Went to swim practice this morning and had a good workout. Then Ruth worked a half day and we lifted when I picked her up.

2500 Swim @ 00:55:00

Weight Training

CHEST
Bench Press 2x12 @ 65 lb
Chest Flyes 2x12 @ 25 lb dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 20 lb dumbbells
Side and Front Raises 2x(2x8) @ 8 lb dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x12 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15, 2x12 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
2x12 Dips @ machine @ 110 lbs

LEGS
Abductor 2x12 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x12 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x12 @ 50 lb machine
Lunges 2x12 @ 10 lb dumbells

CORE
3x5 situps (sides and front) slanted bench -- really HARD!
3x1 min Plank
2x12 Back Machine
2x15 Captain's Machine
3x5 leg raises (sides and front) slanted bench -- really HARD!

Today was a travel day and I decided to just hang out in the morning with our hosts and drink coffee and chat.

Tomorrow will be swim and lift.

Ruth and I went for a 50 mile bike ride today. Just did it aerobic as we took advantage of the opportunity to ride in sunny weather. Felt strong and good throughout and at one point, we hit a bit of a headwind for about 5 miles between Saguaro National Park and another park I cannot remember the name of. At that point, I just embraced it, put my head down and enjoyed the fact that I could ride strongly into a headwind two days after a century ride :)

Today was spa day because our friend, Mae works at Canyon Ranch as a massage therapist and got us all deals on massages and use of the facility while waiting for our treatment :)

Ruth and I lifted while waiting and then lounged by the pool. The best news is that I was not the least bit sore or tired after yesterday's ride! I am just thrilled that I am fit to the point that I can ride a long ride like that without training specifically for it and not feel the least bit tired or sore at the end. I also know that another contributor to my feeling fine is because my coach grounded me a few weeks ago and made me cut down my workouts to 3 weights, 2 swims, 2 runs and 3 bikes. I have been good about following it (just not good about recording it in my blog).

Weight Training (no legs this time)

CHEST
Bench Press 2x12 @ 65 lb
Chest Flyes 2x10 @ 25 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
2x12 Dips @ machine @ 100 lbs

CORE
3x15 Crunches on ball
3x1 min Plank
2x12 Back Machine
2x12 Captain's Machine
2x12 each side seated torso twists machine

Did the 108 mile El Tour in Tucson today. Because of the rain, we did not get a chance to train much for it and the longest I rode in the last few months at one time was 50 miles. I went into it thinking that I wanted to make it in 7 hours and get the gold medal. But after my first pit stop, I re-examined my priorities and decided that I would rather ride with Ruth and have a good time rather than work super hard for something that I was not able to train for -- and take a long time to recover from.

So we had a terrific ride and met up with a friend of ours during the last 20 some miles who was really struggling with leg cramps and rode in easy with her to the end. It was a perfect ending and I finished feeling strong and completely comfortable (except for the entire "forgetting to apply chamois butter" part...).

Went to swim practice this morning and was invited by Julie to swim in the lane with the "big girls" (she and Ruth) because it was crowded in my lane. Because we were driving to the airport to fly to Tucson right after practice, I just did 15oo and got out early to be ready on time to catch our flight.

Swim Practice 1500 @ 00:40:00

We did a "lactic threshold" set in swimming today. It looked easy on the board but it was actually much harder than it looked!

2x
1x50 Fast Fly, 30 sec rest and 100 Free descend to 80%
5-10 sec rest
1x50 Fast Back, 30 sec rest and 100 Free descend to 80%
5-10 sec rest
1x50 Fast Breast, 30 sec rest and 100 Free descend to 80%
5-10 sec rest
1x50 Fast Free, 30 sec rest and 100 Free descend to 80%
5-10 sec rest

Did my usual Body Pump class at 24 during lunch. The instructor is still fairly new and does not do a terrific job with cues. Today she decided to do a new workout and was even worse with the cues but I got an okay workout in.

Tonight is the Compu Trainer time trial session with my team. On a side note, my HR monitor strap is mangled because the alien dogs we are babysitting thought it made a tasty snack....I think it should work for tonight but the teeth marks will not make for comfortable running :(

We went for a 50 mile easy aerobic ride today around the North end of the lake. Very cold all morning but we had to head out early because we had an early afternoon activity planned with our new "little sister".

Went on our favorite date today. A longish run and then lifting. We parked by REI and then I ran around Lake Union for a 7+ mile run.

7+ Mile Run @ 01:10:00
Av HR 140

Weight Training
CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 60 lb
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 22 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x12 @ 20 lbDumbbells
Upright Row 2x12 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x12 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips @ machine @ 120 lbs

CORE
3x15 Crunche
3x1 min Plank
2x 12 Back Machine
1x10 each side Side Plank with Rotation

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x12 @ 45 lb machine
Leg Press 2x15 @ 90 lb machine

Just swam today -- good plan because I was too busy at work to do anything else :(

Because I have been banned from swimming more than 2x a week, I woke up in the AM when Ruth got to go to swim practice and rolled for an hour in the bike room. Work was crazed again all day so we went to the 24 Hour Fitness north of here and I lifted while she ran. Then we did core.

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips @ machine @ 120 lbs

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
1x15 Supergirls
1x10 each side Side Plank with Rotation
2z12 Captain's Chair

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x12, 2x8 @ 45 lb machine

Slept in a little bit and then headed to work a long day. Took a rest day off from training. Well earned as it was my first in a while.

Swam with swim team in the AM and did nothing else. Good because I was pooped.

Did a Halloween spin with Cheryl and then Body Pump at lunch. Feeling pretty tired.

Boston Marathon Training

Dec. 4
10
Dec. 11
13
Dec. 18
12 km race
Dec. 25
14
Jan. 1
10
Jan. 8
15
Jan. 15
16
Jan. 22
10
Jan. 29
17
Feb. 5
10
Feb. 12
18
Feb. 19
11
Feb. 26
19
Mar. 5
12
Mar. 12
20
Mar. 19
13
Mar. 26
21
Apr. 2
15
Apr. 9
10
Apr. 17
RACE

Went for a long run around Lake Union. Did a detour up to the Howe Street stairs and went up them 3 times. First time, I ran/walked. Next two times, I toggled between walking every stair and every other step by flight.

Also wiped out in the middle of the Burke Gilman Trail -- apparently tripped over an air pocket or something. Tore my brand new running shirt and skinned my knee but managed to walk it off sans a shred of dignity.

9 Mile-ish Run @ 01:30:00
Ave HR 137

Went for an easy >aerobic bike ride with my team today :)

45 Miles @ 03:00:00

Then Ruth and I lifted in the afternoon.

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 17.5 lbDumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips @ machine @ 120 lbs

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
1x15 Supergirls
1x10 each side Side Plank with Rotation

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x12, 2x8 @ 45 lb machine

Just swimming today.

Swim Practice @ 00:55:00

Swam with Duncan and his pull bouy of death today. Spin class in the afternoon with Dina.

2650 Swim @ 00:55:00

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Slept in this morning and lifted in the evening.

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 17.5 lb
DumbbellsUpright Row 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 70
MachineLateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 1x15, 1x13

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
1x15 Supergirls
1x10 each side Side Plank with Rotation

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Lunges 2x15 @ 5 lb Dumbbells

Hamstring 2x12, 2x8 @ 45 lb machine

Swam this morning but definitely felt yesterday's Lift and CT session. No Emily :( Swam with Duncan and Gary and we did a broken 1650 as our main set with 10-15 seconds rest after 11, 10, 9, etc. to the end.

I got about 5 minutes of rest in between while trying to keep up and Gary lapped me a couple of times. Then Deborah got out of the lane next to me so I switched over even though Duncan told me I should have hung in with them.

2600 @ 00:55:00

Went to my noon 24 Lift class. First time I lifted since last Monday as my workout schedule really got jacked up last week.

Then I did a CompuTrainer session with my bike team and worked harder on the bike than I ever have! I saw spots at the end and my HR was higher than my running sprints (I came in 2nd out of 6 but afterwards many talked about this being a recovery ride for them -- sheesh!).

I learned that ride that I have a couple of things to work on. First, not getting psyched out. I was working hard to keep up with someone who I was constantly trading 2nd and 3rd place spots with. At one point, she was hammering and I did not have much left. I glanced over to her and she was actually sitting upright in her saddle and appeared to not even be trying! I got very discouraged and could not get myself out of that space.

Next, I need to work on standing -- specifically keeping my stroke smooth. When I stand, my stroke clunks and clunks. During my spin class, our instructor works on having us stand with a smooth stroke and I just need to get stronger on that -- and the core work I am doing should help too.

16.1 Mile Bike @ 00:52:00
152a 178m

We planned a long bike ride today. Even packed up the bikes, put on our gear and headed across the 520 bridge to do the longer Flying Wheels route. But the light rain seemed to get harder and harder and Ruth agreed to turn around because I really did not want a miserable wet ride and we had an afternoon party to go to.

So I did 45 miles indoors on the rollers and averaged about 16+ MPH.

45 Miles @ 02:50:00

Had a complete rest day today! My friend Matiele and her 1.5 year old son, Thane came up to run the Pumpkin Push but she got trapped in traffic.

So they came over for brunch and we had a fun time playing with Thane on the playground. Ruth helped him stack the fig newtons and powerbars from our training food basket :)

It was a beautiful day to do nothing at all! I even took a nap.

Went to swim practice today and then worked from home. Got in a 20 mile bike ride in after work hours but I did not feel particularily motivated.

Swim Practice 2700 @ 00:55:00

Bike Ride 20 Miles

Still recovering from yesterday so I slept in an hour and skipped swim practice. Had to go into work early to meet some of the deadlines I had. But made it to spin class with Dina who did an excellent job of kicking my ass.

Spin @ 00:50:00
147a 169m

Then did some core at home.

CORE
3x15 Ball Crunches
2x15 Supergirls
2x1:00 Plank on Ball (this was hard!)
1x Side Plank each side (extended arm up for 3 seconds, brought it down for 2)
2x10 Kneeling 1 leg and one arm out arm extension then curl under.

TRICEPS
1x13, 1x10 dips

8 pushups (damn I am weak! need to work on those)

Finally took the day off. Had a tough day on many levels so it was a good thing.

Just did Swim Practice today. Definitely tired!

Swim Practice 2500 @ 00:55:00

Did body pump at lunch and then a Compu Trainer session with some girls from my cycling team. I had never done anything like that before and it was HARD. It started out weird when everyone had to give their weight to Don so he could set us up. Not that I usually have an issue with how much I weigh, but I definitely felt odd outweighing everyone in the room by 20-30 pounds. Plus someone else's weight was accidently listed too heavy for them (actually my weight) and she made a bit of a deal about it until it was changed. But it was fine in the end because I did end up coming in 3rd out of 6 so I emerged with my self-esteem intact.

16.6 Miles on Compu Trainer

Went for a bike ride today with Ruth. Feeling very tired and not at all in the mood for wind and/or rain that happened.

35 Grumpy Miles @ 02:30:00

Ruth and I went for a run around Lake Union and then lifted. When running, I turned around at the Freemont Bridge when it was up for a ship so I got about 8 and a half miles in.

8.5 Miles @ 01:18:44

Weights were hard today. Drank some gatorade after the run but I was pretty shakey near the end. Also added weight to my chest and back exercises.

Strength Training

CHEST
Bench Press 1x15,1x12 @ 20 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 1x15,1x12 @ 20 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 1x15,1x12 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 1x15,1x12 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 1x15, 1x12 @ 70 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 1x15, 1x13

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
2x12 Captain's Chair

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x15 @ 40 lb machine

Very tired today at swim practice punctuated by Sarah completely kicking my ass on the 800 pull set, and everything else that followed it.

2500 Swim Practice @ 01:00:00

Because I was so tired, I took the rest of the day off.

Had another good swim today with Sarah and Gisela. We finished this with their new favorite -- 8x12 sprint.

2750 Swim @ 01:00:00

Went to spin today and it was a good workout even though my HR was recording a bit high.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00

Went for a run this morning around the neighborhood. I was actually nervous about it as I have cut my running way down and thought I might not be able to run at all. I ended up up doing about 7 miles and finished strong going S up Roosevelt back to my house.

7 Mile Run @ 01:00:00

Lifted weights during lunch and added obliques using the Captain's chair -- thanks coach :(

Strength Training

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 60 Machine
Lateral Pull Down 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 2x15

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
2x15 Supergirls
2x12 Captain's Chair

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 60 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 70 lb machine
Hamstring 2x15 @ 40 lb machine
LegPress 2x15 @ 110 lb machine

Had a terrific swim practice as Sarah kicked my butt the whole time. After WU, she had us go into a descending 1,000. Whew!

Swim Practice 2500 @ 01:00:00

Went for a ride after work around the South end of the lake. I underestimated how much light I would have and ended up riding the last few miles in the dark.

30 Mile Ride @ 02:00:00

Did the body pump class today at 24. No other workout than that.

Ruth and I rode the Flying Wheels route today from Marymoore Park. She did drop me on the hills and I got a little cranky.

45 Mile Ride @ 03:00:00

Went for a ride this morning with the team and was able to ride the Orbea because the weather held up. It was nice to catch up with everyone and what was even nicer was that I no longer have any anxiety about being able to keep up with the team.

42 Mile Ride @ 02:50:00

Emily kicked my butt today in the pool with a hard set at the end of the workout. After I did my first couple of intervals, she came over and told me to work harder on the fast parts -- as in she needed to see kicking, arms flailing and not much breathing :) I did a better job with my next intervals.

Swim Practice 2650 @ 00:55:00

Strength Training

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 17.5 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 60 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 2x13

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1 min Plank
2x15 Supergirls

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 50 lb machine
Adductor 2x15 @ 50 lb machine
Hamstring 2x15 @ 40 lb machine
LegPress 2x15 @ 90 lb machine

Took spin class today at lunch. Had a good workout as Dina does a good job with strength and intervals.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00
143a 165m

Got to swim with Sarah today and that makes me very happy as she is a strong consistent swimmer :)

Swim Practice 2500 @ 00:55:00

Then went for a quick run on the treadmill at lunch at about an 8:45 pace.

5 Mile Run @ 00:43:00
149a 158m

Went to 24 in Portland this morning for a spin class and then lifted.

Bike Spin @ 00:50:00

Strength Training

CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells

BACK
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 50 Machine

BICEPS
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 2x12

CORE
3x15 Crunches
3x1min Plank

LEGS
Abductor 2x15 @ 3 lb weight
Adductor 2x15 @ 3 lb weight
Glut Straight Leg Raise 2x15 @ 3 lb weight
Hamstring 2x15 @ 3 lb weight

Had to drive to Portland today so went to swim practice first and then drove down.

Swim Practice 2500 @ 01:00:00

Went for a nice run around Lake Union with Ruth and then we lifted at 24.

7 Mile Run @ 01:00:00

Strength Training
CHEST
Bench Press 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

BACK
1 Arm Row 2x15 @ 12.5 lb Dumbbells
Seated Row Machine 2x15 @ 40 Machine

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 2x15 @ 12.5 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 2x15 @ 12.5 lb Dumbbells

BICEPS
Hammer Curls 2x15 @ 12.5 lb Dumbbells
Concentration Curls 2x15 @ 15 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Kickback 2x12 @ 8 lb Dumbbells
Dips 2x12

Core
3x15 Crunches
3x1min Plank

Went on the Aurora Cycling Club "Meet the Team" ride this morning. It was good because the Aurora and Ti cycles teams are merging this year and I got to meet a few members from the Ti team. I went into the ride not knowing if I would continue with the team this year as I have never actually raced in the two years I have been a member of the team. With the new merger, there are racing requirements -- have to race 5 times. Yikes! But now I am pretty psyched about being on the team. The racing requirements will make me butch up and just give it a try. They are also having weekly computrainer sessions so that will be really good for me. Plus the final deciding factor -- the new Ti Cycles jerseys match my bike exactly -- red, black, gray and white. :)

The ride was an easy social pace. Because of the rain, I hauled out my old Rodriguez steel bike and and put fenders on it. I was slightly worried about not being able to keep up with everyone on that bike but was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was for me. I have come a long way.

28 Mile Aerobic Bike Ride @ 02:00:00

Today swim practice was a little crowded. At the beginning of practice, Julie invited me to swim in her lane but I chickened out (that is TWO lanes over). But then my lane started filling up and Emily moved me to her lane anyway. I just spent most of the time trying to stay out of their way. They were very kind to me :)

Anyway, Emily encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunity to swim with faster people so I will have a better mindset next time.

Swim Practice 2500 @ 01:00:00

Went for a run at lunch on the treadmill. For some reason, I decided that my comfortable aerobic pace was 8:30 so I set that on the treadmill for a 6 mile aerobic run. After my HR climbed and I started to struggle a bit, I ended it at 4 miles -- my ego put into back in its place. Then did some core.

4 Mile Run @ 00:34:00

Core
3x15 Crunches on Ball
2x12 Reverse Crunches
3x1min Plank

Took yesterday off -- my first rest day since my race so I was due :)

My focus for the winter is going to be to get STRONGER. I am tired of feeling like crap at the end of long races knowing that is my fault for neglecting my strength training. Of course, I will always feel like crap at the end of a long race but it will help my attitude to know that I took no shortcuts.

Had a good swim practice this morning. Emily had us do her favorite killer workout 4-6 sets of 75, 100 and 125 on the same interval. I picked the 1:45 but had to go to the 1:50 to make the 125 on time. We only did 4 of them.

Swim Practice 2500 @ 01:00:00

So today I lifted on my own before spin class and will record my strength training in my blog to keep myself accountable.

Strength Training
CHEST
Bench Press 3x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells
Chest Flyes 3x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells

BACK
1 Arm Row 3x15 @ 8 lb Dumbbells
Seated Row Machine 3x15 @ 40 Machine

SHOULDERS
Overhead Press 3x15 @ 8 lb Dumbbells
Upright Row 3x15 @ 8 lb Dumbbells

Started to run out of time here...

BICEPS
Hammer Curls 2x15 @ 12 lb Dumbbells

TRICEPS
Dips 2x12

Then did a 45 minute spin class with Dina. I like her classes because she does a good job with sprinting and leg strength.

Spin Class
143a 171m

Had a good swim practice today. Definitely feeling like this is a recovery week throughout the workout though.

Swim 2500 @ 01:00:00

Then decided to try a different workout for the afternoon -- rowing. So used the rowing machine at 24 for a quick half hour workout. It did not get my HR up but it was a good change of pace.

Row @ 5300M @ 00:30:00
5 min WU, 20 min harder effort and 5 min CD

Started on my weight training goal today and went to the 24 Lift class today -- something very similar to Body Pump I guess. My first time doing something like this ever and it was fine although I really believe that heavy things are what other people should lift for me.

24 Hour Lift Class @ 00:50:00

Went for a "hair of the dog" bike ride with Ruth today sans HR monitor. We drove to Marymoore and went around Lake Sammamish. I just did the short flat 24 mile loop while she and our friends (Terri and Dave) went up Tiger Mountain for a longer ride.

24 Mile Ride @ 01:30:00

I placed second in my division (officially third but the overall winner was in my age group so I have a 2nd place glass) at the Black Diamond Half Ironman race even though my times were not what I was hoping for as I was almost 20 minutes slower than last year! The racing conditions were ideal -- not too hot but sunny and beautiful.

Pre-Race
Race started at 9:00 and we got there about 7:00 and scored a sweet parking spot in Nolte Park. It was about 36 degrees there in the morning. Fortunately, our friend Michele came to support, nap and spectate with her Vanagon and turned on her Coleman gas heater so we had a nice warm place to hang before the start. I did not feel terribly enthusiastic about the race and unfortunately, I struggled with that mental state the entire time.

Swim 1.2 Miles @ 0:36:52
Water in Deep Lake was super cold! I felt strong throughout and was able to keep pretty straight lines while sighting. I did not get too pummeled in the water and felt good getting out even though my time was slightly slower than last year. I do think that Emily's coaching will help a lot this season.

Bike 61 Miles @ 3:33:38
The first 20 mile loop felt fine and strong. At one intersection, a very cranky police officer stopped me and the cyclists behind me (surprise as they usually give racers the right of way) and started yelling at us for not following his unclear directions. We had to wait at the intersection for about a minute or so. Then when we got started again, we were lumped together a bit and an official from the race rode up to us on his motorcycle and started yelling at us to break apart before we got penalized. Uggghhh. Finally were were able to get some acceptable distances between us.

I struggled (as I knew I would) up Mud Mountain and the last 20 miles of the bike were painful. Everything that usually gets rubbed raw hurt and everything that usually goes numb -- went numb. I knew I was way off my goal time and felt like I struggled with the wind too much. Or perhaps I just was struggling with myself. My mental state was lousy and I was battling my crappy attitude the whole time on the bike. I was grateful to get off it :)

Run 13.1 Miles @ 2:06:52
I started the run knowing that I was way off my goal time and did not feel like I had much for the run. In the transition area, some of the people around me expressed a wish to just go for the BBQ now and I silently agreed. I barely had a shuffle going at first on the run and had no strength/feeling in my legs. After recording some dismal splits for my first two miles -- and just getting more and more discouraged by them, I made the decision to just run because I liked to and not pay any more attention to the time. I kept a slow and steady pace throughout the run and ended up dropping a couple of younger women who passed me earlier on. I turned my mental state into just being grateful that I had the fitness to race continually for over 6 hours.

Finish @ 6:22:27
My friends Katie and Diana came to watch the finish on their mountain bikes. At about 1.5 miles left to go, I yelled to Katie that I was ticked because I was DONE at this time last year. She went back and warned Ruth that I was, indeed -- pissy. She also told me to focus on the person in front of me and try to catch them. Right after she yelled that, two guys BLEW by me. Glad they took her advice!

Then at the last .1 miles, she was there again and yelled at me to sprint to the finish line. I though, ARE YOU KIDDING? YOU'RE KILLING ME and unfortunately out of my very weary brain, it came out my mouth as "SHUT UP KATIE!". However, once I yelled it, I started laughing because I thought -- if I have the energy to yell, I have the energy to sprint and so I did.

Glad to be done with triathlons for the season! I am ready to hit the weight room and get some good winter conditioning in.

Took the day off of work to prep for my race on Saturday. Scrubbed my bike, put on new tires and did a 35 minute spin on the rollers to keep loose for tomorrow.

Did a spin class/treadmill interval run brick this morning. Did not take the tension all the way up and did most of the higher RPM intervals sitting. For the run, I did 4 (1.0, .75, .5, ,25) intervals at an 8 min mile pace with .25 walk between.

Spin Warm Up @ 00:01:36
110a 121m 104e
Spin Main Set @ 00:41:31
129a 155m 139e
Spin Cool Down @ 00:01:12
133a 136m 136e

Transition @ 00:02:45

Run @ 00:31:46
142a 163m 155e

Swim practice this AM was perfect for taper week. Drills, a couple 200's and some fly. Not sure of exact yardage but I did get lots of rest.

@ 2000 @ 01:00:00

Ran about 15 miles today -- my last distance workout before my race. Ruth dropped me off at Log Boom Park and I ran the Burke-Gilman Trail to Gasworks, over the Freemont Bridge and met her again at REI. Went into it feeling tired and a little on the edge of sick again. But finished strong although I was glad to be done. Kept my pace to 9:30-10 min. mile.

15 Mile Run @ 02:30:00
134a 149m

Here is my taper plan for the rest of the week:

MONDAY
Rest

TUESDAY
Swim and Short Run Intervals

WEDNESDAY
Spin Class and 3 mile run Brick

THURSDAY
Rest (if I can stand it -- I really want to go to swim practice)

FRIDAY (taking the day off of work to clean my bike and replace tires)
EZ swim and 20 minutes on rollers

Ruth and I rode the Black Diamond 1/2 Ironmance bike course today. The course consists of two 20 mile loops -- doing one twice. I needed to get in an over-distance ride in so I planned to ride each loop twice for a total of 80 miles. I changed my mind after riding up Mud Mountain and decided to only ride the flat half of that loop for a total of 70 miles to avoid being psyched out by how difficult that ascent would be on tired legs. Ruth pushed me hard up Mud Mountain and I stuck with her almost to the top. It got windy and I sure was tired by the end but I did it without a break (except for the short one so Ruth could shed her leg warmers).

72 Mile Ride @ 04:20:00 (16.1 MPH)
125a 164m

We stopped at Bonney Lake on our way home and I picked up two new pair of sneakers as mine are trashed. These sneakers will take me through the year of running -- the Seattle Half, Boston, etc.

Crap! I just checked my schedule and I was supposed to do a 20 minute run after the ride. Damn it.

Woke up to rain so Ruth drove me in to work. Went for my usual 6 mile aerobic run at lunch and felt good.

6 Mile Run @ 00:53:49
139a 160m

Emily had us complete a set of 100's that hurt. Badly. I had to leave a few minutes early because I had early international trainings scheduled but I made it through the hardest part of the workout.

Swim Practice 2100 @ 00:50:00
WU
200s, 100k, 200p
Main Set
10x100 on the 01:40 (Emily said that the next time I do this set, I need to do this on the 1:35 -- yikes!)
100 EZ
2x (50k, 75k and 100k) on the 2:00 (my favorite)
100 CD

Took my bike to work today. Plan was to ride home after work (actually, I ended up riding to our friends' house for dinner in the Rainier/Dearborn street area) and then ride back to work on Friday. Did not wear my HR monitor and took the long way around Mercer Island

17 Mile Bike @ 01:00:00

Brick went well this morning. Attended Spin Class at 6 and then went outside for a 3 mile run after and felt fine throughout. Also butched up last night and registered for the Black Diamond Half Ironman in two weeks.

Posted a couple of buff pictures of Ruth from on the run leg of her event last weekend on the entry from her race.

Spin WU @ 00:04:42
101a 122m 114e

Spin Main Set @ 00:41:43
135a 156m 133e

Transition @ 00:05:00

3 Mile Run @ 00:26:28
154a 164m 145e

Slept over 8 hours last night and am taking the day off again. Not as difficult as it could be because I am still just not feeling 100% or enthusiastic about my race. Coach wants me to register and do it anyway but I am feeling awfully ambivalent...

Posted a picture from the Super Jock and Jill Half in that entry day. Not a happy runner there...

Took today as a rest day as I am still fighting a cold. Email from my coach advising me to take the next couple of days off to recover and use the next two weeks to taper.

Went for a swim in Lake Washington this morning with Gisela. Very choppy and windy out! Then hosted Cherylfest in the early afternoon and was asleep on the couch by 5:00.

1 Mile Swim @ 00:45:00

Ruth KICKED ASS at the Black Hills Triathlon today. She placed 3rd in her division and has a mug to prove it!

02:45:54 Finish

00:18:42 Swim
01:38:06 Bike
00:43:07 Run

After we got home, I did a quick 10 miles on my rollers (ave. 20.5 MPH) and then ran about 11 miles doing my usual route from home over I5, up to 175th and back down.

10 Mile Bike @ 00:29:51
130a 142m 134e

Transition @ 00:04:07

11 Mile Run @ 01:48:06
140a

The weather did not cooporate with my planned PL to ride the Black Diamond Bike Course. So I put in 60 miles indoors on the rollers averaging 19.1 miles an hour for a little over 3 hours. After that, I still was not feeling 100% and did not feel like bricking it with a run.

60 Mile Indoor Bike Ride

Still feeling a bit sore and like I am fighting a cold :(

Ran at lunch but body and legs did not cooperate so I just did an aerobic 3ish mile loop. Taking tomorrow off to drive to Enumclaw and ride the entire bike portion of the 1/2 Ironman race as well as do a run after.

3 Mile Run @ 00:30:00

The race and long travel yesterday beat up my body and I am fighting off a cold. Worked from home and did a 20 mile indoor ride on the rollers at lunchtime.

20 Mile Bike @ 01:00:00

Legs very sore from the race on Monday! Went to swim practice and then drove to Portland for meetings and back in one day. Long day.

2000 Yard Swim @ 01:00:00

Ran the Super Jock and Jill 1/2 Marathon today as a training run. Hoped for a faster finish than last year (1:50:56 finish, 8:28 pace). I came in at 1:48:59 with an 8:19 pace. Of course I am being really ridiculous about it -- thinking I could have the same results I did at the Seattle 1/2 Marathon (01:44:07) without tapering or even training for it.

As evident in the splits, I started out too fast (sprinted from the porta-potties 20 seconds before gun went off) and really had to force myself to slow down. Then in the middle, I had to force myself to actually race it and did "last mile fast mile" at the very end.

So I am not terribly pleased with my results and am working on letting that go . Am driving tomorrow to Portland for work and may have to spend the night or may drive back that night. Ick.

Mile 1 @ 07:47
146a 185m 154e
Mile 2 @ 08:01
152a 156m 151e
Mile 3 @ 08:04
151a 155m 154e
Mile 4 @ 08:08
151a 155m 147e
Mile 5 @ 08:22
151a 156m 163e
Mile 6 @ 08:41
152a 159m 149e
Mile 7 @ 08:59
156a 168m 152e
Mile 8 @ 08:14
157a 164m 154e
Mile 9 @ 08:30
157a 163m 162e
Mile 10 @ 08:28
158a 163m 159e
Mile 11 @08:42
159a 163m 156e
Mile 12 @ 08:06
162a 166m 166e
Mile 13 @ 08:03
168a 173m 173e
Mile .1 @ 00:48
174a 178a 178e

Had a great brick today! Drove to Enumclaw and rode the Black Diamond 1/2 Ironman race route minus 10 miles for a 50 mile bike. Did both loops but where it looped again, I just rode out and back to keep it at 50. Kept aero a lot of the time but my lower back was beginning to complain near the end. I am most proud of the fact that I stayed in my drops and did not brake once during the descent from Mud Mountain. I had to talk out loud to myself the entire time though telling myself "You NEED the speed. Don't touch the brakes."

One big limitor for me is my crappy attitude when I get dropped on the bike. So of course, the ONE time I got dropped in this workout was when I was crawling my way up Mud Mountain. He just spun by me and had the decency to toss a hello over his shoulder. I just glared at him. :(

But I averaged 18.1 Miles Per Hour!!!! Then ran the perimeter of Deep Lake twice for a >3 mile run. I don't think my run HR are accurate as I really was not pushing it nor feeling really stressed. But I recorded them just in case.

50 Mile Bike @ 02:43:42
133a 159m 116e

Transition @ 00:05:13

1st 1.4 Mile Run @ 00:12:53
167a 185m 90e
2nd 1.4 Mile Run @ 00:12:54
138a 204m 178e

Swam Lake Washington this morning with Gisela and gang. Uneventful swim, did it just under aerobic and felt good. Did not run in the afternoon as I needed the time off for my legs after the last 4 days.

2000 Yard Open Water Swim

In swimming, we did a set of 5x500's. The evens were stroke/drill and odds were effort at 70%, 80% and 90%. My 5th one was a 7:50 and that put me at a 1:34 pace for my 100's. Not terribly impressive and I am a little bummed.

2700 Swim @ 01:00:00

Had a great bike after work today! Did the south end of the lake from work and spun like a hummingbird up the inclines. The taper weekend really paid off as I have felt good on all my workouts this week.

29 Mile Bike @ 01:45:00

Did an indoor brick this morning. Spin class and then a 2 mile run on the treadmill. My legs are beginning to feel the last few days and I am glad to be off of them for the rest of the day.

Spin Class @ 00:50:00
Main Set
143a 185m (I don't think I really hit that max -- interference with anothe HR monitor) 138e

Transition to Run @ 00:02:41

2 Mile Run @ 00:17:44
147a 154m 151e

Good swim workout this morning. Emily made up a set of 50's that were pretty challenging. It was a ladder -- we had to do 2x50 in 2 minutes. No problem, right? Not exactly....

2x50 @ .45, 1.15
2x50 @ .50, 1.10
2x50 @ .55, 1.05
2x50 @ 1, 1
2x50 @ .55, 1.05
2x50 @ .50, 1.10
2x50 @ .45, 1.15

Then we did a 10 minute swim for distance. I did a 625. Then we had a short rest and had to do a 5 minute swim at a distance more than half of what we did our 10 minute swim on. I did a 350.

2600 Swim @ 01:00:00

My 12:00 meeting was cancelled today so I ran over to 24 to get in a treadmill tempo run.

WU .5 miles @ 09:00 Pace
Tempo 4 miles @ 08:00 Pace
156a 165m 165e
CD .25 mile Walk

Did a tempo bike after work on my rollers today. It was supposed to be a rest day but I do not think I am going to have the time to get in a ride tomorrow because we have plans after work.

@ 13 Mile Bike Ride @ 00:50:07

WU - 10 Minutes
99a 108m 101e
Tempo Set 35 Minutes @ 22 MPH
141a 153m 152e
CD - 5 Minutes
119a 152m 109e

Did the Puget Sound Blood Center 2.25 mile swim this morning with Ruth and Gisela. The swim was rather easy because we had to stay in packs with the boat so I swam slower and rested more.

2.25 Mile Swim
01:15:00

This is my recovery weekend and I sure need it. Woke up today with achey legs. Not sure why as I even skipped my bike interval workout on Tuesday. Had a 25 mile ride planned for today and it turned into 35 miles aerobic just because the route went longer than I thought.

Had to take my car into Costco on 4th Street to get my tire repaired. Took my bike with me and rode the South end of the lake after dropping my car off. Legs felt better than yesterday but are looking most forward to a couple of days off of them.

Tomorrow is the Puget Sound Blood Center Open Water Swim.

35 Miles @ 02:10:00
120a 155m

Slept in this morning it and felt wonderful! Flip flopped my swim and run to accomodate a 2.5 mile swim on Sunday Ruth and I plan to do. Worked from home today to be available to let the plumber and electrician in. Ran @ 6 miles from home at lunch from our house to around Greenlake and back up that most unpleasant hill home again.

6 Mile Run @ 00:56:00

Had a butt-kicking in swim practice this morning. Emily had us do a workout that was a 4x (75, 100 and 125) all on the same interval. The idea was that the 125 was really pushing it and the 75 was then the recovery. I made each interval on the 1:50 -- and then she challenged me to do my last 125 on the 1:45. I was 2 seconds off with a 1:47 but felt really good.

Could not brick it because I had an 8:30AM London training so my bike will be after work.

Swim Practice 2750 @ 01:00:00

Rode around the South end of the lake after work. Just took it really slow and easy -- felt tired throughout.

Bike Ride 30 Miles @ 02:00:00

Did one of the very best interval runs ever with Katie this morning. Katie strategized some ridiculous times for us (1:40, 3:25, 5:30 ending with a 1:40 quarter)-- which I just happily did not really pay attention to before so I did not know how much of a butt kicking was in store for me.

Ruth and I did our usual jog to the track from the pool parking lot. Then Katie and I did 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 200 -- descending the way down the ladder/pyramid.

WU @ 18:30
131a 1440m 108e
Interval 1 - .25 @ 00:01:41.9
142a 162m 162e
Interval 2 - .5 @ 00:03:26:6
157a 169m 168e
Interval 3 - .75 @ 00:05:24:9
159a 168m 167e
Interval 4 - .75 @ 00:05:15:1
159a 172m 171e
Interval 5 - .5 @ 00:03:24:6
159a 174m 173e
Interval 6 - .25 @ 00:01:35.1
151a 168m 167e

Terrific swim workout his morning! I swam with Sarah and she kept us right on pace. The best part of the swim was the set of 2x(3x100's) she had us do on a 2:00 interval so we got plenty of rest -- but had to push it.

I did the first set on 1:27-1:28 and hit the second set on 1:25's. We usually do these on the 1:35-1:40 interval so I was psyched! Working on extending my arms and not breathing right off the wall.

Swim Practice 2750 @ 01:00:00

Planned to do a ride after work with Ruth but I just did not feel up to it -- been sneezing a lot and feeling a bit burned out. So I curled up on the couch with the new Harry Potter book while Ruth went on her ride solo. Of course that was the evening for her to have flatted twice and our phone carrier to mysteriously not accept any incoming calls from her. Fortunately, Katie came to her rescue and brought her home.

Woke up at 4:30 this morning so we could be at Sayer Park in time to park before the roads closed for our volunteer shift at the Danskin Triathlon. Ruth volunteered at midnight hour registration, and I was a swim angel for the third year in a row. As always, had a blast and loved every minute of it.

Then I strapped on my running shoes, water bottle holder and ran the 11ish miles home from there. I am grateful to be done working out for the week and look very forward to a well earned rest day tomorrow.

11 Mile Long Run
134a 152m

Instead of swimming the Emerald City Swim, Ruth talked me into swimming across Greenlake with her early in the morning and saving $35 dollars :)

Then she went off to volunteer at the Danskin Expo for the day and I took off on my bike for a hilly Cascade bike ride around North Seattle. The bike ride was really challenging for me -- brisk pace and we covered 45 miles. I rode 12 miles to meet them at Log Boom (Cheryl, I saw you running but not fast enough to yell), rode the ride with them and then to SandPoint where I drove Ruth's car home. Thank goodness because I was in no shape to ride any more hills.

63 Mile Bike Ride

It's been a long week...so I hit the alarm at 5:00 and skipped our open water swim -- and we slept in until almost 7:00.

Went for my usual aerobic run at lunch today.

6 Mile Aerobic Run @ 00:52:45
144a 163m

Planning to do the Emerald City Open Water Swim tomorrow morning at Seward Park and then hopping on my bike to do my planned 50 mile mile ride.

This morning's swim was good. Emily had us work on breathing, IM strokes and kicking.

2500 Yard Swim @ 01:00:00

Went for a spin around Mercer Island today. Did E and W Mercer Way tempo pace.

WU 00:24:41
127a 160m 150e
Tempo 00:33:04
149a 160m 132e
CD 00:15:31
132a 162m 96e

Got up early this morning to do my bicycle interval workout on the rollers. My bike's rear tire had a flat so I changed the tube and checked the tire for damage. I found nothing so I replaced the tube and started to roll. Within 15 minutes, the tire was flat again.

Took it to Gregg's and got it fixed after a couple of tries so I was able to get my workout in after work. Had a tough time hitting the lap timer while on the rollers so the intervals are not exact but I did improve my speed with each one.

As I write this, my legs are a little tired -- surprising because I really did not feel like this workout was this hard. It almost felt silly because I do interval runs like this workout and it felt like I was not working hard/long enough.

12.5 Mile Interval Bicycle @ 00:40:00
WU 5 Miles @ 18:92
110a 122m 115e
Interval 1 - 1 Mile @ 00:02:18
138a 153m 153e
.25 Mile Recovery @ 00:01:11
133a 153m 118e
Interval 2 - 1 Mile @ 00:02:11
144a 158m 158e
.25 Mile Recovery @ 00:01:38
130a 158m 112e
Interval 3 - 1 Mile @ 00:02:11
145a 161m 161e
.25 Mile Recovery @ 00:01:24
133a 153m 118e
Interval 4 - 1 Mile @ 00:02:08
147a 162m 162e
.25 Mile Recovery @ 00:01:25
137a 162m 117e
Interval 5 - 1 Mile @ 00:02:12
148a 164m 164e
CD @ 00:01:11
129a 164m 110e

Had a hard time this morning getting into swim practice. But Emily gave me the suggestion of remembering to extend further in my stroke -- and told us all that we needed to take a stroke after our flip turn before we breathe for optimal speed. So I focused on that today.

2600 yard Swim @ 01:00:00

Did my 4 mile tempo run this afternoon and it did kick my butt. But I suppose in a good way...

WU 1 Mile @ 09:19
132a 146m 142e

Main Set 4 Miles @ 32:00 (8 Minute Pace)
163a 170m 170e

CD .25 Miles @ 04:23 Walk
132a 170m 118e

Went for a terrific ride today! Ruth planned a route from Marymoore up and around Tiger Mountain and back. It was 43 miles and had some really good climbing in it. Unfortunately, about 30 miles into it, I bonked. Had not eaten anything nor hydrated and the temperature on my bike computer read 98 degrees. It was hot and I do not do well in the heat.

43 Mile Bike Ride @ 02:45:00

Long run today - from my house and did a double Greenlake and back.

9 Miles @ 01:25:00
143a 159m

This morning's swim kicked my butt! The water was quite choppy on the way to Mercer Island and I was the last person coming in (of those who swam all the way across and back). Stacy was kind enough to kayak next to me on my way back -- as well as point me to the other side of the bridge where the water was much smoother and I could actually focus on my stroke -- not trying to not swallow the lake...

Fortunately, I have NOTHING else planned today as I am pooped.

3+ Mile Swim @ 01:50:00

Slept poorly last night (good thing Ruth is coming home tomorrow night...) so I re-set my alarm when it went off and slept through swim practice. Not too bad a decision with my swim team's annual 3 mile open water swim across Lake Washington and back ahead of me tomorrow morning :)

Biked around Mercer Island at lunch today. Hit the wrong button on my HR monitor and lost my information but the tempo portion of my bike was 149 average HR. I kept the gearing and cadence up and I felt quite strong throughout.

Did an aerobic run today instead of the planned interval/tempo run because of yesterday's workout.

5 Mile Run @ 00:45:00
144a 158m

Another fine ass-kicking from Sarah in the pool today.

Swim Practice -- 2500 @ 01:00:00

Met the Luna Chix group after work at Beaver Lake to do a mini-tri practice on the Beaver Lake Triathlon Course. I ended up doing racing the entire distance: 1/4 mile swim, 13.8 mile bike and 4.3 mile run at a race pace for the swim and run, and mostly race pace for the bike when traffic did not get in the way. I forgot to pack my HR monitor so I have no idea of my HR throughout. Good hill climb on the bike portion (whew) and I felt very strong on the run so it was good to feel good again.

Did the Tour De Peaks ride today. Nice ride with beautiful scenery and little traffic.

62 Miles @ 04:00:00

Did a tempo-ish ride around Lake Sammamish today.

24 Mile Bike Ride @ 01:20:00

Beautiful swim this morning in the lake with the gang.

Lake Swim 1.2 Miles @ 00:45:00

Did an aerobic run at lunch today. Felt sluggish but I bet that was because of the heat.

6 Miles @ 00:53:00
141a 160m

Charlie coached our swim practice today. Middle distance freestyle. In part of the main set, we were supposed to do 6x200 with the slowest person in the lane getting 5-10 seconds rest. I swam alone but pretended that I was leading a slower person in the lane so I took 15 seconds rest to let them catch up. Consistently held 3:15 so my interval was 3:30.

Swim Practice 2700 @ 01:00:00

Went for a very short bike ride after work today

Bike Ride 13 Miles @ 01:00:00

Did an Interval Run this AM at the Greenlake Track with Ruth. Ran 8 quarter miles and walked/jogged 1/8 of a mile inbetween.

5 Mile Interval Workout
WU @ 00:16:13
154a 131e
Interval 1 @ 01:39:2
155a 169m 169e
Interval 2 @ 01:40:7
152a 170m 170e
Interval 3 @ 01:39:5
154a 171m 171e
Interval 4 @ 01:38:8
156a 172m 172e
Interval 5 @ 01:39:6
152a 171m 171e
Interval 6 @ 01:40:6
154a 172m 172e
Interval 7 @ 01:39:3
157a 173m 173e
Interval 8 @ 01:38:6
155a 173m 173e

Took the entire day off and did nothing. Nada.

We ran the Mercer Slough this AM. Even though I had a very light training weekend, my legs were quite tired and Ruth dropped me on one of the hills.

Run 6+ Miles @ 00:56:51
133a 158m

EZ ride from Bellevue to the the UW area for dinner with friends. Not feeling too spunky.

Bike 15 miles @ 01:00:00