Chicago Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon

It wasn't pretty, but it got done!  It's been a long time since we've had any activity on this blog.  The other Ironmoms and I have been a bit out of touch with the racing scene (I think I can safely say that for all of us!).

I had a long winter--some injuries and other things got in the way of training and racing.  And, general dislike for training kept me from getting up and getting things done in terms of racing.  As a result, I was less than prepared for the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon.

The day prior to the race I was in Minneapolis where I ran/walked the Bacon Chase 5k with friends (it was a fun race--I recommend it!).  Then, I hopped a plane and arrived in Chicago.  After surviving the chaos that is a Rock 'n' Roll race expo, I had my packet and set out for a lovely evening hanging out with a friend in Chicago.  All the while, I had this dread hanging over my head--I knew this race was going to be painful.
 
If I am being 100% honest, the last time I really ran was back in November for the Women's 1/2 Marathon.  I had done some short distances since then, but nothing consistent or really much more than 3-5 miles at a time.  Once the hot weather hit in Phoenix, I did ZERO running (or biking for that matter).  I decided that I would use a walk-run interval to survive the Chicago race and held to it for the first half...then my walk intervals got longer...then my run intervals got shorter.  Finally, for miles 11 & 12, I think (I know) I walked more than I ran.

I finished and could feel my lack of training in just about every part of my body.  I vowed to start training for my October/November half marathons (4 half marathons in 6 weeks).  Here it is, August, and the training has not really started...yet.  So, here I am back on the blog and committing to getting trained for those races!!

If you're curious about how I handled the incredible muscle soreness following the race, check out my other blog (Oil Have What She's Having) where I talked about that.  oilhabit.com/2014/07/sore-muscles-aroma-siez/

Happy racing (and training!!) everyone!

Awesome 80's 10k and Rock 'n' Roll Half

Wow, 2013 is taking off fast!  I am already two races behind on my updates.  I ran the Awesome 80's 10k on January 12th and it was, as advertised, awesome!  I convinced my husband to run the race with me and he, in typical Adam fashion, did no training for the race, but was ready to go and run anyway on race day. 

Awesome 80's!

It was a cold morning--very cold by Arizona standards, but it felt very nice to be running in it after things got started.  The race was relatively small, which was great.  There wasn't a mad rush to pick up race numbers on race morning and the crowd at the starting line was very manageable even though both the 10k and 5k started at the same time and ran the same course. 

The course was flat and easy.  The 10k was two loops of the 5k course.  Adam kept pushing the pace with this long legs and we finished in 1:00.48--a PR for me.  It was a good run and I felt great afterwards.  I would highly recommend this case in the future--it was fun and relaxed.  My only hesitation in recommending it is that if more people sign up in the future it may get too crazy and crowded.  :)

This past Sunday I ran the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon.  It was my 4th time running one of the P.F. Chang's races--my third time running the 1/2.  I wasn't really excited to run this race again because it has gotten increasingly more crowded and crazy each year, but I wanted to try the newly revamped 1/2 course, so I sucked it up and signed up. 

The girls were ready to rock!

As it is every year, the expo was a madhouse.  I had signed the girls up for the kid's run on Saturday, so I had to go on Friday after work so I got the double whammy of expo insanity and downtown traffic.  The girls had a blast at the kids' run--lots of entertainment and nice, fun running experience.  I would sign them up for this again in the future. 

For my race, things were a little more hectic and rushed.  Adam and the girls dropped me off at the starting line, which was nice because parking looked like a nightmare.  I arrived around 7:15 at the starting area.  The race was scheduled to start at 7:50 so I had plenty of time to use the port-a-potty and get set...or so I thought.  The first thing I did was jump in the port-a-potty line...which was pretty much the whole pre-race time period.  Just after I stepped out of the port-a-potty, they started the National Anthem and then the race. 


I usually like to eat an energy bar or something before the race and I had brought some salt sticks to use as well, but I didn't have water with me (there's usually plenty at the start).  I didn't have time to look for water, so I figured I'd just take the first salt stick at the first water break, which is usually just after the first mile.  I was in corral 9 and we started about 12 minutes after the first corral, which made me wish I had looked for water and then just got back in the corral, but oh well. 

Another RNR Down!

Things started out well.  I was maintaining a pace that felt comfortable and was on par with what I had run the Awesome 80's 10k.  Around mile 7, I started to get hot and very thirsty.  I was anxiously looking for the next water stop around every corner.  When I finally got there, I took my salt stick and ate a bit of my power bar.  I think I ate the power bar too late in the race, because from mile 8 to the finish I just kept fading.  I was tired and my feet were super hot.  I had debated between running my Newtons (which I'd worn for the 80's run) and my old Brooks and went with the Brooks since I was still worried about the lack of distance I'd run in the Newtons.  I should have worn the Newtons. 

Also, I think the hills in the 2nd half of the course really took a toll on me.  No doubt about it, I was under trained for the race.  Reflecting back--the only real running I've done since IM have been a 5k in December and 2 10ks in January...so that shouldn't have surprised me. All in all, the Rock 'n' Roll race series is getting a bit tiresome.  The races have been really crowded and the expo is always a huge ordeal.  And, there's nothing that exciting about the races (other than the cool medals) after you've done a couple.  The race fees are always really high too...so this might be my last RNR for awhile. 

I will definitely be getting more miles in before Ragnar in February!!  I also need to get back on my bike, though I have been less than excited about that prospect since IM.  I am hoping Kate and Annette share their adventures/misadventures on getting back on the bike yesterday. 

Next up:  Runner's Den Road Races in Feb.

Race Updates

Holy cow--we're just a little over 90 days out from our Ironman AZ adventure! I am getting nervous and freaked out, so it was time to look at the race schedule and see how things line up for the BIG race.

September:  Trifamily race in Peoria, Nathan's Olympic Tri
October: Tour de Scottsdale?, Soma 1/2 Iron Triathlon
November: Women's Half Marathon, IRONMAN!

It's crazy to think that I'm only a few races away from Ironman.  Annette and I have been trying to get caught up on the bike rides (she's doing better than I am!!).  I've been getting regular strength training in each week.  I was fortunate to be in a cooler climate over the weekend and got some solid runs in as well.  My new goal is to get 3 runs/3 swims/3 bikes in each week--with one of each of those being a "long" workout.  I think if I can keep up with this training schedule and the strength training I should feel pretty good.  It will be nice to get some races in soon so that I can see where I am at and what adjustments I need to be making. 

On a sadder note, Kate will not be joining us if Ironman this year.  I am hoping she updates us with a post soon and keeps us in the loop for what she'll be doing to rehab her injury and if she's eying IMAZ 2013.  :)

MN Color Run 2012

Here's a picture from the Color Run that I did in Minnesota back in July.  It was a fun atmosphere...but not much of a run.  I'd recommend it if you're not looking to run so much as to hang out with 10,000 people on a race course. 

Where has the time gone?!!

Can you believe it--it's the last day of July?!!  We are just 16 weeks from Ironman AZ.   I have to admit, I am getting a little nervous.  I need to get some long rides in ASAP.  I slacked a bit the last couple of weeks as I was in MN.  I have scheduled some races to help get me back on track.  I have pretty much abandoned Fink.  I like the concept, but it doesn't really fit my training style.  I am working on getting 2-3 days of strength training in each week and at least 5 days of cardio. 

I really need to hit the pool with more intensity.  I've noticed that my stroke has gotten sloppy and I know that will sap energy from me in the long run.  So, I've come up with some August goals:
1.) Get in the pool weekly and focus on form.
2.) Get 3 rides a week in.
3.) Get 2 a day workouts in at least 3 days a week.

I think if I can get in this routine in August, I'll feel a lot better going into the September Oly and October 1/2 Iron. 

Next Race - One Month

I'm fired up and ready to sign up for another race. 
I decided to sign up for Tempe International OLY.  It is Sunday, May 13th.  There is another race the week before with my favorite race company.  That race, Rio Salado, is on a Saturday and it interferes with me coaching my kids basketball teams.  Unfortunately, that is a deal breaker for me. 
I figure I'll have about a month to train.  I will do better.  I am announcing my goals for the World to hear. 
(1)  Improve my times in all three sports.
(2)  Weigh less. 

Wish me luck!

Kate's update

I posted about my lack of motivation a while ago. I stated I didn't have the "Eye of the Tiger" that I know I need to do this Ironman.  I decided to skip my 70.3 and relax.  Once I made up my mind I tried to do fun activities.  I did a 5k with a friend and took a nice relaxing bike ride this weekend.  I dug it.  Ron, my husband, is also trying to work out with me more.  (Ron = more fun)  So far this has helped me. 

Two interesting things happened this week.  (1)  I get to be a part of a tri group that I have been wanting to train with for sometime.  I'm pretty excited about it.  (2)  When I went on the ride with Ron and my friends today, Ron said I seemed much stronger on the bike than I used to be.  Ron hasn't ridden with me in a while so this was nice for me to hear.  He is a great judge of my skill level.    Both of these things were good to hear!

The other great thing that happened is that Ron and I cleaned out 3rd car garage (seperate individual stall that we use for storage) to make room for another machine.  Ron wants to get an elipical but we didn't have room.  We now have room and have added a nice TV and DVR box.  We figure the cost of adding the TV and cable is still less than a gym membership for both of us.  I'm excited.  Hope it works!

SO, I'm more motivated.  I am going to do the Marquee Tri with the other Ironmoms.  Kim is doing the Half and Kristin, Annette and I are going to do the OLY.  I feel really good about that.  Normally, I would have signed up for the Half and beat myself up about not being ready.  I know I can do this.  I may be slow, but I can do it. 

We are a couple weeks out from our OLY!  This is going to fun!

WANTED: "Eye of the Tiger"

I think I lost my "Eye of the Tiger" motivatation.  I don't know why.  Maybe because I finished an Ironman and now I'm done?  It is off the Life List now?  I don't know.  I felt this way all of 2011 and I was hoping I'd get my fire back in 2012.  So far, it isn't looking great.

I looked up my training from 2010 (my last Ironman year) and I am way behind on the amount of time I was putting in.  The crazy thing is that I have CA70.3 coming up and I do not feel ready.  My husband says I should go for it and consider it a big training day.  If I don't do great, I know I was not properly prepared. If I do better than expected, I will see I am training more efficiently.   UGH.  Why do I consistantly do this to myself? 

I keep day dreaming about new adventures and challenges.  Here is an example of a few.  (1)  What if I try to do a half marathon in every state?  (2) What if I do a half marathon each month for a year?!  (3) What if I start training for that cool ride across Iowa?  (4) What if I join a real bike group and do Tours all year long? 

Oh Boy.  Focus Kate.  You can do this!! 


PS - I did do a 5 mile race UP South Mountain yesterday.  I'm pretty happy about that. 

Training?!

Can you believe that we are already a week into February?  Time is already flying by in 2012.  I am trying to recover from a cold (colds really) that has plagued me since the first week in December.  Every time I think I'm recovered, I seem to get a new bug.  So, I have spent the better part of the last 2 weeks focusing on getting rest.  It also means that my training has taken a pretty big hit. 

In order to be ready to hit the ground running when I start my "official" Ironman training regimen, I want to lose some lbs and so I have been learning about training for weight loss v. training for performance.  Now, I have to admit I haven't really looked at training with a specific goal other than to get in better shape.  I have been frustrated when the numbers on the scale don't reflect my efforts in the gym.  I am finding that I am getting my heart rate too high for too long to train for weight loss.  I am learning how to better maximize my work out for my goal of losing weight.  So, as a result here are my new training goals for February and March:

1.) Eat more calories, but choose healthier calories--my body thinks I'm starving so it's holding on to weight I want to lose.
2.) Lift more weights--more muscle=greater calorie burn.
3.) Focus on heart rate during cardio workouts--try to stay in the "fat burning" zone.
4.) Be o.k. with slower times in upcoming races (Ragnar, Phoenix 1/2)--since I'm training for weight loss I might lose ground with performance a bit.
5.) Train intervals--weight loss can be enhanced by incorporating more interval training into a workout regimen

Now, it's time to get on track and start moving!

PF Chang's Rock n Roll Half Marathon

I did it.  Don't ask me how.  Work, Life, Kids, and the Holidays interferred with proper training.  (Hmmm, Haven't we all heard these excuses before?) 

Peter (my brother in law) and I both had signed up for full marathon but couldn't get our training done.  We decided to power through and use the race as our Sunday work out.  I think we were both prepared to have a pretty awful race.  Before the race we decided to run a couple miles to get out of the crowd and then start our 3 minute run/1 minute walk.  At our 3 mile mark we ran into another good friend who was running her first Half Marathon.  She was so nervous and scared.  She was also recovering from a sinus infection and had just finished day 10 of her antibiotic.  

Even though we were not perfectly trained, the three of us had a really nice time.  We chit chatted and all stuck together.  I think all of us would have not done as well if we didn't have eachother.  It might have been my favorite Half Marathon!  At mile 12, my friend had a really bad blister, and I was spent, so we started walking a little longer than a minute.  We told Peter to go on without us b/c he was feeling very strong.  We rallied and eventually got to the finish line.  My time was 2:42.  I'm ok with it.  I can't expect to be awesome when I don't train properly.

Before I go, I just want to say, the 3/1 method works!  It really helps your endurance.  I learned about this method while training for Ironman the first go around.  Some of the more fit folks were using a 9/1 or 6/1.  The funny thing about this method is that if you do it over a long distance, you come pretty darn close to your time if you were to run the whole thing.  Buddies also help.  We kept eachother going when one of us wanted to quit. 

I think Peter and I are going to try to do another Half Marathon in February.  I want to see if I can build on this race.  Wish me luck! 

Work Ride

I thought I'd share a photo from my lunch time bike ride.  It was great.  The route was very hilly and I got my heart rate up in a short amount of time.  This job might be great for training if my schedules stays like this! 

Decent first week

So this was my first week of training.  It wasn't perfect but I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish.  I need to find a pool soon to round it out.  Here are a couple updates.

• A friend sent me her garmin to try out.  It is an older model, 310 I think, but it helped me get the feel of it.  I LOVE it!  I think it will make training very fun.  I can see how having a garmin will make training by "time" increments so much easier.  I've been a "distance" trainer because I like to see how much ground I can cover.  Finally I can do both.
• I haven't tried to incorporate heart rate training yet.  That will be the next step.  I am trying to work out the kinks before we start the Ironfit training plan.
• As for diet, I have been doing pretty good this week.  It helps some of my girlfriends are doing a biggest loser competition.  Hopefully it will help me stay motivated.
   
• I am loving my spinner.  It should make a big difference in my training.  We'll see how it goes.
• I'm still playing with my race schedule.  I'm hoping to have it finalized this week. 

Have a fantastic week ladies!! 

Meet Scott - aka "Fat Boy"

Hey everyone!  I wanted to introduce another fun Ironman in training.  Meet Scott!

I met Scott on BeginnerTriathlon website a couple years ago.  Debb, Scott, Leah, Kiri, Keeley and I trained for about a year gearing up for our Ironman races.  Debb and Scott took on Wisconsin this year while Leah and I tackled Ironman Arizona last year. 

Scott ran Ironman Wisconsin this year and fell short due to hydration issues.  He is going to give it another go next year with Debb.  His blog is listed below at http://trainfatboy.blogspot.com/  For the record, Scott has lost a lot of weight so I think Fatboy is a misleading name!

Go SCOTT Go!! 

IMAZ 2012! One year and one WEEK away!

Ladies - Are you ready?  We are one week away from signing up for Ironman AZ!  Exciting!  I'm volunteering at the swim exit.  I'm so excited to see everyone tackling the my weakest sport.

Here is my update: 

I am currently unemployed!  Well, I'm actually in between jobs.  Leaving my last position was hard but a great opportunity became available.  I'm going back to practicing law.  My office will be near the Ironman bike course turnaround.  I think it is the most beautiful part of the Valley!  I will also have Fridays off and can use the day as another training opportunity.

I have two weeks off and it has been awesome. I have organized the house, updated my wardrobe, taken the kids to Disney and hit the spa!  This week, I'm taking my mom to the spa, cleaning the garage so I can leave my bike set up on the trainer, getting aero bars on my new bike, getting a make up lesson, and working on vegetarian cooking!  

I have been keeping my weight off thanks to a healthy diet and staying busy but my exercise level has remained very low.  I went on a run tonight and it felt great.  Although I have not been running much I had a better time than I have had in months.  Now just to continue!  That has been the biggest challenge for me lately.  My life is distracting me.  I have two races on the books that I have paid for - PF Chang's Marathon in Tempe, AZ and California 70.3 in Oceanside, CA.  I need to make them a priority.  (After my family, new job and home responsibilities of course.)  

I'm so excited to be tackling this race with a group of people I know!  It will be such a different experience than the first time.  Let's get Fired Up!! 

PS - Annette, you need to get your key board fixed so you can resume your blogging!

Last Tri of 2011

I raced in the Mesa tri on Sunday.  I hadn't planned on doing this triathlon, but a couple of things convinced me to do it.  First, I needed to do some kind of training to recover from Soma and train for the Women's Half Marathon next weekend.  I didn't want to do a long run, so a short tri seemed like a good compromise.  Second, I realized that it was probably the last tri I was going to be able to do in 2011.  The last reason is kind of silly.  The race is hosted by Tri-Family Racing.  The race group hosted a number of the triathlons I did this year and they have a championship series.  As of last week, I was the overall leader for the Athenas, but one of the stipulations for the series championship is to score points in one of the last 2 races of the series.  So, I needed to place in this race (or the Thanksgiving race) to officially take the series. 

The race went well.  I felt good and I placed 2nd in my group, which was good enough to qualify me for the overall series.  I was happy to see fellow Ironmom Annette at the race.  She did awesome too!!!  I'm looking forward to the Women's Half Marathon next weekend.  Updates will follow!

Ironman Wisconsin 2012 - My friend Debb's blog

So I posted earlier about my friend Debb and her battle with Ironman Wisconsin.  She has signed up again and the 3rd time WILL be a charm.  She started a blog to document her journey.  Here is the link if you want to follow her training for IMOO and weight loss.  I think this will be a great year for all of our training!  Go Debb Go!!

Tri and Tri Again  http://astudyinpersistence.blogspot.com/

Soma Tri 70.3!

Today, I completed the Soma 1/2 Iron Distance Tri. While I feel like I was under-trained for it, I am still calling it a success.  I had a few goals for this tri:
1.) Finish
2.) Have a calm swim
3.) Have a consistent bike
4.) Don't die on the run

I would say that I mostly accomplished each of those goals.  I was really worried that I would not finish before they closed the course.  Turns out, that was not too much of a problem. 

The swim went well.  I am not a fan of open water swimming or swimming in a wetsuit.  Since the water temp was 73 degrees, I opted not to wear the wetsuit.  This turned out to be just fine.  One of the other things I dislike about open water swimming is that it's hard to see and I don't like getting bumped by people.  I feel like swimming is such a calm and solitary activity--open water swimming is the complete antithesis of that!!  People push and kick and don't spot and swim into your "lane."  My goal was to keep calm and not get to worked up during the swim.  I was pretty successful at that.  I didn't feel like I really hit my stroke until about 3/4 of a mile in--which is a little late in a 1.2 mile swim!  Otherwise, I just kept steady and calm and it went alright. 

On the bike, I wanted to keep a consistent pace.  I did this pretty well.  I believe my pace was just under 16 mph.  This is great because it's even faster than the pace I want to keep for Ironman 2012.  I slowed a bit on the last lap (there were 3 laps to the bike), but overall, I felt good and even throughout the ride.  My only concern was that my back and neck were pretty sore after the ride, but I think I will keep working on my positioning and tweak my bike's set up and this should be manageable.  I have to say that my new tri bike is awesome.  There is no way I'd be riding this well on my old bike--here's to good equipment!

The run, well, it was really more of a walk.  I knew that I was not well prepared for the run.  I just haven't trained distance like I should be.  Also, it was HOT.  The temperature at the finish was 95 degrees.  The run was entirely in sun and it was MISERABLE.  I would have felt worse about walking as much as I did, except that most people were walking at that point.  It was just too hot.

The other thing that didn't go as well with the tri as I would have liked was that I wasn't feeling 100%, which meant I had some tummy business to sort out before I left home in the morning, which meant that I left later than I wanted (and encountered a car accident that closed the road I took to get to the race), which resulted in my getting into transition as they announced that transition would close in ONE minute.  I didn't have transition set up real well, so I didn't have everything in my bike pouch that I would have liked (like chapstick!!).  It's also a bit unnerving to be running that late for race start...

I learned a lot from this tri.  One, I can do it.  While I would have been miserable even attempting a full Ironman at this point, I believe I will finish when I do.  Two, I need to train.  I can't help but think about how much better this race could have gone had I felt 100% and if I had really trained to a level where I was confident about each event.  It makes me excited to work on my training for 2012. 

I'm moving again!

Yep.  I'm moving again.  On vacation I went on an hour long ride and a four mile run.  Feeling good!  I have 20 days until an Olympic distance triathlon.  Kim and I are going to KILL it!  (positive thinking)  My biggest concern is that I know the water tempature will not be wetsuit legal.  This is one of the only races that is not wetsuit legal around here.  The wetsuit is my safety net in the water.  When I wear it I just float.  Without it, I sink . . . or I think I will sink.  Should be interesting.  Go Ironmoms! 

Remember me? Let me introduce myself . . .

I had a busy week.  The kids went back to school and I had to work the entire weekend.  Because I was so tired I decided to take off another week of training.  I'm Lazy.  What is wrong with me?  I know I had life events contributing to my lack of work out but come on.  Seriously?  Nothing for two weeks?  Sad state of affairs. I really need to learn better balance.

Kim and I were talking at work today about how soon our races are coming up.  We have an Olympic Distance Triathlon in September, a Half Ironman in October, and a full Marathon in January.  We need to get moving.  It was a real wake up call to see how fast everything was coming. 

So I realized a few things today.  (1) I have been lazy.  (2) I need to get moving.  (3) My races are coming up.  So what did i do when I got home?  Did I train?  Nope.  I signed up for another race. 

California Ironman 2012.  March 31st in Oceanside California.  Now I've invested entirely too much money.  I have to train!  right? 

Training Hiccup

I've had a little trouble getting my training in this week. First, it is the first week the girls have been back since spending the majority of the summer with their grandparents in Minnesota. Second, we picked up a cold in MN and it's been making its way through the family (I am currently past the extremely sore throat stage and stuck on the obnoxious cough and chest congestion stage). Third, as I was rushing in to my office on Wednesday afternoon, I slipped on a mysterious puddle outside the law school door (mysterious mainly because things dry up so fast here and there was no rain or sprinklers in that area) and fell on my knee and bottom--resulting in a sore and bruised knee.

Despite the sore knee, I did go home that night and try out my new tri bike for a few miles. It's going to take a little getting used to. The new clips are a little more slick on the bottom of the shoes, so if I miss the hook, my foot goes flying forward and I nearly fly off the bike as well. Also, I am not used to the design of the handles, so I felt a little bit anxious when I was steering around corners. I can already tell that it's faster though! It's going to be a fun bike.

I am hoping to get an extra workout in this weekend to make up for some of the misses. :)

Training schedule - Phase 1

I'm taking the approach that the first part/phase of my training regime requires me to just get physically fit. That looks like losing a good amount of weight......I've spent too many years just watching the Ironman on TV.

So, my exercise choices include cycling, hot yoga (LOVE IT!!), and now starting some jogging. I also spend two nights a week with a personal trainer focusing on weight training. Here's how my week looks:

Monday - morning ride 2 neighborhood loops (1 loop = 8 miles) in under 1 hour.
Tuesday - Morning ride 2 neighborhood loops. Evening is an hour at gym - 1/2 hour cardio; 1/2 hour with the Trainer.
Wednesday - Hot yoga.
Thursday - Morning ride 2 neighborhood loops.
Friday - Jog the canal for at least 30 minutes; or hot yoga.
Saturday - Long ride somewhere........
Sunday - no rest for the wicked! More jogging the canal.

Running isn't my most favorite thing but knowing that what we think we become - I'm the BEST damn runner evah!!!!!!!!! Ha! Ha!