Cool Bling from Tempe International Tri

First place Athena in the Sprint race. :)

Tempe International, Medcity 1/2 Marathon, Run Streak!

It has been so long since I posted--I really owed a blog entry to catch up on all the races I've done since the last post.

My running helpers at the Tempe International Tri

So, last month, I completed the Tempe International Tri.  I entered the sprint race in the Athena category.  I was worried about the heat and I really wasn't excited about anything longer than a sprint tri, so this worked out well.  The weather at the start of the race was pretty cool and things were looking good.  The setup of the race was a bit odd--transition was under the freeway overpass on Mill Avenue.  The swim started on the north side of Tempe Town Lake and we had to run about a 1/4 mile up a hill to get to transition.  We also had to climb up and down stairs at various points during the run, which is always a bit dicey when your legs are tired.

At any rate, racing in the sprint was the right choice for me.  I finished while the weather was still cool and in time for my Mother's Day brunch.  :)  I even had two little helpers finish the race with me.  And, to top it off, I won the Athena category!  It was a pretty great start to Mother's Day.

Medcity 1/2 Marathon--stylin'

Last weekend, I ran the Medcity 1/2 Marathon in Rochester, MN.  I had entered this race planning to run the full marathon, but I decided to switch down to the 1/2 for several reasons.  First, the weather forecast for the day was not looking great--chance of thunderstorms, high humidity, and temperatures in the 90's.  I had wanted to run this race because of the cooler weather, so I was a little disappointed about that.  Second, I wasn't really trained like I should have been for a full marathon.  Finally, I was really not looking forward to being sore and uncomfortable for the remainder of the visit with my family and friends.

In the end, switching races was the right decision.  The weather was cool at the start, but by the end of the 1/2 it was plenty warm.  Also, I wore a pair of old shoes that I had left in MN to run in--instead of packing my usual running shoes (I wanted to save room in my luggage).  I ended up with blistered feet because they were no longer used to the old sneakers.  I was plenty sore after the 1/2 so I was quite glad I didn't run the full.  I am still planning on running a full marathon at some point this summer, so hopefully, I will be better trained by then.

Last, I decided to join the Runner's World Run Streak.  The run streak runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  The streak requires you to commit to running everyday.  To complete the streak, you must run at least one mile each day (no substitutions).  I started 2 days late, so I will actually run everyday until 2 days after Labor Day.  I have never been a daily runner, so this is a big change for me.  I figured that if I ran more frequently I might start to like it (and get better and faster).  One of the things that makes it doable is that you only need to run a mile each day.  I typically only run 3 days in a week--so I'm treating all my typical non-run days as warm-up runs.  So far, I've run everyday--even when it meant going out at 9:00 at night so that a big supper could digest a bit before running!  #RWrunstreak

Mount San Jacinto State Park

It's been a little hard to keep up with training the last few weeks--I've been home with Lyla because pre-k finished at the beginning of May.  While I could go to the gym (they have free child care), it was hard to get out for a ride or a run.  Additionally, I was traveling (first to MN and then to CA).  Unfortunately, the trip to CA was to Palm Springs--where it's just as hot as in AZ, so I only took short runs (some were just the minimal mile to qualify for the streak).  I did take a really nice hike in the Mount San Jacinto State Park though. 

That's where I'm at!  I don't have much on the race calendar for the summer.  I am looking forward to getting into my training plan in earnest for the next few months. 

Tour de Fire and Bike Fitting

Tour de Fire

On Saturday, I rode the Tour de Fire for the second time.  This year I was thankful for cooler temperatures and a better sense of what to expect.  I had registered for the longest distance (139 miles) in the hope that I would be trained for it and with the knowledge that I could ride any of the shorter distances if I chose to...which I did.

Last year, I rode the 46 miler and I opted to do the same this year.  The ride is early on Saturday morning and due to our schedules, we didn't roll into Vegas until around 10 p.m. on Friday night.  So, any hope of getting rest before the race was out.  Also, I learned an important lesson--check that your old bike rack fits your new bike before you due to leave town.  Since we had rented a car for the trip, I needed to use my old trunk mounted bike rack and I learned that my tri bike doesn't fit on that bike rack.  So, I loaded up the old road bike and we headed out.

As I said above, the temps were much cooler than last year.  It was in the 60's to start and in the 80's when I finished (as opposed to 80/100 last year).  However, there was a bit of wind throughout the ride.  There were a couple of spots where I felt like I was being pushed sideways.  All in all, it was a good ride.  I took 30 minutes off my time from last year, which isn't too shabby.  It's a very hilly ride--the first 23 miles is pretty much a steady climb, as a result the return was mostly downhill (just two big climbs on the way back).  I decided to turn around at 23 miles because I was still feeling good and I really wanted to feel good at the end of the race too.

The best part of the trip--visiting with my friends Stacey and Eric in Las Vegas!!  They're the greatest hosts and it's always fun to chill with them for a weekend.  :)

Bike Fitting

Today, I visited Bill Wilson at Camelback Coaching in Scottsdale to get my tri bike fitted.  I was inspired by Kate's positive experience and I had heard good things about Camelback Coaching, so I decided to bite the bullet and get fitted.  Upon arriving at CC, I saw walls full of posters signed by Ironman champions thanking Bill and Anne for their coaching!  I decided these guys probably knew what they were doing.

I learned that I was not getting the most out of my awesome bike.  First, my seat was too high--I was over extending my leg, which meant I wasn't using a proper pedal stroke and wasn't articulating my ankle (hence my numb toes--I'm pretty sure Annette and/or Kristin told me that I need to articulate my ankles once before too!).

Also, my aero bars were way too far forward, this meant that I was not using my skeleton to support my body putting extra stress on my neck and shoulders and causing me to get out of the aero bars, which pretty much defeats the purpose of riding a tri bike.  So, I got the positioning adjusted and I immediately started creating more energy output--it was pretty amazing!

I also learned that I need to work on positioning my pelvis--I need to rotate them forward and working on getting a good, elongated "yoga" spine when I am riding.  This should help with the hip/back pain I felt during Marquee (also more core strength, but I think that will take more than 90 minutes for me to fix).

With all that, I am excited to test out the new settings during the Tempe International spring tri coming up this weekend!!  The temps are going to be high (it's supposed to hit triple digits).  I am hoping to be finished before it gets really warm (one of the benefits of racing the sprint tri instead of the olympic!).