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. 

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. 

A New Year, A New Race

Danie and Kim--10k finishers!

Happy 2012!!!  It's finally the year of the Ironman.  :)  I started the year off with a race!  I have been in Minnesota for the holidays and the weather has been awesome.  It's been in the 30's or 40's most days and there hasn't been snow or ice on the ground.  So, about 5 days ago I thought it'd be a good idea to run the Polar Dash 1/2 Marathon on New Year's Day (and to convince my cold-weather hating friend to run it with me).  The weather forecast was clear and upper 30's--perfect running weather for this Ironmom.  Well, my signing up must have been Mother Nature's signal to remind me why I like the weather in Arizona...

Last night, it rained--then it froze and snowed.  This morning the winds were shaking the house.  I headed out on the slick roads and made it safely (albeit slowly) to the Twin Cities.  Danie and I made our way to the race start.  It was cold and windy.   The night before the race director emailed everyone and said that any 1/2 marathoners who wanted to run the 10k could do so without penalty.  The 1/2 marathon course was described as 2 loops following the 10k course.  The course was really an out and back--twice for the 1/2.  It was also a hilly course. 

Danie and I were doing well and felt good out on the first loop.  However, when we turned around,  we found ourselves running into the wind.  The combination of hills, repetition, and wind (and the easy out given by the race director to run the 10k instead) helped us decide to end the race with the 10k.  The last stretch of about 1/2 mile was in direct and unrelenting wind.  So, instead of finishing a half marathon dead tired and in pain--we ended a 10k feeling good!

After the race, I hit up one of my favorite St. Paul eateries--the Highland Grill.  I had a delicious turkey burger and awesome sweet potato fries.  I also had my first soda of 2012--a cherry coke, but after a year of not drinking pop, I could only finish 1/2 of it (a good thing!). 

Happy 2012 to all of you!

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 on the Go

I have been traveling for the past couple of weeks, so that has given me the chance to train in new and different places and ways. I was in Boulder, Colorado for a couple of days last week. My friend, Carrie, and I spend the early mornings hiking on mountain trails. The elevation and the climb made for a great cardio workout!!

I've been in Minnesota for the past week. I had been looking forward to running in the cooler weather, but mother nature had a different plan in mind. The temperature has been in the high 90's with high humidity for the past 5 days. According to the National Weather Service, the heat index has gotten as high as 122 degrees!! That means it feels hotter here than in Arizona!! Before the heat started to get too bad, I had the chance to do a mini-tri in Le Roy, MN (on the Iowa border). I wasn't racing with my own bike (or swim goggles--since I forgot them in my suitcase), so I wasn't really looking for a record time. It was a good way to get out and be active.

For the past few days, I have been visiting my old gym in Rochester (it's actually a great health club--gym doesn't really do it justice). I did my favorite "ultra" circuit. There's an express circuit set up at the club that alternatives cardio machines and weight machines--you do each machine for one minute. On the first half, I add a fast lap around the indoor track after each cardio machine and after every other weight machine, I add one minute of ab work. On the second half of the circuit, I add two fast laps and keep the abs. It's a great full body workout that takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Today, I took the Hatha yoga class. It was great. I really haven't found a yoga studio in Phoenix that I like as much as the yoga classes back at the club. I prefer Hatha because it really gets me to focus on my breath and my body. The club we joined in Phoenix doesn't offer a true Hatha class--mostly mixed intensity classes. I really should (and could) practice Hatha at home, but there's something about going to a class that allows me to focus on the yoga rather than being distracted by the 100 other things I have to get done at home/work.

Tomorrow, I plan on hitting up the Zumba and Power classes at the Club. I haven't found a strength training class that is quite as fun as Power. It is a full body strength training class that is set to music (rather than other strength training classes I've attended where the music is just playing without purpose). It's great to have a chance to revisit some of my favorite workouts! Saturday, I plan on having another go at the Warrior Dash--this time in Minnesota. We'll see if the weather holds out. I hear there's a strong possibility of thunderstorms. :(