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.