Wow. I made it through a tough weekend and I'm okay. Tired though...for now. I tend to bounce back quickly.
Saturday I swam 13 x 200 (about 1.6 miles), then biked 3 hours (~49), then ran 5.5. That took about 5 hours and it was HOT. The sun = no mercy. That was tough and I felt like toast. It was slightly upsetting...just because it was hard in the heat. The heat index ended up being 107 that day.
Sunday was scheduled for an 18 mile run - my first ever! I did it!!! Just finished a little over an hour ago. Topped that off with my Hammer Recoverite (which I'm obsessed with drinking immediately after this workouts - convinced it will help me feel better during recovery. It gets a ratio of carbs/protein back in the body quickly as cells start repairing after the trauma).
You can see my run route by the title link...it actually came out to 17.5 on that and then I ran and extra 1/2 mile along Lake Lenexa at the end. And if you know that area, it is HILLY on Prairie Star Pkwy. Really hilly. My Louisville tri friend Mike C ran 'with' me though he is faster and did 16. That helped. I didn't actually use my iPod till I had about 3 miles left.
The fatigue started to creep in at mile 11...then had 3 big hills (about a half mile each) finishing it off heading west. But once I have about 2 miles left, I perk up again and feel better. I did walk a little more each mile for 2 miles between 14-16. Even with all that walking, my avg was under 12 min/mile.
Okay so race day, I'd "only" have 8 more miles to go!!!! Ack :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
How you doin'?
Very well thank you!
Last weekend when I was running, a totally random thought popped into my head. "You are stronger than you realize. You are stronger than you know." That is really all I need to know.
There are some workouts where I have to drag myself out there and don't feel so hot, but there are many where I feel fantastic too. Basically in a nutshell, I feel like I can do this! I do my best to keep a positive attitude, and hope a self-fulfilling prophecy will take it from there :)
I feel a 'strange' sense of calm. Am I nervous? Of course. I always try to be a realist - and I certainly realize that Ironman is going to be a LONG and tiring day. Bad things could happen. Or not. I will likely be cranky at times, and maybe will want to cry. It will be up and down, and with each down I have to remember there is something good around the corner.
I have no idea what will happen, and it is out of my control. If obstacles get in my way, I'll figure out a way over them any way I can. All I can do is prepare, the best way to do that is doing what my coaches tell me and trusting them. So that is what I do. Keep it simple.
Had a good swim technique session with my coach Kathy last Friday. A couple of things I didn't know about...worked them in today and it feels a lot different, and faster. Could I be on the verge of a swim breakthrough? I hope so!
Carrying on...tomorrow is Shawnee Mission Triathlon. Short course :)
Last weekend when I was running, a totally random thought popped into my head. "You are stronger than you realize. You are stronger than you know." That is really all I need to know.
There are some workouts where I have to drag myself out there and don't feel so hot, but there are many where I feel fantastic too. Basically in a nutshell, I feel like I can do this! I do my best to keep a positive attitude, and hope a self-fulfilling prophecy will take it from there :)
I feel a 'strange' sense of calm. Am I nervous? Of course. I always try to be a realist - and I certainly realize that Ironman is going to be a LONG and tiring day. Bad things could happen. Or not. I will likely be cranky at times, and maybe will want to cry. It will be up and down, and with each down I have to remember there is something good around the corner.
I have no idea what will happen, and it is out of my control. If obstacles get in my way, I'll figure out a way over them any way I can. All I can do is prepare, the best way to do that is doing what my coaches tell me and trusting them. So that is what I do. Keep it simple.
Had a good swim technique session with my coach Kathy last Friday. A couple of things I didn't know about...worked them in today and it feels a lot different, and faster. Could I be on the verge of a swim breakthrough? I hope so!
Carrying on...tomorrow is Shawnee Mission Triathlon. Short course :)
Monday, July 5, 2010
First 16 Mile Run ever!
Continuing my effort to document the experience leading up to Ironman to keep the memories...
Sunday July 4th - a new milestone for me. Set out a little after 7 am for a solo 16 mile run, my longest ever! I made sure the route had plenty of places to get water or make a pit stop. Headed west for 6 miles and then jumped on the JoCo trail system and ended up just south of SM Park. The trail was looking gorgeous...I always appreciate having that amenity.
Split the run into halves and took the second half in 2 mile & mile by mile chunks. I was pretty exhausted. It was probably just "one of those days" where I was tired to begin with. Last week my 14 mile run was a little better, but my legs were pretty tired at the end.
Mentally, I hung in there and toughed it out. Couldn't help but think...at Louisville I'll still have 10 miles to go! Funny how that seemed hard, but possible at the same time. There were times I just had to throw pace out the window and relax...focused more on keeping on instead of how fast I was going.
I'm officially in territory I've never been before. I've biked a Century before (4 times now) but have never run a marathon. *THAT* is the part that has made me a little nervous - the long run. At least while biking I have my machine under me...with running it is all you and only you.
I've heard friends refer to the "Pain Bank" and yesterday I had some deposits. I just felt totalled.
Perspective is changing though. You complete a long workout and know you can get through it. It hurts, but then the next day you are back to normal. Ibuprofin helps!
Sunday July 4th - a new milestone for me. Set out a little after 7 am for a solo 16 mile run, my longest ever! I made sure the route had plenty of places to get water or make a pit stop. Headed west for 6 miles and then jumped on the JoCo trail system and ended up just south of SM Park. The trail was looking gorgeous...I always appreciate having that amenity.
Split the run into halves and took the second half in 2 mile & mile by mile chunks. I was pretty exhausted. It was probably just "one of those days" where I was tired to begin with. Last week my 14 mile run was a little better, but my legs were pretty tired at the end.
Mentally, I hung in there and toughed it out. Couldn't help but think...at Louisville I'll still have 10 miles to go! Funny how that seemed hard, but possible at the same time. There were times I just had to throw pace out the window and relax...focused more on keeping on instead of how fast I was going.
I'm officially in territory I've never been before. I've biked a Century before (4 times now) but have never run a marathon. *THAT* is the part that has made me a little nervous - the long run. At least while biking I have my machine under me...with running it is all you and only you.
I've heard friends refer to the "Pain Bank" and yesterday I had some deposits. I just felt totalled.
Perspective is changing though. You complete a long workout and know you can get through it. It hurts, but then the next day you are back to normal. Ibuprofin helps!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Ironman Training - BIG training weekend
One of my biggest training weekends yet. I was kind of nervous going into it, but I made it!
Saturday: 14 mile run. HUMID! Felt pretty good considering, but with the heat I slowed it down a little bit. Didn't want to get too nutty before...
Sunday: Amelia Earhart CENTURY ride followed by short run! Atchison, KS
Okay this is what I was most nervous about. It had been years...7+ or maybe 9?...since I did the MS 150 ride, which included a century. I did that ride 3 times. It's a lot. It's tiring. I kept telling myself that I am in MUCH better shape than I was then. Yes that helped a little.
In the training rides building up to this, there has been a point where I really felt like the fatigue was trying to take me down. To the point where I feel like I want to cry...and I'm cranky.
But as the rides get longer, my perspective changes and that fatigue point gets pushed out. Last week when I did 80, at mile 72 I was in that mentally & physical zone of discomfort and crankiness. This week, it was at about mile 82. Then once I get to mile 95, I'm happy again because I'm almost finished. And when I'm finished, I'm practically jumping up and down in the parking lot with joy.
It's pushing through that wall of fatigue that is really hard. All I can do is keep it steady, maybe slow it down a bit and try to be mentally strong. But what I really feel like doing is crying. All I can think is to just keep going and take it one mile at a time at that point.
Final result (not including SAG stops) 5:58 ~ 16.7 mph
Hour 1 & 2: slow warmup + headwinds ~ 16.3 mph (33.25 miles)
Hour 3 & 4: feeling good + tailwinds ~ 17.4 mph (34.05 miles)
Hour 5: tail and crosswinds back into town...getting warm ~ 17.1 (17.84)
Hour 6: really tired + headwinds ~ 15.9 (14.87)
Highlights: it is really beautiful up north there. I really enjoyed the peaceful, green countryside. The course is great...some rolling hills but nothing killer. My bike is still getting lots of attention..."I like your bike", "that's a nice bike", "I want your bike". LOL. I'm loving it. Nice to eat and hang out with Chad, Carly, and Oliver after the ride.
Negatives: I HATE seeing roadkill.
To improve: stick with the relaxed first hour. Don't try to hammer it. Probably pushed it a little too much around mile 55-70 and maybe could have saved a little bit. Might still be overdoing it a bit on the nutrition...a little too much Perpetuem maybe. Don't want too much in my tummy.
Woot woot....now off to check in on my Ironman Couer d'Alene friends! They are doing the whole darn thing today!!!!
Saturday: 14 mile run. HUMID! Felt pretty good considering, but with the heat I slowed it down a little bit. Didn't want to get too nutty before...
Sunday: Amelia Earhart CENTURY ride followed by short run! Atchison, KS
Okay this is what I was most nervous about. It had been years...7+ or maybe 9?...since I did the MS 150 ride, which included a century. I did that ride 3 times. It's a lot. It's tiring. I kept telling myself that I am in MUCH better shape than I was then. Yes that helped a little.
In the training rides building up to this, there has been a point where I really felt like the fatigue was trying to take me down. To the point where I feel like I want to cry...and I'm cranky.
But as the rides get longer, my perspective changes and that fatigue point gets pushed out. Last week when I did 80, at mile 72 I was in that mentally & physical zone of discomfort and crankiness. This week, it was at about mile 82. Then once I get to mile 95, I'm happy again because I'm almost finished. And when I'm finished, I'm practically jumping up and down in the parking lot with joy.
It's pushing through that wall of fatigue that is really hard. All I can do is keep it steady, maybe slow it down a bit and try to be mentally strong. But what I really feel like doing is crying. All I can think is to just keep going and take it one mile at a time at that point.
Final result (not including SAG stops) 5:58 ~ 16.7 mph
Hour 1 & 2: slow warmup + headwinds ~ 16.3 mph (33.25 miles)
Hour 3 & 4: feeling good + tailwinds ~ 17.4 mph (34.05 miles)
Hour 5: tail and crosswinds back into town...getting warm ~ 17.1 (17.84)
Hour 6: really tired + headwinds ~ 15.9 (14.87)
Highlights: it is really beautiful up north there. I really enjoyed the peaceful, green countryside. The course is great...some rolling hills but nothing killer. My bike is still getting lots of attention..."I like your bike", "that's a nice bike", "I want your bike". LOL. I'm loving it. Nice to eat and hang out with Chad, Carly, and Oliver after the ride.
Negatives: I HATE seeing roadkill.
To improve: stick with the relaxed first hour. Don't try to hammer it. Probably pushed it a little too much around mile 55-70 and maybe could have saved a little bit. Might still be overdoing it a bit on the nutrition...a little too much Perpetuem maybe. Don't want too much in my tummy.
Woot woot....now off to check in on my Ironman Couer d'Alene friends! They are doing the whole darn thing today!!!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
2010 KC Corporate Challenge Triathlon
June 20th, 2010
Although I'm doing Ironman Louisville this year, my first love is the sprint triathlon. Some might say they are 'not enough' but I just love to crank them out!
Particularly the course at Shawnee Mission Park, my 'home course' and first triathlon back in 2000! With that many years of history on the course, it is fun to see how my times have changed.
Since then, I've cut almost 8 minutes from my time ~ as of my 1:02:32 today! This morning I had 5 personal bests: overall, transition 1 & 2, bike, and run. My overall demeanor during the race was determined...I was feeling the pressure of the clock and really wanted that personal best time!
Swim 500 ~ 11:26 (+ :51 on my personal best); Ranked 37th
T1 ~ 1:40
Bike 9 miles ~ 28:37:00 18.9 mph avg; Ranked 6th
T2 ~ :51
Run 2.4 miles ~ 20:00 8:20/mile avg; Ranked 15th
Overall 1:02:32 for 11th / 113.
I had a great time and enjoyed a gorgeous day. It was also fun to see everyone out there...a lot of KC Multisporters and newbies. The only thing I wasn't really that happy about was the swim. It really put my PR in jeapardy! Luckily it all worked out.
Today came the day after an 80 mile bike ride! I felt great both days. What did NOT feel great was the 8 mile training run after the race today. Hot, bonky, and cranky pretty much sums that up. I better buck up!
Although I'm doing Ironman Louisville this year, my first love is the sprint triathlon. Some might say they are 'not enough' but I just love to crank them out!
Particularly the course at Shawnee Mission Park, my 'home course' and first triathlon back in 2000! With that many years of history on the course, it is fun to see how my times have changed.
Since then, I've cut almost 8 minutes from my time ~ as of my 1:02:32 today! This morning I had 5 personal bests: overall, transition 1 & 2, bike, and run. My overall demeanor during the race was determined...I was feeling the pressure of the clock and really wanted that personal best time!
Swim 500 ~ 11:26 (+ :51 on my personal best); Ranked 37th
T1 ~ 1:40
Bike 9 miles ~ 28:37:00 18.9 mph avg; Ranked 6th
T2 ~ :51
Run 2.4 miles ~ 20:00 8:20/mile avg; Ranked 15th
Overall 1:02:32 for 11th / 113.
I had a great time and enjoyed a gorgeous day. It was also fun to see everyone out there...a lot of KC Multisporters and newbies. The only thing I wasn't really that happy about was the swim. It really put my PR in jeapardy! Luckily it all worked out.
Today came the day after an 80 mile bike ride! I felt great both days. What did NOT feel great was the 8 mile training run after the race today. Hot, bonky, and cranky pretty much sums that up. I better buck up!
Monday, June 7, 2010
KS 70.3 – Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56, Run 13.1
June 6, 2010 ~ Lawrence, KS
This race was a big part of my preparation for Ironman Louisville this year, and I felt WAY more prepared for it than the last 2 years. A few short weeks ago I engaged Perception Multisport coaching (Ryan Ross and Kathy Boyd) to help me bridge the gap between half Ironman and Ironman, and because I was not swimming. Yes I admit it…technically I started training for the 1.2 mile swim 4 weeks ago!
Swim – 1.2 miles ~ 44:28 (PR -2:11)
If I could finish that horrific choppy 1500 meter swim at Longview Lake two weeks ago (with little training), I could get through any swim. Luckily, the conditions at Clinton Lake were good and we were barely wetsuit legal (by ½ degree)!
What a beautiful morning! I enjoyed the swim. It is challenging making your way through the thrashing bodies in close proximity at the start, but you just have to be patient until things spread out. I felt pretty comfortable and had my own water for most of the race. Not many panic moments…only two male swimmers tried to power swim over me, one zig-zagger going back and forth right in front of me at the beginning (finally he went somewhere else), and some minor goggle issues that I could fix during the swim.
This is my first year with a wetsuit, and it did seem like the buoyancy was helpful in conserving energy during the swim. It makes your legs more float-y. Highly unlikely I will be able to wear that wetsuit at Louisville, but after this experience and investing more time in swimming I feel confident I can do the 2.4 mile Ironman swim!
I had a slightly leisurely Transition 1, with Glenn Bohannon yelling at me “come on Amy!”. I had to put some sunscreen on! :)
Bike – 56 miles ~ 3:07 17.9 mph (PR -15:45)
Ah, the new Felt B2 with race wheels. So nice and comfy! I have put in more work this year on the bike. The combination + great conditions made this segment joyous. The wind didn’t bother me (was there wind???) and I kept the pace steady and was feeling good, careful trying not to totally blow my legs out before the run. I think of it like the 85% rule…you go strong but try to pace yourself too because there is more to come.
Weird issues? There was an enormous deceased dear on the side of the road that made me sad. We also had to dismount our bikes and carry them over an oil spill in the road. There were lots of crazy bikers careening all over the place with no etiquette - oblivious to the fact that there are other people around them. One guy passed me and then proceeded to slow down and enjoy a snack break so I had to immediately pass him back. One disaster averted: a volunteer wasn’t looking and stepped out right in front of my bike at a water station because a guy had stopped in the middle of the road to get water instead of over to the side. My life and hers flashed before my eyes but she was able to get out of the way. I was kind of shocked that she didn’t look before trying to walk out there!
Run – 13.1 miles ~ 2:10 (PR -7:24)
Started off strong and then struggled. It felt hot out there. Stayed really well hydrated and had to buck up. I walked through the water stations. All the cheering from the KC people really helped!
Overall – 6:10:30 (PR -26:26) 237th / 444
Happy! My favorite part is still crossing the finish line. I came within 3 minutes of my goal time. Once again I missed Chrissie at the finish line, so luckily I had my picture with her Friday night!
So many KC people did the race, and I am SO impressed with everyone’s results. I am lucky to know so many strong, talented people.
Ironman here I come!!!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
2010 Kansas City Triathlon @ Longview Lake
May 23, 2010 ~ Kansas City Triathlon @ Longview Lake
I signed up for the Kansas City Triathlon long course as prep 2 weeks out from Kansas 70.3. Particularly because it was an opportunity to do a 1.5 K swim (about .93 miles) ahead of the 1.2 mile swim.
SWIM ~ And what a swim it was! It was cold, and 15-20 mph winds made for wavy waters. It was also my first wetsuit swim...after 10 years of not having one I bought a Zoot suit last fall. I was kind of nervous about correctly shimmying into that thing, but got the job done!
The swim went pretty well at first - although it was cold and I didn't feel as prepared as I should have been. Then I turned the 3rd corner to head back to shore, and the waves were really coming in. It was tough and I struggled there. I just had to get through it. And I did...made it out of the water but my time was much slower than I liked: 1.5K in 40:10 (74th out of 102 - yuck).
BIKE ~ I was kind of out of it after the swim but got settled down and out on the bike. Had a pretty smooth ride although it was pretty windy. I'm not super fond of the neighborhood portion of the course with all the crazy twists and turns. The new Felt B2 was comfy and performed well too! 24.8 miles in 1:21:16 @ 18.3 mph avg (34th out of 102 is my best split).
RUN ~ Getting your legs back under you to run after biking is always interesting. This is a pretty flat course so it isn't bad. For long course it was 2 loops, which is kind of boring but it went by pretty fast really. I felt pretty good for the most part. We were lucky that the air temp was really nice with cloud cover. 6.2 miles in 56:30 @ 9:07 avg (46th out of 102).
Overall: 3:02:30 and 46th out of 102. I was pretty happy with everything except for the swim!
I signed up for the Kansas City Triathlon long course as prep 2 weeks out from Kansas 70.3. Particularly because it was an opportunity to do a 1.5 K swim (about .93 miles) ahead of the 1.2 mile swim.
SWIM ~ And what a swim it was! It was cold, and 15-20 mph winds made for wavy waters. It was also my first wetsuit swim...after 10 years of not having one I bought a Zoot suit last fall. I was kind of nervous about correctly shimmying into that thing, but got the job done!
The swim went pretty well at first - although it was cold and I didn't feel as prepared as I should have been. Then I turned the 3rd corner to head back to shore, and the waves were really coming in. It was tough and I struggled there. I just had to get through it. And I did...made it out of the water but my time was much slower than I liked: 1.5K in 40:10 (74th out of 102 - yuck).
BIKE ~ I was kind of out of it after the swim but got settled down and out on the bike. Had a pretty smooth ride although it was pretty windy. I'm not super fond of the neighborhood portion of the course with all the crazy twists and turns. The new Felt B2 was comfy and performed well too! 24.8 miles in 1:21:16 @ 18.3 mph avg (34th out of 102 is my best split).
RUN ~ Getting your legs back under you to run after biking is always interesting. This is a pretty flat course so it isn't bad. For long course it was 2 loops, which is kind of boring but it went by pretty fast really. I felt pretty good for the most part. We were lucky that the air temp was really nice with cloud cover. 6.2 miles in 56:30 @ 9:07 avg (46th out of 102).
Overall: 3:02:30 and 46th out of 102. I was pretty happy with everything except for the swim!
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