Long long time

I have been on break from writing for a while a lot has been going on. After I finished my half ironman I took a little bit of a break from training, I also went on a very short vacation and then got a really bad cold so last week I have slowly been getting back into training.

I better get back into action I have a The Portland Spint Triathlon on the 21st of August and Hood to Coast the weekend after that. I am usually a morning runner but in an attempt to to try and prepare a little more fore Hood to Coast I am going to try and run a little later in the day today so we will see how that goes. My problem tends to be as soon as it gets a little warm I can no longer run.... So we will see. I will keep you posted!

Rev3 Half Ironman Finished!

One week ago I finished the Rev3 Half Ironman! My goal was to finish and finish I did! The race was extremely difficult for me and as someone who lives in Oregon I felt like that day was really hot I got quite the sunburn on my shoulders. It took me 6 hours 55 minutes to finish, 25 minutes longer than the time I had anticipated.

The swim went well for me as usual it took me about 34 minutes to finish the 1.2 mile swim. When I got out of the water I felt good and took my wetsuit off right away and put my running shoes on as the first transition was half a mile away from the swim exit.

The bike was fine. Everyone passed me on the bike and I had to focus on no speeding up to keep up with them. I finished the bike in 3 hours 25 minutes. For me that was a good pace. One section of the bike course was so bumpy I lost a water bottle so it was a good thing there were so many aid stations on the bike course.

The run well the run was not all running. When I got off the bike I had some asthma so it was really hard for me to continuously run. I spent all 13.1 miles running as much as I could then doing some walking and then running again. (Brian it was nice seeing you on the run course, man that was tough!) The half marathon took me 2 hours 44 a lot longer than when I just run the 13.1 all on it own.

I am happy with the race, I am happy I finished and it was all really well organized even though they had a last minute venue change. The one thing that I think could have been better is that when us slower people were finishing it seemed like they were packing it up and running out of food. I would be nice it they kept everything up until everyone crosses the finish line,

Rev3 Portland Location Change

The Rev3 Portland Half Ironman is only 9 days away! Yes only 9 days away the big day is almost here! The course has been changed though it is no longer going to start in the heart of Portland now it will be at Blue Lake park. I am a little disappointed about this but at the same time there are some positives that will come out of this for me. The Marine Drive Blue Lake course is a course I am very familiar with, in fact it is my regular training route so in theory I know exactly what to expect.

I am starting to taper a little to get ready for the big day I'm nervous about it I hope I can do it!

Blue Lake Done!

On Saturday I participated in the Blue Lake sprint triathlon and the results were good. 7th in age group and 23 overall out of about 200 women. It was an interesting race, I have done this course many times but this time it was really different die to some flooding at Blue Lake.

The start of the triathlon was shifted over so the swim portion was in a different direction that usual and then the transitions, especially the bike transition was really long, a lot longer than usual.

The swim was ok just average I did it in 14:30 I was hoping to do it about a minute faster but I was never able to just get a clear shot during the swim and I was starting to grow pretty frustrated which is not helpful.

Bike was about 39 minutes at an 18.2mph pace I felt good on the bike I think all this training for the Rev3 Half Ironman is helping me. I just need to try and get a little faster. Quite a few people were getting flats, I'm really glad I was not one of them.

The run was the run. I did it in 25:22 I think this is the fastest by a few seconds I have done the run in I did have some trouble breathing though it must be because all the flowers are starting to bloom.

So I finished in 1:24:33 the actual results say a minute longer but for some reason my age group got tacked on an extra minute during the swim I guess they made us start 1 minute early? I'm not sure but my real time was 1:24:33. Anyway less than a month a way from the Rev3.......

Am I ready for Blue Lake

Tomorrow I have a "training" triathlon in preparation for the Rev3 half Ironman. Its the Blue Lake sprint triathlon which I have done many times. It is a lake swim with a flat bike course on somewhat closed roads with a run on a path a nice little race. There has been some flooding this year so the course will be a little different than it has been in the past as they had to move transition to another area because as I witnessed yesterday the transition area looks like a lake!

I think I am ready for this race I should be as fit as I ever have since I have been training for the Rev3. I haven't been able to focus on the race at all this week because almost a week ago my dog got attacked by another dog (8 stitches in 2 different lacerations and a dislocated toes with a fracture but he is going to be ok) so as you can imagine I have been preoccupied with that and spending lots of time nursing him back to health. Maybe this is a good thing, I have not been able to get stressed out or nervous about the race because I am thinking and worrying about my dog. Tomorrow we will see I really hope its a good race.

That was a hard 10 mile run!

I just got back from my 10 mile run (90 min) and it was hard! I really struggled with it today and unfortunately I have developed some pain in my knee due to IT band issues. I woke up this morning with the intention of going on a 50 mile ride but when I woke up there was so much for I decided to do my run today instead. I ate my regular breakfast and set out to run. The first half went fine I had a pretty good pace and then all of the sudden when I turned around at the half way point I just started to struggle I was getting stomach cramps and I was starting to wheeze. I wanted to stop so bad but I told myself that sometimes workouts are hard and jut keep going then my knee started to hurt on and off.

Now as I type this I am drinking lots of water and icing the knee. I'm glad I just stuck with it and finished the workout. Tomorrow 50 mile ride.

Hard Week

My legs are tired, my body is tired, and my mind is tired but that is to be expected, I am training for a half Ironman after all! To complete the training for this weeks I still have to run 10 miles tomorrow and the day after that I have to ride 50 miles so the big workouts are still coming up.

The Rev3 Half Ironman is only a little over a month away and I feel like I am doing the best I can to get prepared but some weeks are better than others. Right now I am focusing on my "practice race" the Blue Lake Sprint triathlon which will be in one week from Saturday. Ok time to go eat after a ride. Tomorrow I will update you on my 10 mile run I hope it goes great.

Long Week

It has been a long week of training since my last post. I have biked 96 miles, swam 2,250 yards, and run 23 miles. My legs and I am tired. The Rev3 half Ironman is about a month and a half away and although I feel fitter I am still worried about being able to complete the very challenging course in the heat.

I am getting better at enduring the bike rides. This weeks long ride was 50 miles and I did it a little faster than I had been doing the long rides just over 15 miles per hour. I would still like to be faster but I guess I cant have everything.

The long runs also seem "easier" about 11 miles every weekend for the long run, its funny the long runs seem to go faster and feel better that the 60 minute Monday runs I have not figured out why this is though.

And the swimming..... well I guess I'm just lucky enough to be a descent swimmer so I am not having as much of a hard time with that.

So there it is, I will keep training for the Rev3 on July 10 and hope that it all goes well. In a couple of weeks I will be doing a Sprint, the Blue Lake Sprint to practice my transitions and see how my fitness is doing.

Drinking Coke on a Bike Ride?

Since I have been suffering so much on the training for the bike portion of the Rev3 Half Ironman I have been trying to do some research on some things I can do to help that situation. I came across a couple of forums that suggested drinking coke with out the fizz towards the end of the ride to give a little boost of energy. I like soda, so I thought I would give it a try.

On Saturday I went on a 60 mile bike ride (it took me about 4hrs 12minutes) and I brought some coke with me in addition to water and Honey Stinger Gels. At around 30 miles I felt my energy levels dropping so I started sipping on the coke, I think it gave me a bit of a stomach ache but at the same time I feel like it actually gave me a little bit of a boost. I am not sure if it was psychological I will try it again next week when I have to ride 50 miles but I am almost certain it helped me. Enjoy the picture I took while on the ride!

Now off to a 40 minute run and 40 minute strength training. Yes an easy day!

Road ID Slim

I have always liked Road ID after years of use during swim bike run it was time to get a new Road ID. At the recent Beaver Freezer Triathlon I got some coupons for $2 off a Road ID product so I decided this was my chance to get a new Road ID and save some money. I looked at the many different options that this great company offers and that is when I came across the Road ID Slim.

The Road ID Slim caught my attention because I felt I was going to be able to use a Road ID have all my information available but not have something too bulky on my wrist. It is also the least expensive option at only $15.99. I ordered it and and just a few days later I had my brand new Road ID Slim the shipping was so fast! I really like this option and recommend it to people who want to wear he ID at all times and want something just a little smaller. Below is the description from the actual RoadID website.

The name speaks for itself. The Wrist ID Slim is the slimmest (or smallest) ID in our lineup. This pint-size fella may be diminutive in stature, but he is jam-packed with peace of mind. The Wrist ID Slim is worn by some top athletes, but this great ID is also perfect for kids. With its stylish and comfortable silicone band, you will be tempted to make a lifestyle statement and wear it 24/7. Like all our ID products, The Wrist ID Slim can be laser engraved with your emergency contact information and is available in both Original and Interactive versions. There are seven different colors to choose from. You (and your kids) will love wearing The Wrist ID Slim.

X-Small: fits wrists smaller than 6" (152mm)
Small/Medium: fits wrists 6" - 7" (152mm - 180mm)
Large: fits wrists 7" - 8" (180mm - 202mm)

Half Ironman Training swims

If you have been reading this blog you will know that I have been having some trouble with the bike riding portion of my training for the Portland Rev3 Half Ironman. What I am not having problems with is the swim training, it is actually going great.

I am not super fast but I can do the distance and I do not feel like the world is coming to an end when I am done with the distance so basically the total opposite feeling I am getting when riding the bike. I have been doing the half ironman distance (1.2 miles) in about 33 minutes, as I said not really fast but pretty good in my estimation.

The one thing I find hard with the swim though is counting, counting, counting, counting, lap after lap, it is so hard for me to keep track and stay focused. Anyone know any tricks or is this one of those things that are just the way they are?

Monday Monday Monday

Today is Monday which means that I had a bad run. Every Monday I have a bad run its not that I have bad attitude about it I start out feeling positive but for some reason once I get going my pace is always slower than it usually is and I can never get a good rhythm.

Today was no exception, I set out on a 60 min run and I suffered though the whole thing. I ended up covering 7 miles but never felt good about it while I was doing it. I wonder if it has something to do with Sunday being my rest day? Maybe it takes me a couple days to get back in? I am not sure but I wish I knew why Monday morning run was so hard!

On the training schedule for tomorrow 2hour ride and and a lot of swimming. Rev3 Half Ironman is only 2 months away!

Pool Workout ended Early!

Yesterdays pool workout ended halfway through it because we were evacuated out of the pool due to contamination. I can only assume what this contamination was but I was unhappy that I was unable to finish yesterday's swim. Once we all got out of the pool and we figured out why the lifeguards had made us get out I hung around for a while hoping they would let us all back in but they didn't. I decided to call it a day, change and head home, on my way out I could still see people standing around to be let back in the pool. Oh well......

50 mile bike ride FAIL!

On today's training schedule was a 50 mile bike ride. Riding 50 miles is hard for me, very hard, in fact I have only done it twice. I set out this morning at 7am to just get it done. I brought all my nutrition with me and left with a positive attitude. I started riding it was a bit windy but just kept going and going. At 20 miles I was feeling fine and was feeling like I was going to be able to do it but slowly my energy started to go down. Then at mile 34 my legs started to cramp up I tried ridding it off but the pain was just getting worse and I started to loose my will. At that point I was 4 miles away from the house so I decided to throw in the towel and just ride home.

I am very disappointed. The Rev3 Half Ironman is only about 2 months out and I am starting to worry that I am not going to be able to finish it. I am very disappointed but I know everyone has bad days I will hope the next ride goes better.

Half Ironman Swim Distance Done!

I have been training for the Portland Rev3 Half Ironman for almost 2 months now and it has been hard. I did not expect it to be easy but this is really hard. Also I just took a close look at the course map and it looks like the bike course and the run course are going to be really challenging.

Yesterday I set out to swim the 1.2 Half Ironman swim distance without stopping. I just wanted to know that I was able to do the distance and I wanted to get a gage for how long it was going to take me. Earlier in the morning I had ridden 20 miles and then I rode 4 miles to the pool. I started swimming and almost right away my left shoulder blade started to bother me it felt really tired. I kept going, and going, and going and I was able to stay with it and I finished! I can swim the half Ironman distance. It took me 32 minutes and I know that was in a pool and it will not be the same as swimming in the river but I feel pretty happy with the time.

After my swim I rode home and felt pretty tired but happy that I have the swim distance down. Now for the bike and run distance I just have to keep telling myself I will get there!

Beaver Freezer 2011

On Saturday I participated in my 5th Beaver Freezer triathlon and I had a great time. The weather was not that bad no torrential downpours a little windy though. I was really happy with my swim, I swam 500 yards in 7 min 27 seconds I think this might be a personal best. My bike leg I am not as happy with I really need to improve in this area. For some reason when there is some wind I shut down and I am unable to keep a good pace on the bike. The run I was happy with I ended up running at about a 7:54 or so pace. Overall I am happy with the race. The volunteers were great as always and what I have learned from this race is more work needed on the bike.

I finished 27th out of the women and 4th in my age group I missed 3rd place by 3 seconds! Here are my results:

division place: 4 out of 26
gender place: 27
time: 1:17:39
pace: 0:
swim: 7:27
t1: 1:26
bike: 42:25
t2: 1:47
run: 24:33

Running on Tired Legs

It has been 4 weeks since I started my official training for the Rev3 Half Ironman and I am tired! On the menu for today's work out was a 50 minute run after having had a 35 mile bike ride yesterday. I woke up this morning and my legs definitely felt very tired but I went for it anyway. I figure my legs will be pretty tired during the Rev3 so I might as well get used to running on tired legs.

The weather was nice there was actually a little bit of sun! I ran in the 8:30s which is nice and ran just under 6 miles. Overall I'm pleased with today's work out. Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day and the rest of the week I will be taking it "easy" as I have the Beaver Freezer Sprint triathlon on Saturday April 2!

New Danskin Triathlon Suit

A couple of weeks ago I practiced swimming with my triathlon suit in the pool and every time I was turning around I could feel the shorts kind of falling off a little which was quite uncomfortable. I finished that swim session and I set out to look for a one piece suit on the internet which is always a risk as I am not able to try it on. Because the season is just starting though I thought I will risk buying it on the internet and just keep my fingers crossed it will fit.

Over the years I had heard that Danskin was making triathlon suits that fit a little better than other tri suits. I thought I would give it a try. I was also excited about having the zipper in the front as in the past I had the zipper in the back and they were hard to take on and off.

I looked at all the measurements on the Danskin website and ordered the size I thought I would be. The suit arrived a few days ago, I tried it on and it fits great. It is not too tight. The legs are just the right length and I have really long legs. I took it to the pool today and it works great as well. The leg grippers helped keep the shorts in place. Overall I am very pleased with this product. The built in bra actually works! One thing however that I found is not that great about it is that it does hold water a little more than other suits. While swimming its not a problem but when I got out of the pool I was dripping more than usual but I think it is still a great suit.

Danskin has two piece and one piece suits in floral and plain patterns. They come in all sizes and are very true to the size measurements. I have also heard that these suits fit larger girls better than any other brand triathlon suit.

REV3 Half Ironman training 3 weeks in

I have officially been following the Half Ironman training program for three weeks now and it has been hard. I has been manageable but it has been hard but then again I am training for a half Ironman so what do I expect.

This is what this weeks workouts looked like:
Mon: 40 minute run and 40 minutes of strength training (I did the 8k Shamrock run the day before)
Tues: 1250 yard swim and 20 mile ride
Wed: Track work equivalent of 4 miles (it was a low track work day)
Thurs: 1500 yard swim and 25 mile ride
Fri: 7 mile run
Sat: 30 mile bike ride

So I still have to increase all the distances and the bike riding is really getting to me, its hard to find places to go and ride so many miles. Also with all the rain and wind it makes it a little hard for me to want to ride but I am hoping the weather is going to change soon.

Also this week I swam 500 yards in 7 min 30 seconds so I am hoping that I will be able to do the same at the Beaver Freezer triathlon which is only 2 weeks away!

Bellwether Coldfront Jacket Review

Since I started training for the Rev3 Half Ironman I have noticed that even though I have been biking for years now I still do not have all the gear I need. I had been suffering with the cold and wet weather not having just quite the right jacket for riding in winter conditions so I decided to try and find a jacket I could afford and that looked good and was going to be comfortable that is when I can accross the Bellwether Coldfront Jacket.

I know it is hard sometimes to make decisions about making purchases online as one cannot try things on so this is why I am going to review the Bellwether Coldfront Jacket. This coldfront jacket comes in both women's and men's sizing. I used it yesterday in terrible rain and wind and it worked great. It stretched with me as I leaned forward but also stayed in place at the bottom of my back. It Has two separate back zippers which was nice so I can keep my nutrition organized. It is also lined in a very warm fleece like material. The front is wind resistant and water repellent. It also has zippers in the cuffs to make it easy to take off and put on or to facilitate getting the sleeve over gloves.

All in all I was a little nervous as it was a big investment and I was not going to be able to see it up close but it works great. It also seems to be true to size, I used their sizing chart.

2011 Shamrock Run 8k Done

This year was the first year I did the Shamrock Run. I participated in the 8k race there were over 30,000 people there and it was a lot of fun. I really did not care about the time and I just ran for fun with a costume. More than a costume it was a mask that towards the end of the race was making me really hot! I ended up running 8k in 42 minutes. Like I said lots of fun and I hope to do it again next year. Maybe next year I will do the 15k run I hear it is a really challenging course.

2011 Shamrock Run

For the past several years I have wanted to do the Shamrock run but I have always been to busy or at work to do it so this year I made it happen, a few weeks ago I signed up for the run. It seems to be a very large run they say 30,000 participants and at the end they give you some chowder! So I'm really looking forward to that.

I will be doing the 8k race a distance I have never raced in before so I am happy about that. I am just going to have fun I even have a costume lined up for the run I hope I am able to breath though the mask!

Packet pick up today, race to9morrow as well as daylight savings. Race update will be posted tomorrow.

Training Day 9

Day 9 of training for the Rev3 half Ironman is today. What the schedule says to do is a 25 mile bike ride followed by a 1000 yard swim. I woke up this morning to 25mph winds and gusts up to 40mph so I have decided, even though I feel guilty not to do the ride portion of todays workout.

Even though I feel guilty I think this might be the right decision. I also have the Shamrock 5k run and Sunday and I was not planning on taking any days off or altering my workouts but maybe its better to give my legs a rest for one day especially since yesterday I did ten 400 meter intervals the winds were also strong yesterday but not 25mph.

So there is is, tomorrow 30 mile ride the wind is predicted to be "only" 12mph!

Ravx Speedmax Road Bicycle Saddle Review

The Selle Italia saddle I have been using for years has finally gotten too worn out. I loved that saddle but I had to get a new one so after doing some price comparison and quality comparison I decided to buy the Ravx Speedmax Road Bicycle Saddle.

I had never heard of this brand but when I saw the saddle it looked great and it was a womens saddle so I decided to give it a try. It has titanium rails and is really slim and light great looking. I rode with it for the first time today I was a little worried as it is so slim but it was really comfortable up until now I feel like this is a good quality saddle for a good price. I just wish it came in yellow in adition to black!

Training Day 5

Yesterday was training day 4 for the Rev3 half Ironman and it did not go very well I only rode 17 out of 20 scheduled miles and my swim time for 500 yards was 15 seconds slower than I wanted it to be. I put all that behind me today in day 5 of training on the menu, 25 mile ride.

The wind was really strong today, it was shifting me from side to side at times which was quite scary I kept hoping I would not get pushed off the bike. I kept on going though knowing that at some point the headwind would become the tail wind. After about an hour of riding against the wind I finally turned around! When I was going against the wind I was going about 10mph when I turned around I was going 23mph! After about 1 hour 50 minutes I had finally completed a very hard winter ride. I was exhausted! Tomorrow, 50 minute run.

Day 3 training Half Ironman Done

When I woke up this morning for day3 of my half ironman training my legs felt tired. On todays workout menu was a ten minute warm up followed by 400 meter sprints with a two minute recovery in between I had to do 8 of them. The rain has subsided and it is warmer than it has been but there is some wind. It went well I wish I was a few seconds faster but hat will come with more work. Overall I'm satisfied with today's workout I just feel extremely hungry now.

Day 2 Half Ironman Training

Today was day two of my half ironman rev3 training. Yesterday it poured rain but it wasn't a big problem because I had to run and I don't mind running in the rain but it poured rain again today and I had to ride my bike 20 miles in it. I was soaked literally within minutes there is only so much rain gear one can wear and I wore it but I still got wet. I rode at an ok speed 15mph when I got home I was completely drenched and freezing, I think it rained almost 2 inches there have even been landslides in the area.

After the bike ride time to go swimming I swam 1000 yards and mostly focused on my 500 yard swim time for the Beaver Freezer which is coming up in about 4 weeks. Right now I am swimming it in about 7:40 I was hoping for a 7:30 but 7:40 is good too. Ok now time for some dinner.

Workout for tomorrow 400 yard intervals.

First Day of Rev3 training

Today is my first official day of training for the Rev3 Half Ironamn in Portland. I am a little scared and a little excited about it. Today's work out starts out "easy" 40 minute run and 40 minutes of strength training. It is currently pouring rain but I am getting ready to go out there. Rain is always better than freezing temperatures so I can't complain. So here we go day one starts now, July Rev3 Half Ironman I will be ready for you!

Back in the Pool

Because I have felt so sick with a cold and cough I skipped my Saturday long run and my Monday run and strength training to try and get better. I think it is working I still have a cough and a bit of a runny nose but I feel better. On today's triathlon training schedule was a bike ride and a swimming workout. I opted to skip the bike ride and just go swimming. The swimming went pretty well I swam 50 lengths and timed 500 yards to see where I was for the Beaver Freezer. Right now I am at about 7 minutes 43 seconds for the 500 yard swim I want to be at 7:30 come the Beaver Freezer.

I hope I get better fast the Beaver freezer is in about 6 weeks and I feel like I still have some work to do.

Yes I Have a Cold

I was really looking forward to being back in the training routine of triathlon but I have a bad cold. I feel better today but yesterday I felt really bad. I decided that the best thing to do would be to skip my 6 mile run and rest. I was a hard decision to make but I think it was the right decision.

Today I am still congested and now my throat hurts a little but I do feel better. Today is a rest day anyway but I hope I am well enough tomorrow to do the workout 4 mile run plus 40 minutes of strength exercises.

Back in the Pacific Northwest

After some time in the sun I am back in the pacific northwest I have been back for about 5 days now and training here seems very cold and on top of it I have managed to catch a cold which is really annoying.

My first race of 2011 will be the Beaver Freezer. I was able to sign up on February 1st but it was very very stressful. I did not have a good internet connection and on top of it the page was crashing! Every time it was time to check out the page would fail and I would have to start over again! I was getting so stressed out and nervous I thought I was not going to get in. I worked on it for an hour until finally I was able to get in!

On the triathlon workout menu for tomorrow my first long run in about a month I am going to go for 6 miles to try and ease into it I hope this bothersome cold does not bother me too much.

Vacation Vacation

I have been on vacation so my whole triathlon workout routine has been out of wack. I still have one week of vacation left and then it is back to the real world of swim bike tri. I am going to have to start preparing for my sprint races such as the beaver freezer and my rev3 half ironman in July.

I have been keeping on shape mostly by going on jogs and doing some spining classes which are actually pretty good workouts. I am considering taking up spining again but I'm not sure if I can add more exercise to my routine. For now I'm just goong to enjoy my vacation.

Running in the rain, 10k

Today was a very rainy day, flood type rain not horrible floods but lots of huge puddles. On the menu for todays training was a 10k run. It was rainy but warm about 52 degrees the weatherman called it "tropical" I believe, only in Oregon.....

I tried to not go out too hard, I ran in the low 8s the first mile or so and then slowed down a bit. At the half way point I was at about a 8:40 average. It starting raining harder and harder which I did not know was even possible. When I got to the main street where I usually have to stop for the light I tried stopping my Garmin Forerunner 310xt but it would not beep. I looked at it and yup I had forgotten to charge the battery. Battery dead no Garmin no run info. Since I still had Garmin juice at midway point I am assuming that I did the 10k in the high 8s by the time I got home I was soaked!

Yes! I ran a fast 5k!

For New Years while many people went to a party I decided to participate in two 5k's the First Run of the Year (at midnight) and the Twenty11 Resolution run at 10am on the 1st of January. It was very very cold and windy here but my friend and I set out to do it anyway. We ran the midnight run together and then the next morning I raced as hard as I could in the Twenty11 Resolution run, I was determined.

I started off pretty good at about a 7 minute mile pace. As I looked at my Garmin I decided there was no way I would be able to sustain this so I tried slowing down a little bit. Next thing I knew I had covered 1 mile just keep going I told myself. I ran and ran and finished great. My average pace for the 5k was 7:36 minute miles the fastest I have ever done! I placed 2nd in my age group and 8th overall! It was a huge accomplishment I hope I can pull this off during my sprint races this year! It was really fun to start off the new year with a couple of races and a medal.