Here is my good news...

Okay, I finally have some time to update the world on what is going on here in Colorado Springs. I have been very busy but not necessarily on the work out front. Though, I have had some great things happen there as well.

First I will start with the Turkey Trot 5k race report. In one word, awesome! That is how I would describe the race. We had beautiful weather which is quite unusual for this race. I believe last year we froze our hind in's off! This year though was unusually warm. A friend of mine and I decided to do the race. There were only the two of us but that was okay. We headed out fairly early, made it to the race and got our race chips. Race chips were a new thing this year. I ran into a training goals buddy. We chatted and did our warm up together. Though, we lost each other later. The race started at 9am and I was ready to go. The first mile I settled into a pretty good pace. I had done a tempo run the night before so I was trying to match that stride and I was doing a pretty good job of it. The second mile I was starting to feel the hills. This Turkey Trot is in a very hilly neighborhood and probably the hardest 5K course I have run. I walked for just a brief moment around mile two to adjust my shorts. They were kind of riding up on me. Not something a 41year old woman should be showing the general population! I then took off again because I wanted to conquer this course! The last mile was difficult but I kicked it into high gear and ran as hard as I could. I hit the .1 mile left and I tried to kick it up again. That was hard but somehow I managed to find another gear. My Garmin read 29:46 but my official time was 30:18. I was 22 out 67 in my age group! WOO HOO! That was the best time I have ever had on this course. In fact I got a 4 min PR. I felt incredible! My training goals buddy also had a great run. She got 3out of our age group! Go KP! My training from this summer is continuing to pay off.

After the great race, I was ready to talk to Coach L and discuss my 2010 goals. I also wanted to get an idea of how my 1/2 ironman training will go. I am a real control freak so not having a long term schedule is very hard for me. I love to tweek, compare, analysis, etc but that is not how Coach L works. She provides my schedule on a month to month basis. I have had to learn to give up some control and well it make sense since I hired her to help me train! Anyway, we got together and she gave me the big picture look of what I will be doing over the next 6 months. Let me tell you, I am so excited! I can't wait to start doing brick workouts, swimming, weightlifing and all that great ironman training. I almost feel like I belong in the group! So now it is time to follow through on my excitement and do the work! That will be hard but I know I can do that as well!

Another great thing is that Pro Cycling has finally gotten clip-on aero bars in my size. I will finally be able to get Sadie, my lovely Orbea road bike, ready for our triathlon adventure. I would love a tri-bike but it is not going to happen this year. I am hoping that when I start prep for 2011, which is when I will do my full ironman (Ironman Arizona), that I will get my tri-bike then! Hint, hint, Brad!

Finally, the next great thing is not fitness related. I have got a new job! I am so excited about this one. I have found my dream job and the company recognized the fit between me and the job! I cannot begin to say how ecstatic I am for this one. I will start my new job on Jan 4 and will quit my old job on Dec 18. That means I have 2 weeks to enjoy the holidays and do some great workouts. 2010 is going to be a great year!

Well, that is great news from this front. Check back soon, when I hope I will be able to post another PR race report from the Stocking Stuffer 5K that I am running this weekend.

Until then keep running, riding and swimming...

Great Things a Coming...

There are many great things happening right now! Great PRs, great life changes and many other exciting things! I will update with all the action very soon.

Until then keeping running, riding and swimming...

P.S. If you need Xmas presents for the cyclist in your life, check out this website!
http://www.sharethedamnroad.com/

San Antonio ROCKS...

Okay this blog will be a prime example of what not to do when getting ready for a PR! My team and I managed to do everything wrong! So please don't do what I do! First things first, my family and I lived in San Antonio from 1990-1996 so every time we go back it is like a homecoming. We see old friends, visit old haunts and gorge ourselves on the best Tex-mex in the world!!! These are probably not ideal conditions for getting the best out of yourself in the run. In fact often times the run is almost secondary. This year was no exception. We arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately hit our favorite Tex-mex joint for lunch. After that delicious meal we hit the expo and perused the area. We checked into the hotel and briefly napped before setting out to the river walk for more food and unfortunately loads of alcohol. Yea, I did it! I got blasted two nights before a race. What can I say? The stress of the last couple of weeks caught up with me and I overindulged. Whoops! I had a great time though!

Saturday I didn't feel great but I did get up and do my 20 minute pre-race run. I ran randomly through the streets of downtown and felt pretty good. My legs did not feel the lingering hip injury and I could breathe so easily! A good start! We headed out to get breakfast and again adventure ensued. We ended up walking all over downtown trying to find food. In fact that became the motto of the day. We spent way too much time on our feet and not enough time sitting back and enjoying the day. By the time the day ended I was paranoid that the PR was not going to happen. However, a good night's sleep later and race day was upon me.

My husband and friends dropped me off at the runners drop-off and I began the trek to the start line. I finally get there and I have to stop at the porta-potties along with everyone else. I am standing in line when the national anthem starts playing and the starting gun is going off. So much for starting with my corral, corral 13. I ended up starting with corral 20. This would prove to be very annoying when the walkers were in my way. Next time, leave earlier! I was feeling good during the first six miles. Unfortunately, I had to take another potty break! 7 minutes later I am back on the course. Around mile 9 I am beginning to fatigue. Right at the same place as last year. I briefly walk but then I begin to talk myself back into the race. I have to PR! Miles 10-12 were not great but I talked my way through them. I was not going to walk this year no matter what in the last miles and I did it! My final official time was 2:21:01. I had PR'ed by one minute, despite my porta-potty stop. If you take the stop out of the time I was at 2:14:53, which is what I had on my Garmin. That is awesome and I am over the moon about my time. Despite doing everything wrong I had come in and conquered SA! I now totally believe in myself and my running skills! I know that I have a sub-2 1/2 marathon in me and it is going to happen in 2010! Let the challenge begin!

I want to take a minute and thank all my support. Thanks Coach L for all the great words of advice! You are the best! Thanks to Diane my acupuncturist, you got me to the starting line 95% healthy! Thanks to my husband and friends, Nic and Den! You guys are the best cheering squad ever! I totally loved seeing you on the course and would have not been able to do this without you! I will post all your pics tomorrow on the blog! Thanks to everyone who believes in me. You make me the strong one!

Until later, keep riding, running and swimming!

Thanks Chuckie V on Xtri.com

Here is what we need to remember...

There are no shortcuts. Nor is there a hidden path to success (though there is a lonely one). There is no easy way. There are no "breakthroughs" in training (and if there were, they'd only come after long spells). Quite simply, there isn't anything that will help your cause other than old-fashioned hard work. The harder, the better. So roll up your (compression) sleeves, losers.

Again, in training---and life---there is work and there is rest. And if you want to reach success (a level of success beyond enjoyment, which itself is vital) you will need lots of them both.

--Chuckie V, There are NO Secrets, Xtri.com

How Do I Swim Again?

I swam for the first time in a couple of weeks and it is if I had forgotten how to swim. Is my form right? Have I always been this slow? Does the black line always feel this long? Can I cheat on this set without getting in trouble? Yes those were the questions going through my mind as I did my swim workout yesterday. I felt totally out of synch with the whole process. So I went back to basics. I tried to focus on my form and that included slowing down to make sure I was doing the right things. I did not cheat on my sets! I knew the only one I would be cheating would be me. Of course, I used Coach L as the reason but I really knew it was because I could not live with myself if I cheated! I just did the best that I could given the circumstances. Here is what the workout consisted of: 300 WU, 200 kick, 200 pull with buoy, 5x100 with 30 sec rest between (Here is where I wanted to cheat!), 200 kick, 5x50 with 30 sec rest between and 200 WD. Not bad for the first day back in awhile. I look forward to the next workout!

Prior to my swim I ran 25 mins. I also did the same thing on Tuesday. A short 25 min run at 5.7 on the treadmill. This should have been a recovery run but I could not bring my heart rate down when I was running so it was a little bit harder than a recovery run. During these runs my right hip felt fine. I have been doing everything that coach has said and I am starting to feel the difference. But that is not to say that I am not doubting the plan. My hyperactive need to do more is overtaking me. I am already looking at my total numbers for the week and can feel disappointment that they are not as high as in the past. Yes, I know I am recovering but it is hard to rationalize. I was enjoying the rush of the big miles if only mentally. So I am continually reminding myself that it takes discipline to recover and that I will be better off if I do what I am told. Let's hope I can do that! I will be emailing Coach L today to see what if any miles I get to do over the weekend. I have 2 hours and 45 mins on the plan for Saturday but that was before the hip. I still want to do it but I know that is probably not a good idea. Oh well, we will just see what Coach says...

Until later keep riding, running and swimming!

Hills make me stronger...

That was my mantra on my ride yesterday and I had many opportunities to recite it. I started from my house and rode to Garden of the Gods. I did one lap through the Garden and then booked it back home. The hills in the Garden can be quite intimidating but there is one small hill that really kicks my butt. It was on this hill that my mantra came to me and I recited it over and over until I kicked the butt of that hill! The weather today was cold but much nicer than the previous two days. I bundled up and just kicked some bicycling a$$! The total ride time was 1 hour and 12 mins and the mileage was 15.55 miles. I am so happy with those numbers. I have not lost my hard fought conditioning from this year!

In other news, my right hip is starting to feel better. After a conversation with Coach L we believe that it is my ITB flaring up. I am on the NSAIDs, foam rolling and light running plan for the remainder of this week. Coach L also agrees that I should not do the full marathon in SA. I am somewhat disappointed with this but I also don't want to lose the great fitness and speediness that I have acquired this year by injuring myself worse than I already have! 2010 is going to be a big year for me and I want to be on 100% for that! Good things come to those who wait right? Well, waiting is not the right word because I will hardly be waiting for something to happen. I will be training hard and making my own destiny.

Today will be a 20-25 min run followed up with stretching, rolling, core exercises and more NSAIDs. So until later keep riding, running and swimming!

Cold Weather Running is Here...

Today was a 2 1/2 hour long run but the catch was the weather. The temps were in the mid-20's. A slight wind was blowing and sleet was constant. The run started at the Colorado Running Company. I was running a few minutes late and just missed the training goals group. I ran another long run on my own. I ran on the Santa Fe trail to the North. Right now you don't run the trail south alone because of the homeless tent city. I found a pretty good pace and just tucked in and ran. I did an 1 hour and 15 mins towards the north. The weather was not a factor during this portion of the run but I had to be very careful on the trail because there were sections of ice. The second half of the run was running back south. At this point my right hip was killing me but I just wanted to keep going and get the run done!! The weather appeared to be getting colder and the trail was getting sloppier. In fact, I passed a very nice women who reminded me to be careful. I said thanks and then not less than 5 minutes later I fell on my ass. So much for listening to my concerned walker. I was hoping to run 15 miles in the allotted time for this run but things did not work out that way. But I did get in 13.49 and I matched my Colorado 1/2 marathon PR at 2:26,unofficially of course. By the time I finished the run I was caked in ice and could barely move my right hand. I had a hard time starting my car and then scraping my windows.


Despite the weather, I am very happy with this run. I had a great time and I am feeling very mentally strong. Now I just wish I could say the same about my body. My right hip is really bothering me and that is very unusual. I think I made the decision during this run that I am not going to do the marathon in SA. I will stick to the 1/2 marathon and make the goal to PR. I am not giving out goals times right now but I will before the race.


The rest of my week was not as good as today's run. I had a bad workout week but for very good reason. I was fighting a cold and a lot of fatigue. Monday I did a recovery run but the rest of the week was a bust. I did not work out again until yesterday. I am sure that this week will be better because I am feel much better. So here is to a great workout week.


On another note, Congrats to Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington for their repeat wins in Kona!!! And Congrats to Bree Wee for her great rookie performance in Kona. Bree finished 18th and I think that is awesome!!!!



Until later keep running, riding and swimming...