Went to the Greenlake Swim Practice this morning and was happy to see that the lane I swam in last month was empty. I hopped in and did my warm up while only two others joined me (whoop whoop).

That lasted until the end of the warm-up when the coach came over and let us know that we were in the fastest lane (a rotation had happened since December) and we sheepishly trotted off to our appropriate corrals while some rather unamused very fit looking swimmers silently glided over and reclaimed their lane.

I was happy that the first set was a 10 x 50 kick and informed the group that kicking was my strongest stroke. They were more than happy to make me lead and I kept it as a reasonable 1:10. Later on in the workout, I was also eventually pushed to the front and did an okay job with it. I am going to try to swim with them for the quarter as it can be pretty convenient transportation-wise although the 4:40 AM wake up time is brutal.

2400 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Yesterday got out of control pretty quickly so I was not able to get in a run after my morning core/weights.

I did get in an interval run this morning on the treadmill. My interval workout was:

2 x .5 miles @ 3:45
2 x 2 minute interval (I did 6.8 pace)
1 x 5 minute interval (I did 8 pace)

5.5 Mile Interval Run @ 00:45:00

Had a good spin class. My goal is to have 400 calories burned at the end of class on my HR monitor so there is NO slacking for me.

Spin Class @ 00:55:00

Today, Yeff and I did our now annual Resolution Run tradition complete, of course with a drip. Looking forward to seeing the pictures from it soon!

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:31:04

Got in weights and core in the morning and then an aerobic run along the water in the afternoon. Was feeling a bit under the weather but decided to head out anyway. Was glad I did because I ended up having a really nice run.

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

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:50:00

Did an out and back Tempo Run for Christmas.

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:51:17

WU @ 12:29
128a, 135m

3ish Mile Tempo @ 26:22
153a, 160m

CD @ 12:26
138a, 160m

Had a nice short work day and started the morning with Core and Weights.

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

Got in a quick aerobic run around Greenlake in the middle of the day.

3.2 Mile Run @ 00:30:00

Got in my long run along Lake Washington. I was definitely under-dressed for how cold and rainy it was and felt cold the entire time. The run kicked my ass and not in a good way.

13 Mile Run @ 02:10:00

Got in some core and weights during lunch. I also needed a run but just could not handle being out in the world (who knows...) and did a quick 3 miler on the treadmill.

10 Min Core
30 Min Weights

3 Mile Run @ 00:28:00

Today was a special spin day because Tija, the owner of the gym I belong to planned an extra long holiday class. We started with 15 minutes of yoga and then went into 1 hour and 15 minutes of spin. I was looking forward to it all week -- how dorky am I...

It ended with red velvet cupcakes -- the kind that made me immediately forget how very badly I suffered the hour and half before.

Spin Class @ 01:15:00

Missed the first bus to make it in to lift and barely squeezed in for Core class but I made it.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

I got in an interval workout today. The good news was that I was able to do it on the Greenlake track. The bad news is that I forgot my HR monitor and watch so I completely winged it. I was supposed to do a 1 x 800 @ 03:50, 4 x 2 Min hard, and 1 x 6 Min hard. I made some quick adjustments to make up for not having a watch and did the following.

1 x 800
4 x 400
6ish (guessed) hard run along the lake

5 Mile Run @ 00:55:00

Swam with Katie at the Y and she patiently navigated a very sleepy confused me through all the bus/elevator/locker room maze to arrive at the pool a bit late. I started in the medium lane (of three speeds) and quickly moved to the slow when I could not keep up.

1750 Swim Practice @ 00:45:00

Our team had a holiday off-site at 12:30 so I could not go to my 12:30 spin class. So I put together a workout and headed down early to do it on the spin bike. Not a lot of fun, particularly since there was no music and the spin bikes do not have earphone jacks for the TV's. I made the workout with pretty short intervals so that helped. I got in a good session despite it all.

Spin @ 00:57:00

_____________________________________________________________

Spin Workout

5 Min WU
5 Min High Aerobic (alt 1 min sit/stand)
10 Min Hard Intervals (alt 1 min hard/ 1 min recovery)
5 Min High Aerobic (alt 1 min sit/stand)
10 Min 1 Right-Leg Drills (alt 1 min one leg/1 min both legs)
5 Min High Aerobic (alt 1 min sit/stand)
10 Min 1 Left -Leg Drills (alt 1 min right leg/1 min both legs)
5 Min High Aerobic (alt 1 min sit/stand)
2 Min Cool Down

Got in a quick weight session before core class this morning. Jon (pronounced Joan), who teaches this class appropriately named Abdominitrix was on a roll and let us know clearly that we were not to tattle on her for having music with swear words because she could make us suffer. And then proceeded to play music with swear words and make us suffer. Ouch.

Upper Weights @ 00:25:00
Core @ 00:30:00

Got in a short recovery run around Greenlake after work.

3.4 Mile Run @ 00:33:00

Today, I ran the 12k's of Christmas and had a really good time. I planned to do it as an 8:30-8:45 pace tempo run. This has been an especially difficult week so I went into it not expecting too much. Katie came and ran it with me so I was glad for the company.

At the starting line, I got in between the 8:00 and 9:00 pace signs and tried to avoid the HUGE guy in front of me who was stretching without regard to anyone else around him. Then the gun went off and so did we. It climbs right away and the first mile was 8:41. Then Katie took off and I chased her for the next mile, that turned out to be 7:12. I pointed out to Katie that it was unacceptable although we did agree that if I still had the breath to bitch while running, it was probably okay. The third mile climbed again and I stopped for a sip of Gatorade and finished that in 8:06. More climbing for an 8:16 mile 4. Miles 5 and 6 picked up again with some descending and were a 7:22, 7:46 respectively. We caught up with a guy who was doing it for the first time hoping to make it under 60 minutes and that was the point when I learned that was Katie's top secret goal too.

So after a tiny bit of protest, I decided to go for it too and took off running a nice flat mile 7. I put it in my mind that if I could finish under 60, then everything, everyone would okay. That last mile was a 6:56 and I pushed it hard to the finish line. I am happy with the results and yes, it will all be okay.

12k Run @ 00:57:42
7:44 Pace

Oh, and something odd happened in the recovery area. This young guy started talking with me and said I was a really consistent runner. He said he chased me in this race -- and had also done the same at the Seattle Half. That was pretty wild.

I picked Katie up this morning at 6:45 AM and we drove to Cougar Mountain for my first real trail run. I was pretty excited because it was so beautiful out there covered with a layer of snow that continued to fall.

The guys we met there were really nice and one told us that if we split up, they would leave fern arrows at all intersections so we would know where to go. And off we went, straight up a hill in a few good inches of snow. Within moments, I knew I was in trouble. They easily sailed up the hill, Katie right on their heels and I started to immediately to breathe hard and climb slower and slower. Katie waited for me at a flat spot and I caught up to her gasping for breath as the guys took off and we were on our own.

But we didn't care and had a really great time for the first hour and 50 minutes. It was just the right temperature and while it was more difficult because we were running through snow, I was very happy and loving it. It sure is very very very different than road running both mentally and physically. There were lots of trees and branches on the path weighed down by snow and we had to duck, leap and sometimes just slog around.

Then it started to rain about an hour and a half in and it started to get a bit harder as my feet got wet (for the first time, I was surprised it took that long) and the trails turned into little icy streams. We were both feeling tired (Katie had run 9 miles yesterday but I had no excuse) and were both ready to be DONE. Just when we said that, the end of the trail appeared right around the corner.

I am completely hooked.

10(?) Mile Trail Run @ 02:20:00

The snow today was so beautiful! Took the day off as a rest day because Katie and I are headed to Cougar Mountain Sunday morning to join the Seattle Running Company's trail run.

I did get my first pair of trail running shoes and am excited to try them out tomorrow.

Had a good core class today and then went for a nice run from work on the trail along the water to the "Happy Hooker" and back.

Core Class @ 00:30:00

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:50:00

This morning was the Seattle Half Marathon and I was not certain if I would even run it given that this week has been very difficult. Still a bit woozy from the "Simply Sleep" sleeping pills I had taken the night before (and the 2 nights before that to help me fall asleep), I drove down to the Mercer Arena (following the directions I wrote out the night before, yes, I KNOW I have lived in this city for 7 years and should know my way).

I got there early enough to score a parking spot a mere 4 blocks away from the start line (reminding myself that I parked near power thingees and the names of the street start with T) and headed into the race. Went to the start line with Stacey and Ruth and off we went with my just wanting to try to finish under 2 hours.

I took the pace easy and just let my body dictate how fast I ran at the moment. My quads felt weak and my muscles were just little jiggly rubber bands. While my speed was not there, I was able to take the hills pretty well -- probably a combination of the 5 lbs I lost in the last few days and not wearing my usual water belt that adds a few extra pounds. I did have a bit of a realization during the run because I just did not have it in me to race that all races cannot be a PR. Initially, I hoped to beat my PR from a few years ago, but there was no way I was in the space to do that. Sometimes, a race is just an event and the goal is to experience, not push to the maximum and that can be enough. I knew that this was going to be a different kind of race when I did not even care to pass people wearing pink shirts...

So I finished with a 1:55 clock time and I believe about a 1:52 chip time.

Then we went out to "Blunch" and I had 2 Bloody Mary's. The perfect recovery drink :)

Got in a very soggy long recovery run. We ran from Greenlake through Ravenna through the Arboretum to Madison and back. It dumped the entire time and even though the conditions were absolutely miserable and we spent way too much time ducking puddles and Husky fans, I had a smile on my face throughout.

10 Mile Run @ 01:40:00

Skipped swim practice and tried (unsuccessfully) to sleep in and ended up catching an early bus into work.

Went for a very easy run at lunch and felt good.

4 Mile Run @ 00:38:00

Today was a great swim practice day. Adele, my new favorite lane mate swam and was feeling really tired so even though she did blow me away per the usual, she at least did not lap me on the 400's. We also had a great 500 kick set in honor of a team member's birthday :)

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Went to spin class with the goal of taking it at my pace. By the end, I was very tired and had pretty much nothing left.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Also got in a quick set of crunches

2 x 15 Crunch with weight @ 00:02:00

Got in a lift and core class this morning before work.

Core Class @ 30 Minutes
Upper Lift @ 30 Minutes

In the afternoon, I did an interval run workout on the treadmill. I planned the following ladder:
2 x .25 (@ 1:45)
2 x .5 (@ 3:30)
1 x 1 (@ 7:15)
2 x .5 (@ 3:30)
2 x .25 (@ 1:45)

However, once I hit the second set of .5's, my legs and lungs were toast so I only did one .5 and one .25 at the end.

5.75 Mile Interval Run @ 00:52:00

Got to swim with one of my favorite lane mates today. She is fast and pretty much blows me away after the first 25 but it is fun to try to keep up with her. Not sure why she still slums it in my lane but I will take the motivation when I can.

2700 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Then went to spin class and I decided I officially like it. I was able to push it a bit more because of my shorter run the day before so I went for it.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

I made the decision last night to take the day off and use a sick day to recover a bit. But after a good night's sleep, I decided to just go in late instead. Got in a short run along the piers and managed to not get blown into the water.

3 Mile Run @ 00:28:00

Got in a lift after work too.

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

Had a family birthday party last night (this is three down, one to go) and we got in a bit late after hanging with Ruth's mom and Rolf for our nightly night cap and conversation.

But at 7 AM, we went to the pool -- easy to get to because of course, Ruth had figured out where it was and had a map to it. I was definitely tired and my goggles broke twice :( But I got in a swim before heading in for the family brunch and finally on the plane back home (sweet home).

1750 Lap Swim @ 00:45:00

Went to a memorial service in the morning and after lunch, we went to Forest Park for our long run. I had 15 miles on the plan to run and a loop of the park was 5.5 so I figured that I should do 3 loops. My first lap was not so good. I started out discouraged because I had to struggle a bit to fasten my water bottle pack around my waist and started the first lap berating myself for my weight gain. I also had pretty bad cramps so it was a miserable first three miles but then I got warmed up and got back a bit mentally. The temperature was warm but it felt much colder as the winds continued to pick up. It was also not super hilly but not as flat as the map looked like it would be.

I started the second one and figured that it would probably be my last and would be okay with that. But when I hit the third, I was feeling strong and decided to go for it.

When it was all done, I realized my pace was pretty good and was glad I got in the long run.

16.5 Mile Run @ 02:32:00

Got up early this morning to catch a 6 AM flight to St. Louis. Got in around 5 but did not get in a workout because we went to a family open house.

Had to be at the Tacoma Starbucks early this morning (got to tour with a District Manager to see the holiday transformation) so I missed swim practice. Well worth it -- extremely instructive visit!

Then after coming home and working for a bit, I finally dragged myself out the door for a run from here to and around Greenlake and back. Felt good once I did it and I was glad because I probably will not get in a run during our travel day tomorrow.

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:51:13

Got in an abbreviated lift and core class this morning but managed to make most of my muscles hurt. We did this thing in core where she said all we had to do was "move our ribcage to our elbow" without moving any other part of our body. I just never quite got it and it (and the fully mirrored wall) merely confirmed that I have the flexibility and build of a Lego.

20 Minute Upper Weights
20 Minute Core Class

Then got in an aerobic run from work to the West Seattle bridge and back.

3.7 Mile Run @ 00:35:00

Had a good swim practice after a rather stupid set of 75 IM kick/drill/pull/swim crap.

2400 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Then tried out the spin class at my new gym and it was a fairly decent workout. I did not push it terribly hard because my legs are still recovering.

Spin Practice @ 00:50:00

This morning's core class focused lower abs and hip flexors and I learned how very weak they are :(

Core Class @ 30 Minutes

This afternoon, I got in a tempo run along the waterfront. After repeatedly trying to measure the distance using online maps, I just decided to run hard (150 HR and above) for 40 minutes and call it good. I was also feeling a bit tired and gave myself permission to turn it into an aerobic run if I did not feel better after warming up into the run.

But I rallied and made it through. It felt hard and I am still feeling it in my lungs (a bit raw) but am pleased I could hold the HR and pace for that long.

7 Mile Tempo Run @ 00:58:33

WU @ 14:53
132a, 140m

Tempo @ 40:09
156a, 185m, 162e

CD @ 03:30

Rest day today but got in a lift before Monday's insanity.

Core @ 10 Minutes
Upper Weights @ 35 Minutes

I have now been in my new job for 2 weeks and am definitely experiencing some stress that (as is the usual for me) is taken out of my body. Love the new job but my learning curve is super steep. I read somewhere that starting a new job is like drinking from a fire hose and I sure am experiencing it. Almost everything is new (people, processes, IT systems and issues, etc.) and I am trying to learn them as quickly as possible.

I have been very tired this week and dragged myself through a couple of workouts -- and even opted out of doing one to try to get some rest. On Friday, I fell asleep at 7:30 PM and got in a solid 11 hours. It felt great!

So this morning, I had my long run and Ruth dropped me off at UW and I ran from there up the Arboretum to and around Seward Park and back to Leschi where she had parked and staged her run. Felt good the first hour but started to drag a bit the second and then really dragged the last 20 minutes. It was nutrition, I barely had a few sips of energy drink and need to wrap my brain back around drinking and eating for distance. It just does not seem that long to me and I tend to let it go. Lesson learned (again).

14 Mile Run @ 02:20:00

I think I need to re-evaluate my Seattle Half Marathon goal. It feels just a bit aggressive given everything else I have going on at the moment...

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

Got in a 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill during lunch. It would not give me my pace but the club manager figured out for me that I needed to run it at 7.7 mph. I set it at that and off I went... It was pretty hard the entire time and I even lowered the last mile to a 7.6 pace as I thought that 7.7 was a 7:43 rather than 7:47 pace. Oops....

5.5 Mile (4 Tempo) Run @ 00:50:00
4 Mile Tempo @ 00:31:59
163a, 171m

Went for my long run today from home and down and around Lake Union and back. I felt tired and sore 85% of the run. Especially the last few uphill miles.

13 Mile Run @ 02:10:00

Slept in until 6 this morning and went directly to work. Got in a recovery run before lunch and took it super easy.

4 Miles @ 00:40:00

Finished with some plank.

CORE @ 00:05:00

Got up this morning and went to 24 to swim in the pool. Still feeling a bit tired so my swim was pretty aerobic.

1750 Lap Swim @ 00:40:00

After work, I ran down to the track from home for an interval workout where I whined a bit to Cheryl who had her group there. She mentioned that she knows I don't want to hear it but now that I am in my 40's, it is going to take me longer to recover. She was right, I did not want to hear it. She also suggested that I do not go anaerobic on my intervals today but I wanted to do them in the time I am supposed to. I did talk her down from 1600's to 800's. But 5 of them :(

6 Mile Interval Run @ 00:57:42

Interval 1 @ 03:26
163a, 172m

Interval 2 @ 03:27
166a, 175m

Interval 3 @ 03:30
165a, 177m

Interval 4 @ 03:28
164a, 177m

Interval 5 @ 03:27
165a, 178m

Feeling pretty tired again today. Woke up last night at 11:30 and could not fall back asleep so I got up and watched some Law and Order until 1AM until I tried to get back to sleep again.

Got a roller workout before work.

12 Mile Rollers @ 00:50:00

Then weights in the afternoon but I definitely was not feeling super strong.

15 Minutes Core
30 Minutes Upper Weights

Last night's tempo run wiped me out. I slept in a bit and went right into work. After work and before my board meeting, I got in an aerobic run.

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:55:00

Today was the first day of my new job and I was pretty excited this morning about it :)

Got up super early (4:45) because I did not pack my stuff the night before and caught the bus to my new building -- and gym. I sure like the facility and got in my weight session before catching the core class at 7 AM.

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

Then the day took off and I did not get my run in at lunch. Instead, I took the bus home and changed quickly into my running gear and set off for a run -- talking myself into doing a tempo run when I hit Greenlake.

When I hit the path, I figured that it was about 3.1 miles and I needed to come in under 24 minutes to keep my tempo pace of 7:43-7:45. And I took off. And it hurt the entire freaking time. I had to talk myself into running the entire thing, promising that I would not have to run another step once I hit the light pole where I started. I made it around the lake at 23:46 -- a 7:25 pace because that loop is actually 3.2 miles. No wonder I felt like I was going to DIE. On the way home, I did lunges up the bridge on 5th where it crossed over I5. I looked like an idiot but I was too oxygen deprived to care. I am also not sure how to rate my tiredness. I hurt too badly to even think about being tired but I guess I was okay because I made it.

Tempo Run @ 00:45:00
7:25 Mile Pace (3.2 miles)

Lower Lunges @ 00:05:00

Today was a long run day (8-10 Miles) and for some reason (completely unrelated to being way over-served last night) my hamstrings were especially tight. We stretched before driving to UW and then took separate routes for our long run.

I created a very very hilly route for myself -- maybe trying to force the booze out of my body and ran up 24th to Madison and down that to MLK. Up MLK to the I90 bridge and rather than circling back, I went a bit further south and down the S Curves and then back up Massachusetts and climbing again to descend into Leschi before heading back. There was a lot of ascending and I was tired and I do ascribe that to last night's partying.

10 Mile Run @ 01:40:00
147a

Lower Weights
2 x 12 Lunges

Finally caught up on my training today. Opted to skip swim practice and tried to fall back asleep to no avail. Ended up running from here down and around Greenlake and back. It was a slow, messy sloppy run...

5.5 Mile Run @ 00:53:00

Then met with Cheryl and put together my training plan for hitting a PR (going for a 1:42 finish to beat my PR in 2004 of 1:44:07) at the Seattle Half Marathon. After that, got in some core and weights and called it good.

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


SEATTLE HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN
Paces:
1/2 Marathon 1:42:00, race pace 7:47, tempo pace 7:43-7:45 average, intervals 1:45 per 400 meters

Week Oct. 22-28
Interval workout 800-1600 meter with recovery =/- time (HR) or 2 minutes per 400 meter (total interval time 25-35 minutes). Add drills to warm-up
3 mile tempo - add a good mile warm-up, cool-down afterwards
13 mile long distance
1-2 times aerobic 3-4 miles

Week Oct. 29- Nov. 4
Hill workout (30 minutes of hill repeat of different lengths/recovery)
4 mile tempo - add a good mile warm-up, cool-down afterwards
14 mile long distance
1-2 times aerobic 3-4 miles

Week Nov. 5-11
Interval workout 800-1600 meter with recovery =/- time (HR) or 2 minutes per 400 meter (total interval time 25-35 minutes). Add drills to warm-up
15 mile long distance
1-2 times aerobic 3-4 miles

Week Nov. 12-18
Hill workout (30 minutes of hill repeat of different lengths/recovery)
6 mile tempo - add a good mile warm-up, cool-down afterwards
8-10 mile recovery long distance
1-2 times aerobic 3-4 miles

Week Nov. 19-25
Interval workout (5 x 400)
2 mile tempo - add a good mile warm-up, cool-down afterwards

Still feeling a bit tired at swim practice but made it through. Ended up being my only workout of the day because of plans during lunch (my team took me out for a farewell meal) and after work.

2500 Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Today inadvertently turned into a rest day. I was feeling very very tired and slept in rather than go to core and get in weights. My work schedule took off from there...and I declared it an official rest day.

This morning's swim practice was a bit tough. I had a tough time with technique and felt as though I was simply flinging myself from one end of the pool to the other...

2600 Swim Practice @ 00:50:00

I then went to spin class during lunch with the terrible instructor. I managed to ignore her and get in a decent workout.

Spin Practice @ 00:40:00

Was a bit tired this morning and felt it during core class and weights. I guess letting my ego get the best of me yesterday on Mercer Island may not have been the smartest move...

Core Class @ 30 Minutes
Weights (upper) @ 30 Minutes

Did a short recovery run around Greenlake after work. Was definitely tired and kept the pace super easy.

3.1 Mile Run @ 00:29:30

We had a beautiful drive back home and got on the bikes around 3 for a nice spin around Mercer Island with an intended pace defined as "leaf watching".

Partway around the long side, I heard an "on your left" and was dropped by a cyclist who then proceeded to drop Ruth, who was just ahead of me on her aerobars. Ruth said "Were we...?" I replied "Yes, we just were" and then something not quite in the spirit of the ride close to "Stop lounging in your aerobars and MOVE IT". This particular cyclist was a trifecta. She wore a pink jersey, white sneakers in caged flat pedals and a big fat non-aerodynamic mirror waving to us mockingly from the left end of her handlebars.

So much for our leisurely ride. We raced each other to the Bellevue side of the island and had a great ride leaving barely enough after yesterday's race to get back to our car parked at UW.

26 Mile Ride @ 01:43:11
______________________________________________

A big shout out and congratulations to our friend Duncan, who had a great race at the Ironman Hawaii World Championships with a rocking finishing time of 12:12!!!

Leavenworth 1/2 Marathon Race Report

This morning found us shivering at the start line of the Leavenworth Marathon with our coach, training friends and even a small team from Starbucks including my colleagues Laura and Jason. My goal was to have fun and enjoy the scenery and try to come in under 2 hours. I had not been doing any speedwork (well, one 3 mile run with a few fartleks thrown in last week) or any focused training for this race -- and most importantly, I am on my sabbatical. The race started at 9 AM and at 8:58, I was running to the side of a building because I had to pee so badly and there was a line at all the potties.

The run started uphill and I was happily going my own pace until Shane (who mentioned that his goal was to beat me once learning my goal) caught up with me and then paced me a bit harder than I was planning to run up the hill. We had a nice chat and at the turn around, I stopped to get some water and he ran by and dropped my ass for the rest of the run.

I took a look at my split at the 3 mile point (25:13) and figured that I was feeling well and I might as well keep going strong. I then started to mark my splits (Mile 4 @ 7:51, Mile 5 @ 08:27, Mile 6 @ 8:11, Mile 7 @ 8:10) and officially ended my sabbatical about 2 thirds of the way in (Mile 8@ 8:51, Mile 9 @ 8:40). Despite not training for this race, I decided right then I wanted to see what I could do and stepped up the pace a bit for the rest of the race choosing people ahead of me to catch, pace with and then pass (Mile 10 @ 7:43, Mile 11 @ 8:01, Mile 12 @ 8:02). It hurt and my HR was usually around 180. I told myself that 180 was the new 150 and to butch up and keep going.

When I passed the last mile marker, I thought "what the hell" and decided to last mile fast mile it to see what I could do (Mile 13 @ 7:19, Mile 13.1 @ :46). I was pretty happy with my time and came in 3rd in my age group :)

By the end of the race, I decided to train hard for the Seattle Half and try to beat my PR in 2006.

13.1 Mile Leavenworth Half Marathon @ 01:47:17.8
183A

After the race, we went back to our cabin where we were staying with our friends and then hit Octoberfest for some recovery drinks :)

Our friend, who has earned the nickname MJ (for MoJo) met some new friends -- three red haired sisters and their mom and got a group picture of them with our friends who stayed with us the first night where the 5 of us covered lots of important topics and drank way too much wine...

Had a late night last night but still woke up at 5:30 AM. Took the opportunity to get on my rollers and get in a quick 30 minute ride.

7 Mile Spin @ 00:30:00

Went for a long run in the afternoon to Alki from work. I was a bit tired but took it easy.

8 Mile Run @ 01:22:00

Woke up at 5 AM, an half an hour before my alarm was set and decided to head in early to lift weights before my 6:30 core class. After the class, I did a stair workout and did a pyramid workout with the 9 floors (1up, 2 up, 3 up, etc. and back down after hitting the top floor).

Weight Training @ 00:40:00
Core @ 00:30:00
Stairs @ 00:35:00

Got in a good workout at swim practice

2700 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Then got in a run along the water

6 Mile Run @ 01:00:00

Finally, got in a spin session after work with Ruth.

8 Mile Ride @ 00:32:00

It has been a long time since I blogged. I have really only had enough time to fill out my training log but not much else. I have been trying to get in 4 runs, 3 swims, 3 lifts and 2 bikes in each week and have almost succeeded.

Last night, I started to feel sick :( and woke up this morning definitely feeling sick. Katie and I went for a long run but I cut it short because I could not get my HR below 184.

8.5 Mile Run @ 01:13:15

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