becoming

the cold is still lingering a little, but overall I am feeling much better. the swim was pretty good tonight and I even had the joy of leading the lane. my left shoulder has been bugging me a little bit lately when I swim. maybe I need to stretch it out more. maybe my stroke is a little wacky. who knows.

all I know is that I love being in the pool. I had the thought as I was doing my warmup today, that just being there is making me a better swimmer. a better athlete. even if I'm not becoming faster or even feeling good for that particular workout, I am becoming better. I am putting in the work. I think we all need a reminder every once in a while. just keep at it, even if you're not seeing significant gains right now. it's making you stronger. it's making you better.


warmup
8 X 50 kick
4 X 150 (3:30)
4 X 100 (2:20)
4 X 50 (1:20)
cooldown

the saturday afternoon swim a la mallory

mal called us up to go swimming today. it's probably a good thing she did, because I would have kept sitting on my butt if she hadn't. I'm still trying to get rid of this cold. I'm breathing better, but it's gotten a hold of my throat. I've been hacking up flem for the past two days. when I swam the backstroke it totally aggravated the throat and I started coughing uncontrollably. not to mention the headache. but despite all that I'm just glad I got out there and did something with myself. it's been far too long. {I think my last workout was tuesday's treadmill run} hopefully next week I can get back into the regular groove. though it's a weird holiday week--crap! anyway, here is what I remember of the worout:

warmup
4 X 75 (kick, drill, swim) (odds free, evens stroke)
300 (3, 5, 7 strokes per breath with each 50)
2 X 150 (each 25 IM order with freestyle thrown in between)
8 X 50 (1-4, 5-8 descending)

pete's swimteam workout

warmup
8 X 100 (50 drill, 50 swim)
3 X 50 (easy, moderate, fast)
100
3 X 50 (easy, moderate, fast)
200
3 X 50 (easy, moderate, fast)
300
cool down

my swim team

I will confess that I did not go to swimteam today. {in fact, it's starting right now and I'm sitting at home in my pj's} I am starting to feel sick. and I'm trying to head it off at the pass. I figure if I take it easy, maybe it will all just go away quickly. plus, it's leaving me low energy. so today instead of a workout I napped. it was a beautiful thing.

but I did give pete a pretty killer swim workout this morning. I was happy to hear via the chat that he did it all and it went well. he is a rockstar swimmer, even if he doesn't think so. he's in anna masters right now, maybe one day he will be brave enough to try real masters. one can dream. anyway, below is the workout.

warm up
4 X 50 kick
4 X 50 drill
100 descending
200 moderate
100 descending
150 (100 slow, 50 fast)
150 (50 slow, 50 fast, 50 slow)
150 (100 fast, 50 slow)
cool down

it's just too hot, both inside and out

I had to go into work a little earlier today, so I didn't have time to run in the morning. so I opted for a run on the treadmill since I could at least have a fan blowing directly on my face. {even though my heart of hearts really just wanted to run outside... but not in this 90+ degree heat} I always want to push it really fast on treadmills, not only will it make the miles go by faster but it's easier to get stuck in the fast-trap because you can visually see just how fast you are going. I had to hold it back a little today because I was getting random pains in my knees and achilles. I also had to cut the run a bit short so I could catch my bus.

but let me tell you, even with that fan blowing directly on my face it was HOT. sweat all over the place.

4.5 miles

sans coach

there was no coach tonight. I hate it when that happens. my lane just made up a workout. we didn't do the sets in any real intervals, but just waited a certain amount of time between each one. that was nice because I was leading the lane and hate keeping track of intervals. here is what we came up with:

warm up
100
200
300
300
200
100
5 X 100 (50 fast, 50 easy)
cool down

cache valley tri

I have to be honest, I was a little scared for this triathlon. I didn't really do any specific training for it other than swimming regularly and biking and running not so regularly. I didn't have a training plan, I just made sure I worked out most days of the week.

in the days leading up to the race I started freaking out. I even contemplated switching to the sprint distance. I was fearful of the cold lake water and my first open water swim. and I had seemingly twisted my ankle slightly while running around at work a few days before. was I ready for a 1500 meter swim + 24.8 mile bike + 6.2 mile run? it all sounded overwhelming.

transitional love

triathlon is so much different than pure running races. there's just so much to think about. so much gear. I love just showing up at the starting line with some shorts and my running shoes. and obviously a top. plus a race bib. but in triathlon? you need a wetsuit. you need a bike. you need running crap. not to mention all the other little stuff that goes with each discipline. it's a lot to think about.

me + jer pre swim

the swim | 1500 meters | 26:31:300
the water was surprisingly warmer than expected. my feet and hands didn't go numb. my inner ear didn't hurt and I didn't get all dizzy and disoriented when I exited the water. for my first open water swim, I think it all went quite well. especially since they all say you can train and train in the pool, but the open water swim is completely different. yikes! you can see why I was nervous. but other than having a slight problem sighting the buoys and swimming in a relative straight line, it wasn't hard. the distance was definitely doable. my left shoulder hurt with each stroke for a little while, but I think that had something to do with not warming up. and it was pretty fun negotiating other swimmers without getting kicked in the face. I actually loved the swim. I'm all about the open water now.

T1 | 3:42:200
okay, I can probably work on this a little. wearing what I'll be running and biking in under the wetsuit would help. I had to pull on my shorts + tank, which is a little hard while still mostly wet. but at least I didn't forget my helmet {or put it on backwards like this poor soul}

biking out of T1

the bike | 24.8 miles | 1:25:47:900
what can I say about the bike? man, was this section of the course beautiful! seriously. the olympic distance took two laps. so that was two times up the hills at the beginning. but the rest of the course was pretty flat and slightly downhill. nothing too scary, which was good. I tried to push it while not pushing it too hard that I wouldn't have anything left for the run. I liked getting passed by all the men and thinking how at least I was a faster swimmer. hey, you have to be positive in some way out there!

T2 | 1:36:400
this transition was much better. all I had to do was switch shoes and trade the helmet for the visor. easy cheesy.

the jello legs of the T2 run

the run | 6.2 miles | 56:32:100
man. the run. definitely the worst of the three. I should have probably done a few more brick workouts to get used to that bike to run transition. I had the jelly legs and I had it bad. I don't think they ever fully loosened up. and the heat. oh how I can't run in the heat. my body just shuts down. and not to mention the large hill within the first mile. I could have done without that. this is where I wished I had switched to the sprint distance. when I ran past their turnaround point I almost cried. I wish I could say I didn't walk, but I did. man, I need to toughen up. I feel I've lost some of my edge. it's not like I was hurting. my legs and foot felt fine. I was just not lovin' the heat, I guess. even though my legs felt like dead weight and I felt like I was just chugging along at an extremely slow pace, I had actually averaged a little over a 9 minute mile. which isn't too bad under the circumstances.

more cowbell!

the finish | 2:54:09
it was good enough for a second place finish in my age division. I love the cowbell medals. this was totally a fun race and I would recommend it to anyone. and in the end, I'm glad I stuck with the olympic distance. just think what I could do with a little training!

me + jer + mallory + the gun show

I actually got on my bike!

we went on another epic ride. again, up city creek canyon. again, pete's tire was a little soft--but not totally flat, thankgoodness! again, we didn't make it all the way up.

this time we headed back just shy of the turnaround. we probably only had a half mile of climbing left. oh well.

next time we'll tackle that beast.

right about the time I gave up was about the time I completely fell over. off my bike. in the middle of the canyon rode. my elbow and knee have something to show for it, but thankfully nothing like THIS. yeah, that's when I knew it was definitely time to turn around. no more climbing.

it turns out that when you're going slowly up a hill, and you feel like you want to clip out because you want to stop and wait for your husband, you shouldn't. you won't be able to clip out and you'll end up on the road with one foot still attached to the bike and the bike on top of you. so just don't do it. maybe just stick it out to the top.

I am excited to report, though, that I was cruising down the downhills. I was feeling somewhat brave. I didn't ride the brakes. and you know what, it was actually kind of fun (with only a splattering of terror thrown in for good measure). maybe I'll be okay.

~19 miles

"are you trying out that wetsuit, or is the pool really that cold!?"

I picked up the wetsuit from my friend katie. pete and I then went straight to the pool for a quick practice session. the wetsuit fits and I'm ready to go. I like feeling so buoyant, but we'll see if it affects my arms over the long haul.

I can't wait for that uber cold water! bring it on!

early in the morning

I like waking up early to go running. maybe I'll try it on other days too. it is just so nice outside. low 60's, not too many people are out and about, and the sky is always so pretty. the very best part about it, though, is now that I'm home from work and it's nine-billion degrees outside I don't even have to think about exercising. I can even go eat dollar burgers at B&D's with the work crew if I want. I love tuesdays.

my run was pretty good. I felt like I was pushing a pretty good pace. my foot only slightly hurt in the beginning, and then things must have loosened up by the end. everything else seemed fine.

3 miles

goggle malfunction

I'm worried I may need new goggles. can this be happening the week of my triathlon? they were seriously leaking and it was seriously cramping my swimming style. and not only that, but the pool was super murky. all that equalled up to not being able to see very well. and to top it all off, our lane line was broken. and it curved into the middle of our lane because they couldn't get it tight. and sometimes you would swim right into. and that hurts.



warmup

300 moderate
100 fast

200 moderate
200 fast

100 moderate
300 fast

400 fast

2X150

cooldown

social eater

I didn't go on a ride yesterday. I had planned to, but burgers and shakes won out.

and today my swim workout was almost completely sabotaged by the pie. instead it just suffered greatly. it turns out that stuffing your face full of yummy pizza and cheese pull-aparts isn't a very good idea if you plan to go swimming an hour or two later.

it didn't help that I was feeling pretty tired from the day's activities. and that I really just wanted to socialize on deck and just soak up the sun rather than actually get in the water. but just as the main set was being explained, I did. and I started swimming sans warmup. and the pizza just sat there, heavy in my stomach.

but in the end I was glad I got in. isn't that how it always is?


4 X 100 descending
300
100 IM
300
200 IM
300
300 IM
cooldown

hypoxic love

man, oh man. it's almost ten o'clock and I'm just barely eating dinner. that's never good.

so swimteam was pretty good tonight. I think wednesday nights are my favorite. the coach seems genuinely interested in helping the slower swimmers get better. especially since we have a lot of newbie triathletes.

I only got about 200 meters in for a warmup because I got a little chatty with my friend tori in the next lane. then when we started the drill IM sets. I was the lucky one chosen to lead the lane. I didn't mind that too much. then when we started the 150 sets, the lady that had swam behind me led the lane, which is good because she was much, much faster.

my little arms still feel really tired when I swim. I guess that's good--it's a sign that I'm working them hard. and my legs have been pretty sore today, too. probably from all that running around I did in shoes that were made for running in the 1970's. yeah, shoe technology has come along way since then. but they do look cool, so... whatev. if I had known I would have been running around all day, I probably would have made a different choice in footwear.

okay, back to the main point of this post, the swim workout. we ended with a good hypoxic set. I don't know why, but I love doing these at the end of a workout. I love them even though they completely suck. they hurt. your lungs want to explode. but when I am the only one in the lane that can actually get down to 5 breaths total for 50 meters, it feels pretty awesome. not even the two fast chicks in front of me could do it. I think maybe one other girl was able to take that few of breaths as well. I don't know, it's kind of fun to be totally freaked out at the wall, just wondering if you're even going to come close to making it. then taking that deep breath and just going for it. it's a good way to end a workout.



warmup

50 fly drill
50 fly
50 back drill
50 back
50 breast drill
50 breast
50 free drill
50 free

150 (50 fast, 100 easy)
150 (50 easy, 50 fast, 50 easy)
150 (100 easy, 50 fast)
150 (50 fast, 100 easy)
150 (50 easy, 50 fast, 50 easy)
150 (100 easy, 50 fast)

50 easy
50 breath control (8 breaths)
50 easy
50 breath control (7 breaths)
50 easy
50 breath control (6 breaths)
50 easy
50 breath control (5 breaths)

cooldown

running crazy

I actually dragged my butt out of bed early today so I could go running. how often does that happen? not very often.

it is so nice in the early AM, though. I should really make it a habit.

I went to liberty and ran around the perimeter dirt path. I'll be honest, my foot was hurting slightly. by the end it had loosened up, it seems. oh, and by the end of the run I was so hungry. like low energy and starving. I needed some breakfast and I needed it STAT!

but I probably didn't even need to do a run this morning because I've been running around all day it seems. at work I got to play ultimate frisbee with a bunch of kids for a couple of hours {it was such an awesome experience because I have never seen a. and t. run so much. they're both bigger kids. like whenever we go on hikes, t. is always in the back of the group needing rests and complaining about his asthma. but give these kids a disc? man, oh man. they run. and they run a lot. it was beautiful.} and then later I ran all the way from the office on campus down to steiner aquatic. and I did a lot of walking throughout the day. so it's kind of like I did a double workout. or a quadruple workout. whatever you want to call it.

3 miles

dead arms

I can't seem to remember the whole set, because what I have written out below doesn't equal what we actually swam. {which was an 1800 sans warmup + cooldown} I haven't been to monday night masters in a really long time, and it seems there is a new coach. he obviously likes the 200's and 150's because I felt like we were swimming a lot of those tonight. which is okay, it's just that I felt like I had dead arms out there. seriously.

we had a bunch of newbies in our lane today. I think they're new to the whole swimming scene, but they're in the pool because they're doing tri's. the guy who led our lane was using a pull boeuy the whole time and I felt like he was just cruising. I couldn't keep up. he hopped out and I was left to lead the troops. good thing the workout was almost done. I hate leading the lane because I hate being the one to keep track of the time for the sets. talk about pressure!

anyway, I'm going to go eat a salad now. peace out.

warm up
3 X 200
2 X 150
100
2 X 150
100
200
200
cooldown

bicycle team

pete and I did another ride yesterday. it was a beautiful day. the ride was good.

it seems, though, there is a little contention in what we want out of these rides. we're coming from different places. in my mind I have a set idea of what they should be--I'm in training; I need to go far, etc., etc. pete wants a good ride, but he doesn't necessarily feel like he needs to go super far and for an over-extended length of time.

but I like having him along for the ride with me. I love doing stuff like this with him. so hopefully in the future I can stop being such a workout snob and just enjoy the moment and the effort I put into it. we left the ride yesterday with some frustrations, hopefully we have been able to work through them.

I tacked on a couple extra miles yesterday by going to the park to ride some laps. pete just headed home. I mean, we had already had a really good ride. we rode up past the zoo, over on wasatch, across the bridge, etc. there's a lot of climbing involved. it was a good ride. but I just felt I needed more. I needed at least twenty miles. I have my olympic distance triathlon in two weeks, afterall! {which, btw, I finally signed up for. too bad the price had gone up. oh well. I'm in!}

and then after my ride I threw in a very short run to test the jello legs. it wasn't as bad as I was expecting! though I was pretty low energy, since I didn't take any gatorade or gu's with me. note to self: take in energy during the race. so yeah. a brick workout. good times.

21 miles bike; 1 mile run

mini swim

today was one of those busy, jam-packed with fun days. you know the type, you have to rush around and do all this crap and try and squeeze in a workout in between all the other crap you have to do.

so after work I had to rush over to steiner to swim before going home and getting ready for the family pictures. {which sucked because I had to make myself look presentable for the photo--and with not a lot of time to do that, it gets a little hectic!} oh yeah, and I had to rely on public trans so I was waiting on someone else's timetable. yeah. fun.

so I got there with enough time to actually swim for 45 minutes, which is better than I was expecting. my workout wasn't the greatest. I basically just swam. I'd do some laps, stop and stretch. bust out a few more. do some slightly faster. some breast stroke. but mostly just these mindless freestyle laps. {though there was one 100 IM thrown in there for good measure} It was really just whatever. I will say this, though, a swim workout goes by much faster when you actually have a workout. mindless swimming without an overall purpose gets a little old.

but at least I was in the pool. at least I had a little bit of time to do something. on a busy day like this, I'll take anything I can get.

biketeam: the epic ride

pete and I got out on the bikes, it's true. I mean, we are in training after all.

we rode up city creek canyon since it's an odd day. it was my first time really riding up the there since I was denied the last time I tried. it was really pretty. and a bit chilly. {good thing I had the DIY arm warmers with me!} and the ride down was a little frightening.

okay, I have something to admit. I am scared of hills. not the going up, but the coming down. terrified. to. death. speed just freaks me out. {this is my problem with skiing too} the thought of my little skinny tire hitting a pebble wrong and sending me to the pavement at high speeds freaks me out. adding cars into that equation and I'm even more terrified. but this is something I need to get over. I need to be safe, sure, but I shouldn't feel this compulsive need to ride my brakes the whole way down. seriously, it is limiting my potential.

so what do I do? I need to get out there and face my fear. just get over it. city creek is the perfect place for that since I don't have to worry about cars. just the speed. I'll probably be headed there for all my mid-week rides for a while.

so a flat tire. since I was ahead of pete I stopped near the turn-around point to wait for him to catch up. I waited for a while. thought it was weird he hadn't shown up yet, so I figured I'd ride back down a little ways and find him. and a little ways down I did find him. off to the side of the road leaning over his bike. just waiting.

the flat tire. he had turned down so many people's offers to help because he thought I would come back for him with all the tire repair stuff. unfortunately, the saddle bag was emptied when we went to fargo so pete could have the tire-irons and the spare tubes, etc. we didn't even have a pump on us! (he also thought I would have my CO2 cartridge. nope.) I felt like such an idiot--we had set off on a ride totally and completely unprepared!

after talking through our options--I was completely prepared to cruise home as fast as I could to get the car--some guy stopped to see if things were okay. this time we jumped at the chance for some help. he only had a pump, but the tire wasn't holding any air. it was totally flat.

so we start walking down the canyon, still talking about our options. then another guy stops to see if we're okay. this guy saved us! he let us have his spare tube (we gave him our flat tube in exchange. aren't we nice? at least he could patch it up, right?) and use his pump. a few minutes later pete was back in the game. good thing, because did I mention that it got pretty chilly up in that canyon when the sun disappears? I was shivering. at least once we were out of the canyon and back in the city the temp rose significantly. don't you just love the heat island effect? {only in this instance!}

the ride home was of little incident. I am so grateful cyclists are so incredibly nice. there is a good, karmic vibe floating around the scene. we would have been screwed had that guy not been willing to give up one of his tubes. thank you, nice man!

okay, so the moral of the story is? always be prepared. and get over your fears.

the end.

18.some-odd miles; city creek canyon

swimteam

there is a quiet magic in the pool. especially on a rainy day. the mist rolls up off the water, hovering among muted grey tones. but underneath the world is vibrant. deep crystalline blues.


this was my swimteam today. I kind of like swimming in the bad weather. for one thing, you never have to worry about finding a lane. I had the pool mostly to myself the whole time. and lastly, it makes a person feel so hardcore out there. and that's really what it's about, right? right.

here is my own made-up workout:

500 warmup
6 X 50 kick w fins
6 X 50 drill
4 X 100 IM
4 X 50 descending
200
4 X50 descending
100 cooldown

waiting to exhale

I found this randomly on a wikiHow page -- how to begin running -- under the tips section:

If you’re like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

so all you runners out there, when do you exhale? on the right foot strike? the left? either?!

I have honestly never noticed on which foot strike I exhale. now I'm wondering if I'm like most people or if I'm special. the next time you're out on a run make sure to be aware of your breathing, then come back and report. let's see how the kenyan within readers stack up.