was 26:?? so I will just assume it was 26:30 that puts me at a sub-9 mile.

5.75 Mile Run @ 00:52:00

CORE
3 x 1 Minute Plank

Unfortunately, Speedy Reedy called and one of the parts they needed to put the new crank on my bike was not delivered so I cannot get it until tomorrow. I really did not want to ride the Hindenburg and decided instead to commute in another day and spend the evening with Ruth. Good decision :)

This morning, I learned once again that I was in the wrong lane. I kept up pretty well last week but today, they were zooming along. Fortunately we started with some sculling ( I can do that) and some kicking ( I can do that too) but then the set got hard and we had to do 100's on the 1:30 (1 x 100 fast, 200 build, 2 x 100 fast, 200 build, 3 x 100 fast, 200 build, 4 x 100 fast) Once I learned that, I looked around for another lane to escape to but the next one down (the one I SHOULD have been in) already had 6 people. So I was the caboose and hung on for dear life. I made it through and am pretty proud of that.

2900 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Work was INSANE and I guess that is the standard for Mondays. After work, I got on the Hindenburg (the Orbea is getting its new grown up crank set) and did some hill repeats on Roosevelt.

Bike Hill Workout @ 00:42:00

Interval 1 @ 04:17
140a, 155m
Interval 2 @ 04:13
143a, 157m
Interval 3 @ 04:17
145a, 158m
Interval 4 @ 04:20
146a, 159m
Interval 5 @ 04:22
144a, 156m

This morning, Jeff met me at 5:00 AM and we drove to Wenatchee to ride the Apple Century thinking that we could avoid the rain in Seattle.

The ride started off well and even though it was a bit overcast, the temperature was quite pleasant and I rode in shorts and a short sleeve jersey. At the last minute, I put my light jacket in my back pocket to ensure that there would be sun.

It turned out to be an out and back ride but what I did not know (and I did not read the ride information ) was that the out was actually up a mountain pass. We spent the first half of the ride riding uphill but the first 15 miles offered us a nice tailwind. As we rode to the rest stop at the top that was a few miles away from the turn-around point, the temperature continued to drop and the light sprinkles we felt throughout the ride turned into steady rain.

We pulled into the rest stop and got some food and water before heading back down the pass. I vetoed continuing the extra few miles to the turn around point because I was soaked and cold and at that point, my crankiness over-ruled my ego.

I pretty much freaked on the descent. It was steep and winding. I was cold and the road was wet. I lost a lot of speed and even though I talked to myself the entire time to calm down, I rode the brakes.

But the ride ended well despite my not making the best choices about hydration and nutrition. I spent some good time in my aerobars and visualized riding the Ironman course. We had a terrific time and it was a wonderful way to spend the day.

94 Mile Ride @ 06:00:00

Really nice swim in the lake this morning and it felt good. Of course, swimming back was a bit upstream but the toast, coffee and conversation was worth the tiny bit of extra effort.

Open Water Swim @ 00:45:00

Was in training all day and then rode my bike part way home before Ruth scooped me because I was just so stressed out from some ridiculous BS that had gone down at work.

10 Mile Ride @ 00:40:00

Had a really nice bike commute in on the Hindenburg. Did not get in anything else because of an all-day training and then baseball and pizza with Janarah after work.

12 Mile Ride @ 01:00:00

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank

Had a decent swim this morning but still trying to figure out what my place in the lane should be.

2300 Minute Swim @ 00:50:00

Then went for a run and turned it into a bit of a stair workout by running to Quest field and doing the stair/agility workout I had done a few weeks ago. Did the stair/agility circuit about 3 times before heading back for a lift.

4 Mile Run @ 00:42:00

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 15 Triceps @ 45
3 x 8 Biceps @ 15

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

Did a tempo-ish ride on the rollers this morning with 10 min WU, 20 minutes hard, 5 minutes recovery, 20 minutes hard and 5 minutes CD.

13 Mile Bike Tempo Ride @ 01:00:00

Tempo Interval 1 @ 00:20:00
127a, 137m

Tempo Interval 2 @ 00:20:00
134a, 145m

Was hoping to get to the gym for a lift but my day got too crazy.

This morning, I got up at 4:42 and went to Greenlake to swim with the AquaDucks. I got in the far lane thinking it was the slowest one. I was in there with two other guys and almost kept up with them during the kick set but once the real swimming started, I got dropped very quickly. It turned out that I was actually swimming in the 2nd to fastest lane :) and will probably not swim with them ever again even though they were super patient with pokey me.

Swim Team @ 00:50:00 (not sure of yardage)

Did not get a chance to get in a lift during work but did make it to Greenlake for a run. I planned a double loop around the lake and made it! whoop whoop. I am BACK. My HR was pretty high but I did not care. I was RUNNING again. My first loop around the race, I thought "only 52 more miles to go if I were running the Comrades Marathon" Yes, I am thinking about it... Ruth said that I could do Boston, and then run the course backwards again as a training run for it.

6.4 Mile Run @ 00:56:00

I had an ambitious brick planned but Ruth was wise enough to talk me out of it. Just because I felt better did not mean I necessarily needed to take on the world in one day. So instead we did some household stuff and then went to Madison to lounge in the sun. I doubt that dipping in the lake counts on my log even though we both learned that it is so much harder get in the lake on Sunday afternoon than 6 AM on Friday Morning.

Today was the first day I have felt better since getting sick 2.5 weeks ago. Not well enough to try to ride with Ruth and do her workout but decent enough to get in a long ride without feeling like crap the entire time.

I parked at Log Boom and planned to ride south around the lake. But the Leschi road was closed after coming down the S curves after the I90 bridge so I turned around and rode across the lake and did the long way of Mercer Island. When I got to the Bellevue side, I turned around again and rode the long way back again this time circling the whole island. I worked on keeping my pace, cadence and shifting up and even though it was not exactly a time trial, I did get in a decent workout. Finally, I finished the north end of the lake through Kirland and over Juanita.

The best part of the ride was running into Jeff on Lake Washington BLVD and getting a chance to chat for a bit :)

I am not feeling 100% but I am pretty close to 85% and that is so much better than a pretty long time...I call it good. Very good.

60 Mile Ride @ 04:00:00

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank

The first dose of the anti-biotics did not heal me completely as I wished they would but the pharmacist let me know that if this dose works, I will start to feel better in about three days.

Earlier in the week, Ruth and I declared Open Water Swim season has officially started. This was when I was thinking I was on the mend but I went to the lake anyway this morning to give it a try. Once I got in the water, I actually felt good and got in a good swim. Perhaps the numbing effect of the cold water was exactly what I needed. And coffee and toast after and catching up with friends was precisely the healing needed!

1 Mile Open Water Swim @ 00:40:00

Another rough sleeping night but I slept in this morning rather than go to swim practice. I was propped up enough to get an hour or so in before the coughing woke me up again.

Got in a lift during lunch.

WEIGHTS

UPPER
3 x 15 Pull Down @ 67.5
3 x 15 Row @ 67.5
3 x 12 Triceps @ 45
3 x 10 Biceps @ 15

CORE
3 x 1 Min Plank
3 x 15 Back on Ball
2 x 10 Lower Abs with Ball

Planned to run after work but ended up working late and continuing to feel like crap -- actually worse than I have felt the last couple of days. I have had enough of this and went to the pharmacy to get the anti-biotic prescription I had filled because I am pretty sure I have been sick long enough for it to be in the bacterial stage.

Again, another crappy sleeping night and woke up at 3:30 AM coughing badly. Biked into work on the Hindenburg and to an appointment on Capital Hill. Ruth picked me up after and drove me home because she was in the neighborhood after her ride around Mercer Island. My lungs hurt and I am so damn tired of being sick. Oh and to top it off, I now have cramps from hell....

20 Mile Bike Commute @ 01:40:00

Another night propped up on the couch and woke up coughing about every 1 - 1.5 hours. Had a good swim this morning -- and even had the lane to myself. Got in a lift at lunch and ran around Greenlake after work. Running was definitely the hardest and I was sucking wind.

2450 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

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 Back on Ball

3 Mile Run @ 00:30:00

I was very excited about getting a "bed wedge" yesterday so I can sleep in bed (I have spent the last week propped up on the couch) and possibly get a good night's sleep. My sleep has been terrible punctuated by coughing fits and it is really beginning to wear on me.

Unfortunately, the angle was not right and the coughing started about 30 minutes in. I ended up yet again on the couch and did not fall asleep until after midnight. At 6:30 this morning, Ruth was up and about, dressed in her Viking kit and making coffee. I retreated to the bedroom and was able to fall asleep again right after letting her know that I did not want to ride the Hills of Kirkland today. I just would not have been able to keep up with her, nor do the century distance she wanted to and it would have been a very frustrating day for both of us.

After almost two more hours of sleep, I am up again and ready to go for a ride on my terms.
____________________________________________
Had a good ride today from home around the South end of the lake, around Mercer Island and finally ending in Kirkland to meet Ruth at the end of her ride to get a scoop home. Definitely not feeling 100% but was able to push it a bit harder than I was the other day.

50 Mile Ride @ 03:30:00

It has been a week since my last blog entry and I did keep up mostly on my training log while neglecting my blog.

Fortunately, when I went to the Dr. on Wednesday, the diagnosis was a bad cold and not anything bacterial. However, the coughing has been persistent and is easily irritated by any effort. My first 3 mile run on Friday since getting sick was dismal and was followed by about 30 minutes of constant coughing. I have been taking my cough syrup but saving it for nights -- the last week of those have been spent propped up on the couch in order to sleep. I did try to go to bed last night but in less than an hour, this effort was awarded with consistent coughing that continued through 3:30 AM. :(

This week has been a good exercise in keeping my ego in check. I have been passed running and biking by those who appear to be the most casual of athletes. The two things I am able to do is swim and lift so I got in a lift yesterday after a very slow longish bike ride.

I did learn that my new work schedule will be 7-4 Sun thru Thurs and this means unfortunately that I will not be able to swim with my favorite team but will swim instead with Greenlake for the duration of this schedule. However, I will be able to swim open water with everyone on Fridays so that summer joy is safe.
_______________________________________________
Had a nice swim at Helene Madison and finished the day with some planking.

2900 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

CORE
3 x 1 min. Plank

I am sitting here on the couch under a blanket watching Ruth put her bike on the trainer to get in a ride this morning. I slept very poorly last night because being horizontal triggered coughing fits. I spent the majority of the night on the couch sleeping propped up on the couch.

I really have no idea if/what I will do today. It may end up being another sick day -- and my stupid voice is not yet back. So damn frustrating because I have things to say!!!

Because Jeff and I were both sick, we agreed to ride the 45 mile Tour de Cure instead of the century ride we had planned. The germs were repositioning themselves in my body and my voice was completely gone.

I struggled through the ride against my body and the eternal headwind. Despite Jeff's hacking up a lung throughout the ride, he was very sweet to me -- and sweetly and completely kicked my ass on the hills. Near the end of the ride, I saw one last hill and said "who is that skinny bitch race director who put this ride together?!?" :)

45 Mile Ride @ 03:30:00

Looking back, it was probably not the best decision to ride but it was important to celebrate our 1 year anniversary with Jeff and I do not regret it :)

I decided that chlorine would kill the germs taking over my body and went to swim practice with Ruth. It actually felt pretty good even though I was very very slow. After practice, I went to my last day at the store and home for a bit before heading to Marymoore to pick Ruth and her mom up to go to her event's wine and cheese reception. The CODRAL kept me upright even though I was beginning to lose my voice by the end of the day.

2000 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

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