Last night we had a great opportunity for a last minute get-together with our friend Rob who is in town from the Boston area. Poor guy thought it was warm here. We had delicious meals at Paolo’s Ristorante, a great place on Wisconsin Ave in G-town. Rob and I had the pork special and Chad had the salmon special. We ate too much, too late. Oh, but it was good.
This morning Chad and I embarked on a long run. He had 90 min on his calendar but decided to run about 1 hr 45 with me since I had a 2 hr run. I need this run to get me back to pre-Sudan fitness. It wasn’t pretty, especially since both of us were feeling the late night and dinner. But eventually we got into a groove and I tried to keep pace with Chad as much as I could. As it turns out the average pace was about 8:15 minute miles although we were doing sub-7s at some point. Of course, my last 15 minutes alone were probably averaging 9 min miles. I was tired and as much as I wanted to stop running, I really needed this run. So now I’ve done it and all I have to do is get to 2 hr 30 min in two weeks. Chad and I should both do a couple more 2 hr 30 min runs before we start our taper Nov 9. Which will be one month away tomorrow.
Sunrise was beautiful. We got going around 6:10 am and by the time we were on the Mt. Vernon trail, about 30 min into the run the sky was a beautiful array of pinks and purples. We’ll have to remember cameras on one of these runs. Sunrise was officially 7:11 am today. The temperature was about 52. P-E-R-F-E-C-T running weather. Other than the fact that all the darkness makes it hard to wake up in the morning, this is a great time of year for training.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
IM effort in training
Here are some pics of the bike mechanic in action. Please excuse the jungle that is our back yard in the background. We are ironman training. In December our "honey-do" list is going to disappear!
Our weekends have been flying by. Even when we it appears we don’t do much, somehow the days pass and we have accomplished so little. Unless you count naps on the couch and training hours. Saturday I took the morning off training in order to rest before our big brick planned for Sunday. While Chad rode for almost 3 hours, I cleaned bathrooms, washed and folded laundry, started trading out summer for fall/winter clothes, and various other little chores that we never seem to find the time for. We had lunch together and turned on the TV and were both soon fast asleep. But we did get up and going in time for a 3000 yd swim at Eastern Market. We did 3000 yds on Thursday also so this is a very good breakthrough for both of us. I am still swimming quite slow so I brought my fins in order to speed up some of the sessions. Chad wasn’t happy about my speedy 100’s, but he did keep up.
Saturday evening we cooked mashed potatoes, chicken and squash. Real comfort food -Yum! And we were early to crash in order to be up and at ‘em early. We were supposed to be out the door and on the road by 6 but the woman we were carpooling with called at about 5:55 and was just getting into a taxi. Chad and I were both disappointed that for once we were would have been on time to a workout with TJ. But alas…
Our workout plan was two loops of the Eagleman bike course in Cambridge, MD on the eastern shore, followed by a run. The plan was to refuel at the cars before heading out on the second loop. The first loop was incredibly tough. It got off to a bad start when TJ led the group out the wrong way. I recognized it wasn’t right and yelled out that I was going to follow the cue sheet. Chad and Kathryn followed TJ and I went out according to the route map. Almost immediately you are hit by head wind. And then there is a little break and then again, you hit head wind. One stretch of road is 12 miles and the headwind is relentless. I was trying to keep my average speed a little over 19. I figured at times I’d be able to push faster when there was a tailwind. But into the headwinds I tried to keep my speed above 18 mph. My heart rate was manageable but I tried pushing it further in order to catch up to the other three, who I assumed were several miles ahead of me, having taken a “short cut”.
At one point I saw a sign that said detour, bridge closed, but I thought I’d check it out – you never know if a road is passable by bike. It turned out to be almost 2 miles out of the way and as I turned around (you couldn’t get over the bridge) I saw Chad riding towards me. And a little further back was TJ. Turns out they were not able to follow the route they started on and had to turn around. The whole time I was pushing to catch up to them they were pushing to catch up to me!
I made it my goal to stay within visual distance of Chad the rest of the way and I succeeded, though it wasn’t easy. While he was probably riding at 75% effort, I was getting close to my max. When we finally made it back to the car (after almost 3 hours of total ride time) TJ decided he’d a) had enough; and b) he needed to get back home for family obligations. Our late start foiled his double brick. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the first to pull out. Chad had already declared he’d had enough. My coaxing was not enough to convince TJ back into the ride, but somehow Chad was able to muster the mental fortitude to take one for the team. And so after a 20 min break we rode back out into the headwind. He flatted about 40 min into the second loop and I happily hung back and held his bike while he did a quick change. And then we started and next thing I know he is so far ahead of me he is almost out of sight. We were back on that 12 mile stretch of road and although I was keeping my speed over 18 mph, it was hard. Mentally I was tired of the wind. And we hadn’t even hit the worst part – Egypt road. An 8 mile stretch where the wind is both fierce and relentless.
After we made a turn Chad slowed down and we road together for several miles. He was starting to fade so I pulled for a while. And then when we did make it to Egypt road he found a second wind and I happily drafted for several miles. Just when I thought I could ride on my own I would fade back and Chad would have to slow to pick me up again. And then we finally reached the turn and I knew we had less than 10 miles to the car. I felt rejuvenated and we took turns pulling again until we made one last right turn that gave us a wonderful tailwind. We pushed it back, going 23+ and then dragged ourselves the last couple miles through some back streets and to the park where we started. Chad had started coughing from allergies and who knows what else about half way through the second loop so a transition run was out of the question for him. And I was so ridiculously tired that I convinced myself to run and then decided not to.
That was by far the toughest ride I can remember doing. My total ride distance was about 109 miles, give or take a few because my bike computer is usually a little off. I know at 102 miles our time was 5:20. But then it took us so long to go those last few miles… I think my total ride time was 5:50 or so. It was a decent effort up to mile 100 for sure. I can only hope we don’t feel like this after finishing the bike course in Arizona. Or else it’s going to be a long and disappointing day.
Our other ride mate finished about 30 min after us and decided not to run also. So we headed to the nearest Pizza Hut for some lunch (dinner) before the ride home. With all the driving and riding it was a 12 hour day. We were pooped and in bed by 9 pm.
I have to say with all this training Chad is coming around to the concept of early bed times. While I feel bad he was so exhausted after riding more than 170 miles all weekend, I was secretly joyful (although the secret is out of the bag now) that he was as tired as me for once. Six more weeks of training and we’re done!
Saturday evening we cooked mashed potatoes, chicken and squash. Real comfort food -Yum! And we were early to crash in order to be up and at ‘em early. We were supposed to be out the door and on the road by 6 but the woman we were carpooling with called at about 5:55 and was just getting into a taxi. Chad and I were both disappointed that for once we were would have been on time to a workout with TJ. But alas…
Our workout plan was two loops of the Eagleman bike course in Cambridge, MD on the eastern shore, followed by a run. The plan was to refuel at the cars before heading out on the second loop. The first loop was incredibly tough. It got off to a bad start when TJ led the group out the wrong way. I recognized it wasn’t right and yelled out that I was going to follow the cue sheet. Chad and Kathryn followed TJ and I went out according to the route map. Almost immediately you are hit by head wind. And then there is a little break and then again, you hit head wind. One stretch of road is 12 miles and the headwind is relentless. I was trying to keep my average speed a little over 19. I figured at times I’d be able to push faster when there was a tailwind. But into the headwinds I tried to keep my speed above 18 mph. My heart rate was manageable but I tried pushing it further in order to catch up to the other three, who I assumed were several miles ahead of me, having taken a “short cut”.
At one point I saw a sign that said detour, bridge closed, but I thought I’d check it out – you never know if a road is passable by bike. It turned out to be almost 2 miles out of the way and as I turned around (you couldn’t get over the bridge) I saw Chad riding towards me. And a little further back was TJ. Turns out they were not able to follow the route they started on and had to turn around. The whole time I was pushing to catch up to them they were pushing to catch up to me!
I made it my goal to stay within visual distance of Chad the rest of the way and I succeeded, though it wasn’t easy. While he was probably riding at 75% effort, I was getting close to my max. When we finally made it back to the car (after almost 3 hours of total ride time) TJ decided he’d a) had enough; and b) he needed to get back home for family obligations. Our late start foiled his double brick. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the first to pull out. Chad had already declared he’d had enough. My coaxing was not enough to convince TJ back into the ride, but somehow Chad was able to muster the mental fortitude to take one for the team. And so after a 20 min break we rode back out into the headwind. He flatted about 40 min into the second loop and I happily hung back and held his bike while he did a quick change. And then we started and next thing I know he is so far ahead of me he is almost out of sight. We were back on that 12 mile stretch of road and although I was keeping my speed over 18 mph, it was hard. Mentally I was tired of the wind. And we hadn’t even hit the worst part – Egypt road. An 8 mile stretch where the wind is both fierce and relentless.
After we made a turn Chad slowed down and we road together for several miles. He was starting to fade so I pulled for a while. And then when we did make it to Egypt road he found a second wind and I happily drafted for several miles. Just when I thought I could ride on my own I would fade back and Chad would have to slow to pick me up again. And then we finally reached the turn and I knew we had less than 10 miles to the car. I felt rejuvenated and we took turns pulling again until we made one last right turn that gave us a wonderful tailwind. We pushed it back, going 23+ and then dragged ourselves the last couple miles through some back streets and to the park where we started. Chad had started coughing from allergies and who knows what else about half way through the second loop so a transition run was out of the question for him. And I was so ridiculously tired that I convinced myself to run and then decided not to.
That was by far the toughest ride I can remember doing. My total ride distance was about 109 miles, give or take a few because my bike computer is usually a little off. I know at 102 miles our time was 5:20. But then it took us so long to go those last few miles… I think my total ride time was 5:50 or so. It was a decent effort up to mile 100 for sure. I can only hope we don’t feel like this after finishing the bike course in Arizona. Or else it’s going to be a long and disappointing day.
Our other ride mate finished about 30 min after us and decided not to run also. So we headed to the nearest Pizza Hut for some lunch (dinner) before the ride home. With all the driving and riding it was a 12 hour day. We were pooped and in bed by 9 pm.
I have to say with all this training Chad is coming around to the concept of early bed times. While I feel bad he was so exhausted after riding more than 170 miles all weekend, I was secretly joyful (although the secret is out of the bag now) that he was as tired as me for once. Six more weeks of training and we’re done!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday ride to Poolesville
73 miles; or, let's round up to 75 to make me feel better
As I mentioned, the weather was forecast to be iffy Sunday. We had planned to meet TJ at 7:30; or rather, TJ was planning to get to our house shortly before 7:30 for clip-in at 7:30. At 7:25 TJ arrives and Chad is still in bed. Not sure he wants to get up. I cajole, nag and guilt him into joining us; reminding him we can turn around or hop into a coffee shop if the weather takes a bad turn. The first 20 miles or so are dotted with perfect little coffee shops; it might actually be nice for once to pop into one and skip the rest of the ride. But I digress. Finally we get rolling at 8:15. TJ has come to expect that when we schedule clip-in for 7:30, realistically that means 7:45. So this was late even by Lewis standards. (Sorry to all the Lewis' reading this. I've just made a sweeping statement that may be unfair.)
So, in the end we rolled. And rolled. Or so it seemed. We crossed paths with a woman we see riding and running on almost every outing. I passed her on a down hill and she quickly passed me back. Then Chad passed both of us and she grabbed his wheel and I didn't take hers. Pretty soon Chad was out of sight and I was reeling the woman back in. But then I decided to take the Mountain Gate hill, which adds a mile and a few minutes to the route. I could see TJ somewhere behind me but decided to just keep plugging away. So far I was feeling ok. We all met up at BP, where Chad looked extremely refreshed and made a weak threat about turning around. We decided to take River Road and ended up rolling through a light shower. It actually felt refreshing and it was nice to have more water than grit flying into my face from Chad's wheel. But then something happened and my legs turned to stone and riding up those hills became a chore. After the second hill TJ made a break for it and all of the sudden I was chasing.
We made it to Poolesville - finally. I had barely finished one water bottle in the first 2 hours and 36 miles of riding. We agreed to meet up again at the BP. Again, I lagged the entire way, seeing TJ just ahead. Chad had long ago vanished into the horizon. At BP I decided 1/3 bottle of Infinite was enough to get me back and I didn't wait for the boys to refill; I rolled knowing they would catch me. I took it pretty easy the next several miles; let my legs rest a little and enjoy the open road - no one to chase and no pressure.
We got hit by another rain shower as we were coming through Falls Road. This time we got soaked, but it felt refreshing. My legs were still revolting though I was doing my best to stay with Chad and TJ as we came through Georgetown, Whitehurst Freeway and Independence Ave. At some point Chad said something about making me take tomorrow as a rest day; I'm not a big fan of being coached, especially by my husband. So when he tried to say something else (about what I forget now) I think my exact words were, "I think you should ride ahead of me". No, not very nice, but lucky for me he took it in stride and didn't offer anymore advice.
My total ride time was 4:03, not too far off our previous efforts at riding the Poolesville route (just under 4 hours). That made me feel good until I learned Chad's ride time yesterday was 3 hrs 40 min. Just when I think I haven't lost as much as it feels, I realize Chad has improved so much. I'm really proud of him. He has been working really hard on his nutrition and speed and it shows. He's now the most aerodynimic he's been since starting triathlon. (HS weight does not count here.) And he's strong - running, biking and swimming like never before. I could learn a lot from him. I'll have to work on my ability to take advice.
As I mentioned, the weather was forecast to be iffy Sunday. We had planned to meet TJ at 7:30; or rather, TJ was planning to get to our house shortly before 7:30 for clip-in at 7:30. At 7:25 TJ arrives and Chad is still in bed. Not sure he wants to get up. I cajole, nag and guilt him into joining us; reminding him we can turn around or hop into a coffee shop if the weather takes a bad turn. The first 20 miles or so are dotted with perfect little coffee shops; it might actually be nice for once to pop into one and skip the rest of the ride. But I digress. Finally we get rolling at 8:15. TJ has come to expect that when we schedule clip-in for 7:30, realistically that means 7:45. So this was late even by Lewis standards. (Sorry to all the Lewis' reading this. I've just made a sweeping statement that may be unfair.)
So, in the end we rolled. And rolled. Or so it seemed. We crossed paths with a woman we see riding and running on almost every outing. I passed her on a down hill and she quickly passed me back. Then Chad passed both of us and she grabbed his wheel and I didn't take hers. Pretty soon Chad was out of sight and I was reeling the woman back in. But then I decided to take the Mountain Gate hill, which adds a mile and a few minutes to the route. I could see TJ somewhere behind me but decided to just keep plugging away. So far I was feeling ok. We all met up at BP, where Chad looked extremely refreshed and made a weak threat about turning around. We decided to take River Road and ended up rolling through a light shower. It actually felt refreshing and it was nice to have more water than grit flying into my face from Chad's wheel. But then something happened and my legs turned to stone and riding up those hills became a chore. After the second hill TJ made a break for it and all of the sudden I was chasing.
We made it to Poolesville - finally. I had barely finished one water bottle in the first 2 hours and 36 miles of riding. We agreed to meet up again at the BP. Again, I lagged the entire way, seeing TJ just ahead. Chad had long ago vanished into the horizon. At BP I decided 1/3 bottle of Infinite was enough to get me back and I didn't wait for the boys to refill; I rolled knowing they would catch me. I took it pretty easy the next several miles; let my legs rest a little and enjoy the open road - no one to chase and no pressure.
We got hit by another rain shower as we were coming through Falls Road. This time we got soaked, but it felt refreshing. My legs were still revolting though I was doing my best to stay with Chad and TJ as we came through Georgetown, Whitehurst Freeway and Independence Ave. At some point Chad said something about making me take tomorrow as a rest day; I'm not a big fan of being coached, especially by my husband. So when he tried to say something else (about what I forget now) I think my exact words were, "I think you should ride ahead of me". No, not very nice, but lucky for me he took it in stride and didn't offer anymore advice.
My total ride time was 4:03, not too far off our previous efforts at riding the Poolesville route (just under 4 hours). That made me feel good until I learned Chad's ride time yesterday was 3 hrs 40 min. Just when I think I haven't lost as much as it feels, I realize Chad has improved so much. I'm really proud of him. He has been working really hard on his nutrition and speed and it shows. He's now the most aerodynimic he's been since starting triathlon. (HS weight does not count here.) And he's strong - running, biking and swimming like never before. I could learn a lot from him. I'll have to work on my ability to take advice.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
September showers
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and even tomorrow the forecast and the reality is rain, rain. Some nice light showers, a rainbow and a walk in the rain. Friday I did a tempo run with Kip - 45 min and my HR was higher than usual. And in the evening I actually broke down and went to the pool by myself. 2500 yds. Repeat pat on back from earlier in the week.
This morning Chad, Kip and I planned to run the two bridge loop. I was hoping that if I could do 1 hr 15 today I could make it 90 min on Wednesday. Thankfully Chad gave me good reason to break apart from them after about 25 min so I could keep it at my own pace without worrying I was or wasn't keeping up. My heart rate was 158-162 the entire time. I was trying to keep it at least 8 min miles. I haven't uploaded the data to see if I stayed on track. And after a major cooking spree Chad and I went to the pool and did another 2500 yds. By my addition that is 2 hrs of running and 5000 yds of swimming in two days. My arms were killing me after about 1000 yds. Especially the speed sessions - I thought I couldn't handle it. And I actually channeled one of my favorite triathlon bloggers, repeating a mantra of "my arms will not actually fall off".
Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants with one of our favorite people and now we're in for the evening. Tomorrow's biking plans are in the air because of the forecast. Keep your fingers crossed for unforeseen dry roads and sunshine.
This morning Chad, Kip and I planned to run the two bridge loop. I was hoping that if I could do 1 hr 15 today I could make it 90 min on Wednesday. Thankfully Chad gave me good reason to break apart from them after about 25 min so I could keep it at my own pace without worrying I was or wasn't keeping up. My heart rate was 158-162 the entire time. I was trying to keep it at least 8 min miles. I haven't uploaded the data to see if I stayed on track. And after a major cooking spree Chad and I went to the pool and did another 2500 yds. By my addition that is 2 hrs of running and 5000 yds of swimming in two days. My arms were killing me after about 1000 yds. Especially the speed sessions - I thought I couldn't handle it. And I actually channeled one of my favorite triathlon bloggers, repeating a mantra of "my arms will not actually fall off".
Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants with one of our favorite people and now we're in for the evening. Tomorrow's biking plans are in the air because of the forecast. Keep your fingers crossed for unforeseen dry roads and sunshine.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Recovery week
It’s been a week. A recovery week. I felt pretty good on Monday so I decided to run home from work – almost 7 miles. Silly Kirsten. I made it about 40 min before I had to walk. And then I ran/walked for another mile or so before just walking the rest of the way. My quads were burning. To be expected. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. Ouch – I can barely get out of bed; thump, thump down the stairs. My quads don’t work. “Easy” bike. Chad says recovery rides mean that he just rides how he feels and if he feels good he pushes the pace. I reluctantly drafted; not wanting to ride alone and not wanting to further encourage my legs to fall off. I think I might have been grumpy. :)
Wednesday morning; still cannot walk downstairs without thumping. Decide to take day off. I got off a couple metro stops early on the way home and walked. Thursday – bike felt better. Still haven’t convinced myself that swimming won’t hurt. But Friday morning I went for broke. Did a run around the Capitol, about 3.5 miles and then Chad and I went to the pool. With 1200 under my belt I thought enough was enough. Repeat egg and cheese everything bagel. Yum!
Work was very hectic. I had to catch up on everything I didn’t do while I was traveling and also needed to finish my trip report so I could get my expense report signed off on. But I managed to sleep almost 7 hours each night so I was recovering from the travel at least. Saturday and Sunday I took 3 and 2 hour naps on the couch. And now I can really say I feel back to normal. Our friend TJ has been recovering from eye surgery and slowing building back to IM distance training. We did a 40 mile ride Saturday followed by a 3.5 mile run and then I did 2200 yds in the pool after the nap! So proud of myself. [Insert pat on back.] We followed that with a 60 mile ride with Joe C on Sunday. It was coincidence that we ran into Joe less than a mile from our house, but he pushed the pace and kept TJ and I from “taking it easy” as we had originally discussed. But for once I was happy with the effort.
Chad was in Vegas all weekend for Tyler’s bachelor party. Sounds like he got almost no sleep. Next weekend I think we’ll keep the socializing to a minimum and enjoy some QT – I can’t wait for a full weekend with my hubby!
Wednesday morning; still cannot walk downstairs without thumping. Decide to take day off. I got off a couple metro stops early on the way home and walked. Thursday – bike felt better. Still haven’t convinced myself that swimming won’t hurt. But Friday morning I went for broke. Did a run around the Capitol, about 3.5 miles and then Chad and I went to the pool. With 1200 under my belt I thought enough was enough. Repeat egg and cheese everything bagel. Yum!
Work was very hectic. I had to catch up on everything I didn’t do while I was traveling and also needed to finish my trip report so I could get my expense report signed off on. But I managed to sleep almost 7 hours each night so I was recovering from the travel at least. Saturday and Sunday I took 3 and 2 hour naps on the couch. And now I can really say I feel back to normal. Our friend TJ has been recovering from eye surgery and slowing building back to IM distance training. We did a 40 mile ride Saturday followed by a 3.5 mile run and then I did 2200 yds in the pool after the nap! So proud of myself. [Insert pat on back.] We followed that with a 60 mile ride with Joe C on Sunday. It was coincidence that we ran into Joe less than a mile from our house, but he pushed the pace and kept TJ and I from “taking it easy” as we had originally discussed. But for once I was happy with the effort.
Chad was in Vegas all weekend for Tyler’s bachelor party. Sounds like he got almost no sleep. Next weekend I think we’ll keep the socializing to a minimum and enjoy some QT – I can’t wait for a full weekend with my hubby!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Savage Training and Celebrating
Our friends Kyle and Laura got married on Saturday and the festivities centered around their home away from home at Deep Creek Lake in MD. This is also home to the Savageman triathlon festival, coming up in September. So we brought our bikes, our swim suits and our running gear and prepared for some "savage" training.
The Savageman Half bike course is probably one of the most difficult rides around. It's something like 6,000 ft of climbing in 56 miles. And most of that falls within miles 20 and 40. The course is gorgeous and goes something like this:
First hour (20 miles), mostly downhill through meadows and along Savage River; miles 5-20 are mostly shaded and cool - arm warmers recommended. Miles 1-15 you can expect to see 1-5 cars. For several miles before Westernport you go through a milling town with lots of truck traffic going to and from the papermill and gravel mines.
Then you hit the town of Westernport, home of the infamous Westernport Wall. You take a quick left and immediately the hill begins. And you take another left and you see a serious of three hills in front of you, each one steeper than the last. My MPH went from 20 to 12 to 8 to 4 in the span of 2 minutes. And then the climbing doesn't end. The next 55 minutes is almost a continuous a climb for 8 miles. And I don't mean 4% grade. I'm talking 15-20% grade the entire way. And then you hit a nice downhill that somehow allows you to cover 10 miles in that second hour.
By this time your legs are toast. And you are thinking a break would be nice. But then you take a left on McAndrews Hill just before New Germany State Park and the hill kicks your butt. Pretty much the only store you find on the route is just out of the park. Both Friday and Saturday we reached the store at about the 2hr 20 min mark. After a quick refill of fluids and calories you hit the next hill immediately. And you find the break has only allowed your legs to stiffen up. Luckily this next climb though steep is only a half mile long. And then you hit some rollers followed by a twisty, turny downhill. The road takes you through a very scenic valley, dotted by hay bales, cows, horses and farm houses. And you think, oh, this is so pretty.
And then you take a left on Miller Road and you see the hill in front of you. And the switchbacks seem to never end. The grade of the hill hits 26% in several spots. And it seems to never end. But it does and the next few miles are nice rollers. You realize looking at your bike computer that you've only gone 42 miles and you are at about the 3 hr mark. The rollers continue until about mile 50 and then, finally, the hill tilts downward and your legs finally get a chance to spin towards the transition area at Deep Creek Lake State Park.It took us about 3 hrs 45 min both days. Our average pace was almost the same. And somehow Saturday felt better than Friday. We all did a run on Friday and then Saturday Chad and I napped while TJ went for a swim. At 5 o'clock Chad and I had to be at the church for the wedding (we were on time!) so we used that as our excuse for taking the rest of the afternoon off. And then at the reception the drinking started. And today I find myself hung over. So we got up, checked out of our rental house and drove home. Chad drove while I napped.
All in all, a great weekend. Beautiful setting for a wedding, some great training, and well-deserved relaxation. Congrats to Laura and Kyle!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Calories are your friend
Another long run Wednesday morning – and this time 1 hr 50 min. We planned to leave at 5:45 to pick Kip up at 5:50. Naturally we didn’t leave the house until 5:55, but that is still quite an improvement on last week. For me the big difference was drinking a Strawberry flavored Ensure as soon as we woke up. I need the time for it to settle in my stomach and 25 minutes is about right. We got going and both Chad and I felt pretty good.This time we ran over the 14th St bridge towards Roosevelt Island. We ended up hitting 55 minutes just before Key bridge and decided to cross the bridge and run along the C&O in Georgetown towards the GW Parkway.
We lost Kip for a minute when he ran into an acquaintance, but for the most part we ran the whole route together. I was really surprised Kip stayed with us the whole way, but he is on a cleansing diet of only fresh fruit and veggies – no sugar, no sports drink, no gels – so he may have been feeling fatigued enough to hang with our slower pace. I took a gel at about the half way point and although I wasn’t drinking much I was feeling pretty good.
We actually kept a pace of 8:30 min miles for the first hour. We picked it up once we got to GW Parkway, fluctuating between 7:30 and 8:00 min miles. By the time we got back to the Hill I was feeling the miles building up in my legs. Although the weather stayed pretty mild – warm but not hot, and a little humid, but not bad for August – we were all soaked with sweat. In fact, Chad took off his shorts in Georgetown (yes, he was wearing two pairs), twisted out LOTS of water and decided to just throw them away. My feet were squishing in my shoes and I was soaked. I weighted in at 115.4 after the run.
All in all, so much better than last week!! I’m going to give most of the credit to having some calories before and during the run to keep me going.
2800 yd swim in the evening to round out the day. We need to get at least one long swim in a week. Tonight we head up to Deep Creek Lake for another epic training weekend and then we get an easy week to recover. I'm already looking forward to it.
We lost Kip for a minute when he ran into an acquaintance, but for the most part we ran the whole route together. I was really surprised Kip stayed with us the whole way, but he is on a cleansing diet of only fresh fruit and veggies – no sugar, no sports drink, no gels – so he may have been feeling fatigued enough to hang with our slower pace. I took a gel at about the half way point and although I wasn’t drinking much I was feeling pretty good.
We actually kept a pace of 8:30 min miles for the first hour. We picked it up once we got to GW Parkway, fluctuating between 7:30 and 8:00 min miles. By the time we got back to the Hill I was feeling the miles building up in my legs. Although the weather stayed pretty mild – warm but not hot, and a little humid, but not bad for August – we were all soaked with sweat. In fact, Chad took off his shorts in Georgetown (yes, he was wearing two pairs), twisted out LOTS of water and decided to just throw them away. My feet were squishing in my shoes and I was soaked. I weighted in at 115.4 after the run.
All in all, so much better than last week!! I’m going to give most of the credit to having some calories before and during the run to keep me going.
2800 yd swim in the evening to round out the day. We need to get at least one long swim in a week. Tonight we head up to Deep Creek Lake for another epic training weekend and then we get an easy week to recover. I'm already looking forward to it.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Mountain Mama: The Epic Adventure
There are two separate highlights to this story - 1) On our 4 hour drive to the start of Mountain Mama Century in Monterey, VA, Chad and I got our first flat IN THE CAR. Unfortunately I didn't have the forethought to take pictures while Chad and Phil changed the tire. But here is a glimpse of the damage.
We ended up getting the tires changed at Wal-Mart in Staunton, VA. The guys helping us couldn't get the new tires installed properly so it ended up taking 2 1/2 hours! We finally left a Staunton a little after 9 pm - we didn't home until after midnight.
So, now that I've told you how the story begins and ends...
So, now that I've told you how the story begins and ends...
2) Phil, Laurel, Chad and I decided to give Mountain Mama Century a run for the money. It starts and ends in Monterey, about 200 miles south west of DC. And it climbs 9 mountains in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. It's a crazy ride. The four of us caravanned out, enjoying Cracker Barrel for dinner, a snooze at the Holiday Inn in Staunton and then an hour drive to the start of the ride. It was pouring and lighting and thunder were crashing on the mountain tops as we drove towards the start. The ride was beautiful and eventful, considering we got the flat about 20 min into the drive.
After an hour delay we got rolling at 9. The rain had stopped though the roads were still pretty wet. After a tenth of a mile to get out of the school drive, we took a right up our first mountain climb. It was awesome. We ended up getting caught in a short line of traffic, the last driver of which was a real a$$. She was hugging the white line so none of us could pass her on the right and nearly took out a bunch of us with her rearview mirror when she took a broad corner. At the 15 mile mark we took a left and headed into Sugar Grove for our second mountain climb.
This second climb was steep, but shorter than some of the other climbs. Probably a mile up. And then it was followed by some rollers. One of the highlights of my day was passing a group of guys on this climb, one of which commented "I thought those time trial bikes weren't any good for climbing". I responded that 650 wheels are great for climbing, but was really pleased when he finished with "Guess it all depends on the engine". Darn right it does!!
There were 7 rest stops on the ride, which generally came at the bottom of the big climbs. We had some nice riding through valleys where I was actually able to ride in the aero position. Though the hills were 8-9% grade and sometimes more. I ended up taking in too many calories early on. I was drinking a water bottle with Infinit or about 200 calories about every hour 15 minutes. And I ate a peanut butter sandwhich at every rest stop. I was scared to run out of fuel on the climbs, but by the 5th rest stop I couldn't take in any more food. I was drinking a bottle of water and a bottle of Infinit mix about every 2 hours or so, trying to keep the fluids in at least.
The scenery was beautiful. All the pictures are from our drive in and out. We didn't bring any electronics with us because of the wet roads and the fact that we forgot plastic bags. We passed through some really small towns, but only passed a couple stores or gas stations. This is definitely not a place you could plan a route and count on stopping every 20 miles at a store to reload your drink. The volunteers were great and the food was plentiful.
The scenery was beautiful. All the pictures are from our drive in and out. We didn't bring any electronics with us because of the wet roads and the fact that we forgot plastic bags. We passed through some really small towns, but only passed a couple stores or gas stations. This is definitely not a place you could plan a route and count on stopping every 20 miles at a store to reload your drink. The volunteers were great and the food was plentiful.
The climbs were all tough, but the one that hurt the most was the last one, which starts going up at mile 95. There are probably 20 switchbacks; just when you think you have reached the peak, you see the next corner ahead. Chad and I were climbing together for most of this. There was a group of motorcyclists hanging out at one of the scenic overlooks and I asked if they had a tow rope. I was mostly kidding; in large part because I'm not sure I could stay upright by getting pulled by a rope. And then, finally, we began the descent back into Monterey. Chad quickly sped by me and I didn't see him again until I pulled up to the car.
After cold showers and pulled pork sanwhiches we were on our way to recovery. Except for that 3 hr stop at Wal-Mart. We both had red eyes, sunburn and that exhausted look you get when you've had a fantasic, but really long ride.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sometimes it's not so pretty
Terrible training weekend, great social weekend. They shouldn't have to be mutually exclusive. Run on Friday started at 12:30 pm - hot and humid- it was perhaps the best workout of the weekend, followed by a decent 1500 m swim. Saturday, the usual two-bridge loop run - about 9.5 miles. Unusual was that we started at about 11:30 am. I felt great the first 20 min. My HR was high - my usual training runs average 152-154. It was 162 several times. I got Chad to dial it back a few minutes but it quickly went back up. My right quad was sore and as we got close to the capitol I slowed a lot. In fact, I walked the hill. Back at home recovery was slow and I felt like I had finished a race. But we did go shopping - yay! A little Bed Bath and Beyond for some household stuff, the frame shop for some prints we've had hanging around (not literally, obviously) for months now, and then Sears for Chad's new toy. A new vacuum! The Kenmore Inti-Clean Self-Powered, amazing cleaning machine. I'll let Chad tell you more about it. He played with it for about an hour and a half Saturday night he was so excited. We met up with some friends in the evening and didn't get home until after midnight.
And then it was up before 6 for a 6:45 am rollout. Turns out TJ slept in so it was just Chad and I. We planned to go 60 miles though about an hour into it I was tempted to turn around. My new position on the bike felt very different. I could really feel each pedal stroke in my left hip, my right calf kept cramping and I felt like I was working soooo hard and going so slow. I was pretty miserable. And then I shifted and got my hand pinched in the shifter. And I will admit, I shed a tear. So ridiculously frustrated. And I do NOT cry. Which made me feel a little silly. Ok, a lot silly. And the rest of the ride felt better, but not great. This position is going to take some getting used to. Too bad I won't have much time to get used to it before Total200.
Sometimes training is not pretty. But sometimes it's absolutely incredible. And sometimes a really bad day precedes a really good one. Taper is kind of like that. So maybe this taper?
And then it was up before 6 for a 6:45 am rollout. Turns out TJ slept in so it was just Chad and I. We planned to go 60 miles though about an hour into it I was tempted to turn around. My new position on the bike felt very different. I could really feel each pedal stroke in my left hip, my right calf kept cramping and I felt like I was working soooo hard and going so slow. I was pretty miserable. And then I shifted and got my hand pinched in the shifter. And I will admit, I shed a tear. So ridiculously frustrated. And I do NOT cry. Which made me feel a little silly. Ok, a lot silly. And the rest of the ride felt better, but not great. This position is going to take some getting used to. Too bad I won't have much time to get used to it before Total200.
Sometimes training is not pretty. But sometimes it's absolutely incredible. And sometimes a really bad day precedes a really good one. Taper is kind of like that. So maybe this taper?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Inspired
All this talk of laundry and travel – you must be thinking our training has slipped away. Oh no, my friends. Although it’s true, we did take 3 days off in a row – we hopped on our bikes Tuesday morning and have been going strong ever since. It’s only been two days, but who’s counting?
Great bike at HP on Tuesday. C and I were joined by Kip and TJ for a few fast and furious laps. These smaller groups are great for me because I am confident enough to take a pull. With the bigger groups that train at the same time I end up somewhere in the back of the pack. Probably for various reasons, but first and foremost ‘cause I get a little intimidated by all the fast guys that do the ride. I can hang with some of them, but I certainly don’t feel confident enough to get on the front of the line and try to hold it. But with the smaller groups I am willing and able to give it a go. So I found myself leading a break away yesterday until I felt myself slowing 2/3rds of the way into a small loop and then TJ or Chad start to come around me. And then I’m happy to draft for a little while. I know I’ve said this before, but drafting off TJ is AWESOME! The guy is a powerhouse and it is so easy for me to duck into his shadow.
So this morning C and I decide to start our sequence of Wednesday long runs with a route that will take us to the Lincoln (a whopping 7 miles compared to the usual 6.1 to the Washington Monument). For whatever reason I woke up with a headache this morning and in general was not feeling on. A long, slow run is generally right up my alley when I’m not feeling 100%. Turns out Kip was going to join us. Kip is a fast runner – he races fast and he trains fast. Usually a little too fast for me. Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of keeping up. And even today I felt myself making an effort to keep the pace at several moments. However for the most part I was content to lag a little behind, and when the opportunity came to cut a corner (they ran the Lincoln steps and I did not), I took it and tried to stay in front of the boys for as long as I could; enjoying my own pace without the nagging guilt that I should try to keep up.
I managed to stay in front until the bottom of capitol hill. I passed through the gate and within several seconds Kip came blasting by me. He took the hill as hard and fast as he could. I really admire that in Kip. He attacks challenges with all his physical and mental strength. If we were in a race and I was his competitor my spirit would have been zapped. And so I’m a little inspired. We really only have the one hill on our local run – we should race up it every chance we have. Next time I will. I swear.
Great bike at HP on Tuesday. C and I were joined by Kip and TJ for a few fast and furious laps. These smaller groups are great for me because I am confident enough to take a pull. With the bigger groups that train at the same time I end up somewhere in the back of the pack. Probably for various reasons, but first and foremost ‘cause I get a little intimidated by all the fast guys that do the ride. I can hang with some of them, but I certainly don’t feel confident enough to get on the front of the line and try to hold it. But with the smaller groups I am willing and able to give it a go. So I found myself leading a break away yesterday until I felt myself slowing 2/3rds of the way into a small loop and then TJ or Chad start to come around me. And then I’m happy to draft for a little while. I know I’ve said this before, but drafting off TJ is AWESOME! The guy is a powerhouse and it is so easy for me to duck into his shadow.
So this morning C and I decide to start our sequence of Wednesday long runs with a route that will take us to the Lincoln (a whopping 7 miles compared to the usual 6.1 to the Washington Monument). For whatever reason I woke up with a headache this morning and in general was not feeling on. A long, slow run is generally right up my alley when I’m not feeling 100%. Turns out Kip was going to join us. Kip is a fast runner – he races fast and he trains fast. Usually a little too fast for me. Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of keeping up. And even today I felt myself making an effort to keep the pace at several moments. However for the most part I was content to lag a little behind, and when the opportunity came to cut a corner (they ran the Lincoln steps and I did not), I took it and tried to stay in front of the boys for as long as I could; enjoying my own pace without the nagging guilt that I should try to keep up.
I managed to stay in front until the bottom of capitol hill. I passed through the gate and within several seconds Kip came blasting by me. He took the hill as hard and fast as he could. I really admire that in Kip. He attacks challenges with all his physical and mental strength. If we were in a race and I was his competitor my spirit would have been zapped. And so I’m a little inspired. We really only have the one hill on our local run – we should race up it every chance we have. Next time I will. I swear.
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