March went by so fast. It gave me a few PRs, but it left me tired and heavy legged.
RUN: 232 miles
BIKE: 25hours and 40 min (includes one week of no biking to taper for the run)
SWIM: 12.75
STRENGTH: 2 hours
PLYOS: none (boo!)
##########
Last week I switched gears toward triathlon training. I am cutting my runs to 5 instead of 6/week, increasing my biking to 4-5 instead of 3/week (will see how my privates will hold up to that, so far 4 has been manageable), trying to ride outside as much as possible (it is much harder for me to ride outside, and I am very slow!), swimming a long 2 miles+ session/week (this has become one of my favorite things), swimming with paddles (I am so much faster with them, and if I cheat with a pull buoy, I feel unstoppable).
I had an encouraging ride outside today. I managed to get down in aero, but it was very hard. I am going to take my bike to the shop and see if we can change the aero setup to make it less aggressive. I am currently set up to be very aerodynamic, but I doubt I will be able to take advantage of that for now. I need to lift the bars up a bit to make it easier to use them. Today I forgot to take my underwear of when I went for a ride, and it was pure torture. I will not make that mistake again.
I am so excited to go away with Chris in a few weeks. Although sad to miss some of the Boston runners, I am excited to go away and spend some quality time with Chris. This winter it's been mostly me working on the computer and him watching basketball in the evenings, in the same room, but not really interacting. We did not have any time for ourselves since the summer.
It's snowing in Boston. My back yard is already white. For some reason, this is not driving me crazy!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday Thoughts
* Can someone please teach me how not to be stupid? After running nice and easy (and little) last week to recover my running legs, I put myself back on a plan of 5 (instead of 6) runs/week (to have more time for swims and bike rides). Yesterday it was speed day, 10 miles easy with 8X30 seconds @ 3K-10K pace. I went to the track. The track is dangerous. The track pushes my buttons and makes me run fast. It is really the track's fault that I ended up running 8X 200 meters @ 4:30-4:50, with 200 m easy running in between. They felt great! My cadence was very high and I used my arms for a change (I never use them). But, today reality hit. MY a$$ is on fire and my legs are sore! I ran 12 miles easy this evening but even an 8:56 average pace did not seem slow enough for my tired legs. Live and learn.
* I am not picking my son up early anymore. We end up waiting around for 20 min for his best friend's mom to arrive so that they can leave together. I also must learn to eat a big snack before picking him up as we end up staying at the playground with his little friends way over dinner time and I get cranky when I am hungry.
* I biked for 10 hours last week. Not much for most, but a lot for me. 95% of it was on the trainer, though:)
* I biked for 2.5 hours on Sunday, ran 5 miles (in shorts, and froze) and then Chris and I went outside to bike for a bit. This was my second attempt to riding my tri bike outside. It was windy and I really felt the push from the wind. I almost made it in the aero bars - half way - and managed to shift. I call this progress. I was mad, however, and told Chris to try the bike and see how unstable it is. He got on my 51 cm bike, all 6'1'' of him, and proceeded to ride in aero laughing his face off. I love him, but I hated him then. Here is the thing, as a kid, I ran everywhere - after the bus, away from my brother, etc and raced the boys on the street for fun. I was fast. I did not bike (or swim) so I don't have that comfort on the bike that someone like Chris, who grew up biking and has been bike commuting all his life has. But, I will get there! I learned to swim and am quite comfortable in the water now. I can certainly get comfortable on my tri bike. This is my new challenge!
* Chris and I will take advantage of the 3 day weekend coming up in April and drive to New Hampshire to ride the bike course of Mooseman. I am so excited! This means that I will track all you Boston contenders on my phone, so you better post your numbers when you have them. I'll most likely run Boston next year again.
* I am starting to fantasize about spending some long hours on trails this summer in between my half ironman and the beginning of marathon training. I always want to run trails but somehow that fails to happen.This year I'll make it happen and also build endurance and build a nice base for my fall marathon.
* I am not picking my son up early anymore. We end up waiting around for 20 min for his best friend's mom to arrive so that they can leave together. I also must learn to eat a big snack before picking him up as we end up staying at the playground with his little friends way over dinner time and I get cranky when I am hungry.
* I biked for 10 hours last week. Not much for most, but a lot for me. 95% of it was on the trainer, though:)
* I biked for 2.5 hours on Sunday, ran 5 miles (in shorts, and froze) and then Chris and I went outside to bike for a bit. This was my second attempt to riding my tri bike outside. It was windy and I really felt the push from the wind. I almost made it in the aero bars - half way - and managed to shift. I call this progress. I was mad, however, and told Chris to try the bike and see how unstable it is. He got on my 51 cm bike, all 6'1'' of him, and proceeded to ride in aero laughing his face off. I love him, but I hated him then. Here is the thing, as a kid, I ran everywhere - after the bus, away from my brother, etc and raced the boys on the street for fun. I was fast. I did not bike (or swim) so I don't have that comfort on the bike that someone like Chris, who grew up biking and has been bike commuting all his life has. But, I will get there! I learned to swim and am quite comfortable in the water now. I can certainly get comfortable on my tri bike. This is my new challenge!
* Chris and I will take advantage of the 3 day weekend coming up in April and drive to New Hampshire to ride the bike course of Mooseman. I am so excited! This means that I will track all you Boston contenders on my phone, so you better post your numbers when you have them. I'll most likely run Boston next year again.
* I am starting to fantasize about spending some long hours on trails this summer in between my half ironman and the beginning of marathon training. I always want to run trails but somehow that fails to happen.This year I'll make it happen and also build endurance and build a nice base for my fall marathon.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
I get it now!
This past week I have been thinking a lot about my running. I still can't believe that I managed to run such fast races this winter. My brain is yet again a little slow in its ability to process what my body can do. And letting the body lead has been the trick this year, I think. You see, I have always been a cautious runner, as I have always been cautious in my life (no regrets, it has served me well:). I have always planned my training in a way that I thought would bring me to a goal. For a marathon, that meant running at least one 20 miler at MP. For a half, 10 miles at close to HMP. While this strategy was successful for the most part - it gave me confidence and control over my race - it also put limits to what I accomplished. I see it now.
Before I move on, I need to say that I do not believe in intuition. I think intuition is one of those overused and misunderstood pop psychology term. Intuition is so popular because our brains tend to remember the situations when our "intuition" was right, as opposed to the many other situations in which it was wrong. That, and Oprah!. I am very analytical. I like thinking. I like formulas (to the point where I even tried to convince my husband that he should create a formula to help him remove the random error from his picks in his fantasy basketball - to which he rightly replied that I should get my own team).
So when I heard many experienced runners and triathletes talk about throwing the Garmins away and running by feel I thought (silently) all of that was crap. My formula worked, my Garmin 2/3o5 never let me down, so why change things? Plus, running by feel seemed a bit like letting your "intuition" tell you what to do, and you know how I feel about intuition.
But then something happened this winter. With all my racing at Fresh Pond, and this horrible snow, I did not run my 10 miles @ HMP. I was a ball of nerves before the first HM race, had low expectations, and just went with it. I let go off the control. Shut my brain down. And I surprised myself. Then, I did the same at Quincy. Heck, my PR at Quincy was on a 6:46 average pace while my PR at Fresh pond was on a 6:40 pace for 5 miles! That would not have happened had I not let go.
I am not sure how to call the "let go", how to conceptualize and frame what I am trying to say. Perhaps this is the "running by feel" method. What I know is that my body gets fit quickly and my brain can't keep up with that. Sure, I can try to help my brain catch up to my body, and I have tried that strategy successfully for Baystate last fall. But I think what I did this winter may work even better: letting my body decide the pace, checking in with all the systems (breathing, strike, etc) that the pace is something that I can hold, and then convincing the brain to let go. As I write this, I see that I am trying to make this concrete and 'thinky", but it is not. It is a state of flow perhaps, where my body moves through paces based on terrain, checks in with all the systems and adjusts without conscious control. I can replay my last race in my head, and it is amazing that: 1) I listened to music but have no memory of the songs, and 2) I don't remember really pushing or thinking positively, or encouraging myself like I normally do in races. I remember that I just ran.
So the lesson here for me, is to let go, to think less and give my body control over the run. The body knows best. This does not mean that I am not going to run with my Garmin. I think the Garmin is very useful. However, it is a secondary tool. My body knows better! I get it now!
Before I move on, I need to say that I do not believe in intuition. I think intuition is one of those overused and misunderstood pop psychology term. Intuition is so popular because our brains tend to remember the situations when our "intuition" was right, as opposed to the many other situations in which it was wrong. That, and Oprah!. I am very analytical. I like thinking. I like formulas (to the point where I even tried to convince my husband that he should create a formula to help him remove the random error from his picks in his fantasy basketball - to which he rightly replied that I should get my own team).
So when I heard many experienced runners and triathletes talk about throwing the Garmins away and running by feel I thought (silently) all of that was crap. My formula worked, my Garmin 2/3o5 never let me down, so why change things? Plus, running by feel seemed a bit like letting your "intuition" tell you what to do, and you know how I feel about intuition.
But then something happened this winter. With all my racing at Fresh Pond, and this horrible snow, I did not run my 10 miles @ HMP. I was a ball of nerves before the first HM race, had low expectations, and just went with it. I let go off the control. Shut my brain down. And I surprised myself. Then, I did the same at Quincy. Heck, my PR at Quincy was on a 6:46 average pace while my PR at Fresh pond was on a 6:40 pace for 5 miles! That would not have happened had I not let go.
I am not sure how to call the "let go", how to conceptualize and frame what I am trying to say. Perhaps this is the "running by feel" method. What I know is that my body gets fit quickly and my brain can't keep up with that. Sure, I can try to help my brain catch up to my body, and I have tried that strategy successfully for Baystate last fall. But I think what I did this winter may work even better: letting my body decide the pace, checking in with all the systems (breathing, strike, etc) that the pace is something that I can hold, and then convincing the brain to let go. As I write this, I see that I am trying to make this concrete and 'thinky", but it is not. It is a state of flow perhaps, where my body moves through paces based on terrain, checks in with all the systems and adjusts without conscious control. I can replay my last race in my head, and it is amazing that: 1) I listened to music but have no memory of the songs, and 2) I don't remember really pushing or thinking positively, or encouraging myself like I normally do in races. I remember that I just ran.
So the lesson here for me, is to let go, to think less and give my body control over the run. The body knows best. This does not mean that I am not going to run with my Garmin. I think the Garmin is very useful. However, it is a secondary tool. My body knows better! I get it now!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Pearl Izumi Streak II - I am in love!
I was asked to review a pair of Pearl Izumi Streak II running shoes and was happy to oblige. However, deep down I was a bit skeptical that I could find a shoe I'd like more than my Nike Frees and Brooks Launch. Little did I know...
This shoe is marketed for training and racing. I have never owned racing shoes before; I always thought they would not feel comfortable, and that was the case with a couple of pairs I tried in the past. However, this was not the case with the Streak shoes. The shoes are comfortable, and fit like a glove. They are light (6.8 ounces for 8.5 women's) and mold to the foot. The moment I put them on I did not want to take them off. So I ran a half marathon in them without having ever taken them on a test run. Oops! But, they felt amazing. I have a midfoot strike, but in this shoe I was on my toes much more. Running on your toes means running faster, and faster I ran:). When I got back to my "other" running shoes, my midfoot strike returned...
The shoes are very flexible, there is almost no heel drop, and these two factors make you feel like you are running barefoot but landing on soft yet springy foam. The shoes are very soft, the heel cup is tight, and the forefoot is roomy but can be tightened with the laces to fit ones foot width. The upper is seamless which I love because it allows running sockless without fear of blisters or hot spots. I have not tried this yet, though:)
I absolutely love these shoes. I hate reviews that are super positive, but really I am having a hard time finding anything I don't like about this shoe. Oh, yes, the price...They are a bit expensive @ $110, but found them on google shopping with $85, which is the same as the Nike Frees and cheaper than Launch. If you are interested in a neutral, cushioned, light racing/training shoe, this one is a gem. If you don't believe me, go to your local running store and get a pair out of a stroll. You will most likely fall in love, like I did!
All the technical details from the manufacturer could be found here.
Thank you, Pearl Izumi, for giving me these shoes to review!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Welcome to tri training!
I confess.
I am sad.
I already miss not running a race almost every weekend.
But my running legs need a rest. They worked hard. They delivered. They gave me 2 of my best races ever.
Here is me concentrating on passing this woman who kept speeding up every time I would try to pass here. This was only mile 4 or so, what was she thinking? (I cut her out of the pic).
On Sunday afternoon we went swimming. I got in the water to swim a few laps while Chris got Petru ready. Ten minutes go buy, and then 10 more....I get a bit worried but I keep swimming. After a little over a mile, I see Chris and Petru through the pool's glass wall...Petru found some kids and decided that he did not want to swim. I tell you, if it were up to Chris, Petru would be doing everything he want all day long. Ha!
On Monday my legs were trashed. This was a bit of a surprise, but running the last mile of a half at your 5K pace will do that to you. So I biked...for 3 hours, mostly easy with about 30 min on the big chain. I first took my tri bike out for the first time. Go ahead and laugh... I was so nervous that I first rode it up and down the street 10+ times. Then I rode to the bike path and rode for 5 miles before my hands froze (it snowed on Monday!) and I moved to the trainer. I tried to get into aero but was too nervous. That's OK, baby steps. I'll get on it during the weekend. I need to make falling a goal!
On Tuesday I took my legs out for a slooow 10 miler. This run was harder than my half on Sunday (OK, not really, but close). My legs were heavy up to about mile 8, when they loosened up and started working properly.
Today I did my longest swim since my half iron, a 2 miler! It felt awesome. I did 400 warm up, 4X400 with 3 belly breaths in between, 400 4X (50 free, 50 breast), and 800 with paddles. At some point we had to give up a lane for the swim team and I was asked to lead a lane of 3 since I was "the fastest". Really? OK then (disclaimer, I am still slow...fast is relative).
More biking and swimming, and a bit of running for the week. I am still debating whether I should do the Fresh Pond race on Saturday. I don't care about my time, I just miss the folks over there. How weird is that I am feeling a bit uneasy that I have worked my body so hard and I am not injured, while some of my favorite blogger who train less than I do are currently injured. I know this is silly and am restructuring the heck out of such thoughts. The thing is, I had my share of injuries in the past (though none since 2008) and I know how tough it is to not be able to do what you love...
On other news, we are supposed to get 3-4 inches of snow tomorrow! The only happy thing about that is that I'll have to delay practicing riding my bike in aero...Any tips on making the transition to aero easier?
I am sad.
I already miss not running a race almost every weekend.
But my running legs need a rest. They worked hard. They delivered. They gave me 2 of my best races ever.
Here is me concentrating on passing this woman who kept speeding up every time I would try to pass here. This was only mile 4 or so, what was she thinking? (I cut her out of the pic).
On Sunday afternoon we went swimming. I got in the water to swim a few laps while Chris got Petru ready. Ten minutes go buy, and then 10 more....I get a bit worried but I keep swimming. After a little over a mile, I see Chris and Petru through the pool's glass wall...Petru found some kids and decided that he did not want to swim. I tell you, if it were up to Chris, Petru would be doing everything he want all day long. Ha!
On Monday my legs were trashed. This was a bit of a surprise, but running the last mile of a half at your 5K pace will do that to you. So I biked...for 3 hours, mostly easy with about 30 min on the big chain. I first took my tri bike out for the first time. Go ahead and laugh... I was so nervous that I first rode it up and down the street 10+ times. Then I rode to the bike path and rode for 5 miles before my hands froze (it snowed on Monday!) and I moved to the trainer. I tried to get into aero but was too nervous. That's OK, baby steps. I'll get on it during the weekend. I need to make falling a goal!
On Tuesday I took my legs out for a slooow 10 miler. This run was harder than my half on Sunday (OK, not really, but close). My legs were heavy up to about mile 8, when they loosened up and started working properly.
Today I did my longest swim since my half iron, a 2 miler! It felt awesome. I did 400 warm up, 4X400 with 3 belly breaths in between, 400 4X (50 free, 50 breast), and 800 with paddles. At some point we had to give up a lane for the swim team and I was asked to lead a lane of 3 since I was "the fastest". Really? OK then (disclaimer, I am still slow...fast is relative).
More biking and swimming, and a bit of running for the week. I am still debating whether I should do the Fresh Pond race on Saturday. I don't care about my time, I just miss the folks over there. How weird is that I am feeling a bit uneasy that I have worked my body so hard and I am not injured, while some of my favorite blogger who train less than I do are currently injured. I know this is silly and am restructuring the heck out of such thoughts. The thing is, I had my share of injuries in the past (though none since 2008) and I know how tough it is to not be able to do what you love...
On other news, we are supposed to get 3-4 inches of snow tomorrow! The only happy thing about that is that I'll have to delay practicing riding my bike in aero...Any tips on making the transition to aero easier?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Quincy Half Marathon RR OR how Ana-Maria went sub 1:30
Stats:
1:28:46; 6:46/mile; 4th woman overall/ maybe 400?; 3rd AG 1-39 (seriously, is this an AG?)
BTW, for everyone needing inspiration, the winner was 40+ and went 1:25!
Here is how it went down;
Mile 1: 6:53
Mile 2: 6:54
Mile 3: 6:50
Mile 4: 6:59 - last .25 start of a .78 mile hill
Mile 5: 7:00 - ending that hill
Mile 6: 6:43
Mile 7: 6:48
Mile 8: 6:50
Mile 9: 6:46
Mile 10: 6:50 - 1 .25 hill
Mile 11: 6:53 - 1 .25 hill
Mile 12: 6:44
Mile 13: 6:20 - last .5 downhill
Last bit: 4:56 - downhill
My secret goal for this race was to average a 6:52, which is what McMillan told me I could do after last weekend's 5K. I also wanted to start a bit faster than normal, and get on pace right away. The race was not chip timed so I placed myself in the second line, after warming up for 1 mile. Immediately I saw Mary about 100 feet in front of me, and decided that I would try to keep her in sight. The first 2 miles were rolling and windy; my legs felt off. I told myself to keep going and that my legs need to warm up. I ran the race in a pair of Pearl Izumi Streak II shoes which I received on Friday from Outside PR, and loved so much that I decided to wear without testing them on a run before. They are awesome (review soon).
Back to the race. Miles 2-4 were flat. I started feeling better, and just maintained the pace while getting closer to Mary. A tough hill about .75 mile long started at 4.5 mile and I felt great on it and started going on my own, passing a few people. I always though hills are not my strength as I have a butt and it feels like is dragging me down. But recently I have been feeling awesome on hills. There was a nice downhill thereafter and I pushed the pace hard. I love the downhills and I can run them very well. By mile 6 I started to feel great. Miles 6-8 were flat and I knew that, so kept plugging along without worry that my lap/mile pace was faster than I wanted it to be. I ran with a couple of women for a while, one had passed me before the hill, and the other one faded by mile 8. I took a gel before mile 8 (took one before the race as well), as I knew there will be a series of short but steep hills up to mile 12.5. In my head, I decided the races ended at mile 12.5. From mile 9 on, I had periods of time when my legs felt tired, and then periods of time when I felt great. At mile 10 someone told me I was the 3rd woman. I could see one woman in front of me, about .25 ahead, and decided to see if I can catch here while not going way too fast. I knew by this point that I could break 1:30, as the course was accurate, if not a bit short (it is certified though, and I did run all the tangents). I caught the woman at mile 12, and I sped up. Last year I ran the last mile @ 6:40 (it has a good downhill from 12.5 to 13) and this year I wanted to go faster than that. Plus, once I passed that woman, I wanted to go super fast as to not have her fight back. So I pushed hard and ended up with a 6:20 mile. Happy. As I approached the finish I saw the clock and could not believe my eyes. Happy, happy, happy!
And now the challenge is going to be to get really excited for triathlon training. Chris is a bit skeptical that I am going to stick with triathloning so I have to prove him wrong:)
At the end of the race I got a chance to talk to Mary and Kristina who both PRed (and who have great blogs, by the way!)
And now, I rest my running legs for a bit!
1:28:46; 6:46/mile; 4th woman overall/ maybe 400?; 3rd AG 1-39 (seriously, is this an AG?)
BTW, for everyone needing inspiration, the winner was 40+ and went 1:25!
Here is how it went down;
Mile 1: 6:53
Mile 2: 6:54
Mile 3: 6:50
Mile 4: 6:59 - last .25 start of a .78 mile hill
Mile 5: 7:00 - ending that hill
Mile 6: 6:43
Mile 7: 6:48
Mile 8: 6:50
Mile 9: 6:46
Mile 10: 6:50 - 1 .25 hill
Mile 11: 6:53 - 1 .25 hill
Mile 12: 6:44
Mile 13: 6:20 - last .5 downhill
Last bit: 4:56 - downhill
My secret goal for this race was to average a 6:52, which is what McMillan told me I could do after last weekend's 5K. I also wanted to start a bit faster than normal, and get on pace right away. The race was not chip timed so I placed myself in the second line, after warming up for 1 mile. Immediately I saw Mary about 100 feet in front of me, and decided that I would try to keep her in sight. The first 2 miles were rolling and windy; my legs felt off. I told myself to keep going and that my legs need to warm up. I ran the race in a pair of Pearl Izumi Streak II shoes which I received on Friday from Outside PR, and loved so much that I decided to wear without testing them on a run before. They are awesome (review soon).
Back to the race. Miles 2-4 were flat. I started feeling better, and just maintained the pace while getting closer to Mary. A tough hill about .75 mile long started at 4.5 mile and I felt great on it and started going on my own, passing a few people. I always though hills are not my strength as I have a butt and it feels like is dragging me down. But recently I have been feeling awesome on hills. There was a nice downhill thereafter and I pushed the pace hard. I love the downhills and I can run them very well. By mile 6 I started to feel great. Miles 6-8 were flat and I knew that, so kept plugging along without worry that my lap/mile pace was faster than I wanted it to be. I ran with a couple of women for a while, one had passed me before the hill, and the other one faded by mile 8. I took a gel before mile 8 (took one before the race as well), as I knew there will be a series of short but steep hills up to mile 12.5. In my head, I decided the races ended at mile 12.5. From mile 9 on, I had periods of time when my legs felt tired, and then periods of time when I felt great. At mile 10 someone told me I was the 3rd woman. I could see one woman in front of me, about .25 ahead, and decided to see if I can catch here while not going way too fast. I knew by this point that I could break 1:30, as the course was accurate, if not a bit short (it is certified though, and I did run all the tangents). I caught the woman at mile 12, and I sped up. Last year I ran the last mile @ 6:40 (it has a good downhill from 12.5 to 13) and this year I wanted to go faster than that. Plus, once I passed that woman, I wanted to go super fast as to not have her fight back. So I pushed hard and ended up with a 6:20 mile. Happy. As I approached the finish I saw the clock and could not believe my eyes. Happy, happy, happy!
And now the challenge is going to be to get really excited for triathlon training. Chris is a bit skeptical that I am going to stick with triathloning so I have to prove him wrong:)
At the end of the race I got a chance to talk to Mary and Kristina who both PRed (and who have great blogs, by the way!)
And now, I rest my running legs for a bit!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Moving on...ramblings
# Thank you for the lovely comments on my race report! I have been on cloud 9 since the race. It was only a 5K, but it feels so good to accomplish a long term goal! But life goes on and I need to change focus to my last big running race on Sunday. I raced almost every single weekend this year, putting in 45-65 miles/week, and my running legs are in serious need of rest. I am actually feeling fine, but sometimes I think I am like a ticking bomb and if I don't rest soon, I won't be able to train well for my June HIM. One more race, legs!
# No soreness post race. E 21 + 5 mile easy running back home + 1 mile swim post race = happy legs!
# Today I did my last key run before Sunday, 6 miles w/ 3X 1 mile @ 10K pace. I ran in shorts! Although I do like winter running and race best in cold temps, I am truly excited to show off my pale legs and arms. The run went well, though it was a good reminder that I really need at least 3 miles warm-up in order to run well. Hence, my first mile repeat was rough and the last one ended up as a 5K pace mile. Now, the tough part, I rest.
# I am not nervous about the race on Sunday. It's like I am already giving myself permission to have a bad race. Don't get me wrong, I plan to race hard, but if my legs don't show up, I won't be upset (I think!).
# A lot of people asked me how I gained so much speed in so little time. My first half marathon was a few years back, and I ran a 2:06. I personally think consistency and hard work are the most important factors associated with improvement in running. Consistency implies not getting injured, or catching injuries early on so that you don't have to take too much time off, and hard work meaning having a few miles every week where you feel like death, however that may be for you (for me it is getting close to or actually vomiting). I don't think racing success is in the training plan, although having one that fits your style and schedule is important. OK, I don't mean to sound like an expert, because honestly I am not, just my opinion here!
# On Monday I will switch to tri training only. I have this vision of having mega weekends where on Saturdays I do an hour or so on the bike before running to the Fresh Pond race and doing the 5 mile race as a brick. Then I'll swim in the afternoon with the family. On Sunday I plan for a mega bike ride, 3hours or so, followed by a short 3-5 mile run, and a swim with the family in the afternoon. Not sure if this is smart, but I know my body will let me know and I'll make changes if I get pooped. I am getting excited about tri training, which makes me happy!.
# Wish me luck surviving this taper week. I did not use to believe in taper, but now I do and will stick to low running mileage, almost no biking, and, gasp, a full day off on Saturday! I think someone out there should market an exercise anti-withdrawal pill! In the meantime, I am hitting Lululemon in Harvard Square after work tomorrow!
# No soreness post race. E 21 + 5 mile easy running back home + 1 mile swim post race = happy legs!
# Today I did my last key run before Sunday, 6 miles w/ 3X 1 mile @ 10K pace. I ran in shorts! Although I do like winter running and race best in cold temps, I am truly excited to show off my pale legs and arms. The run went well, though it was a good reminder that I really need at least 3 miles warm-up in order to run well. Hence, my first mile repeat was rough and the last one ended up as a 5K pace mile. Now, the tough part, I rest.
# I am not nervous about the race on Sunday. It's like I am already giving myself permission to have a bad race. Don't get me wrong, I plan to race hard, but if my legs don't show up, I won't be upset (I think!).
# A lot of people asked me how I gained so much speed in so little time. My first half marathon was a few years back, and I ran a 2:06. I personally think consistency and hard work are the most important factors associated with improvement in running. Consistency implies not getting injured, or catching injuries early on so that you don't have to take too much time off, and hard work meaning having a few miles every week where you feel like death, however that may be for you (for me it is getting close to or actually vomiting). I don't think racing success is in the training plan, although having one that fits your style and schedule is important. OK, I don't mean to sound like an expert, because honestly I am not, just my opinion here!
# On Monday I will switch to tri training only. I have this vision of having mega weekends where on Saturdays I do an hour or so on the bike before running to the Fresh Pond race and doing the 5 mile race as a brick. Then I'll swim in the afternoon with the family. On Sunday I plan for a mega bike ride, 3hours or so, followed by a short 3-5 mile run, and a swim with the family in the afternoon. Not sure if this is smart, but I know my body will let me know and I'll make changes if I get pooped. I am getting excited about tri training, which makes me happy!.
# Wish me luck surviving this taper week. I did not use to believe in taper, but now I do and will stick to low running mileage, almost no biking, and, gasp, a full day off on Saturday! I think someone out there should market an exercise anti-withdrawal pill! In the meantime, I am hitting Lululemon in Harvard Square after work tomorrow!
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