FeWoman

Training Assessment 2008

FeWoman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:13:48 GMT

Reflections on 2008 training. I started the year off with the Intermediate Endurance Nation plan with power for all courses. I ended up deviating slightly from the plan for a few reasons. The first was that I am not a young person with lots of testosterone. The plans are designed to push hard and recover quickly. As a 41 year old woman, I came to realize that I do not recover as quickly. I turned down the effort on some of the workouts but extended the time. The second was the lack of consistent running in the plan. I knew to run strong in Arizona I needed to run more (increasing durability). Third was the nature of our terrain. I would love to hold 45 minutes at 85% power on the bike but we have too many hills and not enough flats. When possible I did cycling time trials and added lots of intervals with big ring pushes up hills.

Swim:
Swimming remains my weakest event. I have learned that the average Ironman Age Group swimmer finishes the swim in 1:15-1:20. My 1:34 in Wisconsin was much too slow. There had to be a better way to improve in the water. I have tried coaches, video, drills etc. At some point I read about an unorthodox and very successful triathlon coach named Brett Sutton. In one of his interviews or marketing materials he mentioned the lack of strength some women have in the water and how he helps his athlete's improve their swims. Basically, they do lots of strength work in the water with pull buoys and paddles.

I learned from Wisconsin that I have had strength and form issues in my wetsuit. In my wetsuit, I felt like uncomfortable because I was swimming downhill. I should feel this way all of the time but I am doing a poor job getting my hips up. I also knew from a video clinic that my power could improve as well as some simple tweaks on my form. Like don't hang your head into the water below your body. I refer to this as my anchor effect. Armed with this info I applied these principles to my training. By half way through my training cycle I was using the pull buoy 100% of the time and the paddles on anything 100 meters or less. By the last 8 weeks of my training, I could do 3700 meters comfortably averaging 1:55 per 100.

Basically, I applied the priniciple of specificity of exercise. I purely trained to swim well in my wetsuit. I felt like a cheated a bit! Now that the race is over, I need to learn how to swim well all the time especially without the wetsuit. Focus for next year is to develop as a 1:15 swimmer without my wetsuit. Yesterday I did some 100 repeats (sets of three) at 1:53 on the 2:00.

One problem I developed in AZ was neck pain after the swim. The water was pretty murky and I had to sight. Probably means time to swim straighter and hope for clearer water to draft. We may have a coach on Saturday's for our Master's team. I hope I can get some consistent help and video to improve.

Time to gain: 5 minutes

Bike:

Objective number one this year was to get faster on my bike. I decided to approach each ride as an opportunity to push. I ended being tired quite a bit. My training group, each in their own way, pointed out that I needed to become better at hill climbing. Not only did they each tell me that directly, but they would also pick routes with lots of hill climbing. Bastards. I think my training on the bike still has the greatest potential for improvement.

Areas to spend time on this year include lots of hill repeats (especially big ring for strength) and extended intervals. My bike comfort is still lacking and I need to video a bit and adjust my bike for a better and more aero fit. During Arizona, Katie was sitting next to a Coach who noticed my knees were sticking out. I am going to put some zip ties on my bike to mark where my knees should be on each revolution.

Part of the key may be consistency in bike training. Adding another focused cycling day (moving to four days instead of three) is something to consider. Increasing my rides to four-six hours really helped my endurance. Another area of focus is the swim to ride brick. As my swim fitness improves, I hope this transition can improve. This summer I need to practice this transition on a regular basis.

My Powertap gets a lot of the credit for improving. I am not sure I could train without it!

Time to gain: 30 minutes

Run:
Objective number one this year was to improve my running strength through frequency. After a crappy running year in 2007 (achilles), I spent December and January completing 30 runs in 30 days each month. December was 30 minute runs and January was 1 hour runs. By the time the season hit, I was running consistently 6 days a week 30 miles per week minimum. I had tempo days on Wednesday, long days on Thursday and very few bricks. I run very well after I ride and I was the least concerned with developing that skill further. On brick days, I would run first thing in the morning to have a quality run and then ride later in the day.

This year I am going to apply some new principles to my running that will complement the Daniel's principles I applied in the last year. I am reading Hudson's new book, Run Faster and I think it has some great application to my running.

I should give lots of credit to my running improvement to my Garmin 305. Wow. It has been huge. I run easy on easy days and hard on hard days.

Time to gain: 20 minutes

If you happen to be one of my training partners reading this assessment and have some other thoughts on areas I need to improve, please add a comment! It takes a Village...

Next up...assessment on the other pillars:
Nutrition
Mental
Strength & Stretching
Training Plans/Coaching

Turkey Trots 2008

FeWoman — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:39:46 GMT

Turke Trots 5k Race Flyer

Our fifth annual Turkey Trots was a success. Over 200 people participated in my favorite race of the year. We had our first participant show up in costume. As usual, BARC was tremendous in helping to host the race. It was eye opening to complete an Ironman with a huge crowd of participants/spectators (strangers) and then come home and race casually with friends and family. Did I say casual? I mean really casual. No timing chips, no clock and no volunteers on the course. Most people come out to participate with family and friends. Every year I reflect on this race as an opportunity to get back to our roots. Before all the technology and marketing. I smile with the joy of sharing something I love with the people I love.

Some of the "racers" use the opportunity to do something they never do in actual races...not care about the outcome. Lots of people use it to accrue some spousal/child approval units. These can be hopefully exchange at a later date for extra long training sessions. We had dogs in costume, baby strollers and lots of walkers.

I did not know if I would be able to jog the race until the race morning (I still had some residual soreness in my quads). Fortunately, my quads were only mildly sore. I was able to jog but running was out of the question! I still felt some residual fatigue and was damn hungry (I forgot to eat before the race). Despite it all, I still had a great time...

Just in case you wonder what happens after the race starts and the crew waits for people to finish...

From Turkey Trots 2008

Test-Please Ignore

FeWoman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:35:27 GMT

Google Diagnostics

IM Arizona Race Report

FeWoman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:15:24 GMT

For my second Ironman I thought I would forgo the obligatory minute by minute boring race report and offer a quickie:

1) Swim. Mass start in 61 degree dark and cloudy water. Air temp in the 50's. One loop course which felt like I was swimming to Ohio and back. My slight shoulder pain I developed last week was gone in about 20 minutes. The swim course was very easy for sighting but generally crowded. I was kicked quite a bit but nothing dramatic. I had one minor problem about 15 minutes from the end of the race. All of a sudden both my calves started to cramp (they were damn cold). I stopped in the water and pulled up both of my toes and tried to relax. The calves released and I was on my way. Met my goal and was out of the water in 1:20 (almost a 15 minute PR). The hardest part was hauling yourself out of the water. You have to swim up to a set of stairs where you exit knee first. Everyone has black wetsuits on and we look like a bunch of seals waddling out of the water.

2) Transition 1. I was violated once again by the wetsuit strippers. It is effective but I hit my ass a bit hard on the concrete! Ran to the transition area and found my bag. I spent 9 minutes talking with a guy who had calf cramps from the swim and fell down after trying to stand up. I was covered in grass and had to clean it off my feet before getting on my sock. I am totally making excuses because I have no idea how I spent nine minutes in the transition. As I ran off the grassy knoll I was directed through the transition tent. Halfway through, someone yelled at me that I was in the wrong tent. I had my sunglasses on and I had no idea I was in the guy's tent. I looked around, and decided not to waste time and I kept running (and laughing).

3) Bike course was three loops. The first 8 were fairly flat with some turns. The next 10 were a slow uphill into the wind. Not light and variable as forecasted. More like a 10 mile an hour head wind. I kept my watts in the 120 range the first hour to recover from the swim. The turn around was at the top of hill reversing the previous 18. In my mind, I knew that I had three segments of grind and three fast downhill segments. Do the work and enjoy the ride. With the tailwind I actually ran out of gears!

My day almost ended on the second half of the 8 my flat with turns. After the swim, my neck was bothering me and I spent a lot of time looking down. Not a good idea when you are going 18 miles and hour. I looked up and saw a portable street sign on a tripod in front of me. Oh no! I veered to the left and smacked my arm into the sign. I hit hard enough that a cyclist passing me checked to see if I was okay. I scraped my arm and knew I had a contusion developing but I was totally fine! More than anything I was lucky.

I negative split the bike but it was a challenge. I developed significant nausea at the end of the second loop and had to ride out of my aero bars until it passed. I stopped my nutrition, started drinking Gatorade and more water. As the nausea passed I was fortunate to start putting down some effort. I knew I had a PR in hand and needed to save something for the run.

4) Transition 2. I went into the right tent and was helped into my run clothes. For a change, I left without taking the time to grow and harvest a field of corn.

5) It was a little after 4pm and the temperature was in the low 80's with the sun. The first two hours of the run were miserable. I had significant cramps in my sides and lots of nausea. My mantra for the day became "adapt and overcome." I stopped to pee at one point and noticed that my urine was brown. Uh oh. Time to adapt. I started to drink...lots. I would walk the last half of each aid station and I would consume Gatorade, chicken broth and water. After two hours, the cramps passed and running became easier.

About this time the sun set and my mood improved tremendously. I often run in the early morning and I far prefer running in the dark. I felt like I was home. The last two hours I was focused on running and passing any woman in my age group. With 8 miles left, I started putting ice under my cap to cool myself down. It really helped. With six miles to go I started icing my drinks. After 3 doses of iced Coke, I was able to run hard to the end without stopping for anymore aid stations. I felt great by the end.

6) Teamwork and an individual sport. I owe some giant thanks to Bob, Mindy and Katie. Bob has been an incredible part of many of my athletic adventures as a fellow competitor and support crew (not to mention part of my family). He understands that there is a trench and it can get damn hard to claw your way out. He also knows how to motivate me and gave me great feedback from the BARC crew at home (thank you Tatiana, Jill and Wendy) about how I was climbing my way up the finishing ladder (passing 458 people on the run).

Mindy added tremendous humor and support. She made signs reminding me that there was an In and Out burger in my future. Throughout the week we laughed at the all of the people walking around town with compression socks (yes, they race in them too!). At one point, Mindy pops out from behind a cactus and is sporting black knee length socks. I was laughing and I know people around me were offended. During lap 3 Mindy had on a Santa's cap. Last, I need to thank Katie. All of this is nothing without her. She is my biggest fan, cheer leader and the reason I was able to finish all three of those damn laps!

7) Overall thoughts: most of the time included what the hell was I thinking to do a second Ironman?!?!??!? I would suspect that I was overwhelmed with this thought because I was not feeling as great as I usually do in a race. Most of the time I feel like an A but this race was definitely a C...hard C. There were some dark times out there. Despite the hard parts, I was incredibly happy with a 2 hour and 15 minute PR.

My results:

In case you are still reading...post race included beer, In and Out Burger (totally rocked! and an obvious IM Finisher favorite), fellowship and another night of no sleep! I am resigned to my fate...no sleep before the race and no sleep after the race...IM gives until I hurt!

Next post will be some training observations and thoughts...

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12:24 Finish (2 hour 16 minute PR) 29th out of 120 Age Group

FeWoman — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:49:01 GMT

Race report will follow in the next day or two. Some funny stories... Thank you for all your texts, calls and love. Bad Attitude Racing Club rocks...I am baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Butterflies Flying in Formation

FeWoman — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:30:39 GMT

I survived last night...barely. Slept a bit, suffered pre-race anxiety and tried to control the panic. The support crew (aka race bitches) have been incredible with their humor, support and distraction. Their race support planning is far more complicated than my actual race prep. They would rival most military operations. Time to get ready. Thanks to everyone for your support and help. It takes a Village...

Check in and Check out

FeWoman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:27:48 GMT

Another great day in beautiful, sunny and warm Arizona. Tomorrow's forecast is 81 degrees with winds light and variable. In other words...perfect! I almost can't believe it.

I checked my bike and my transition bags in first thing this morning. I decided not to swim again. I have had a great day eating, writing, napping, reading and spending time with the Race Bitches. Tonight we go to a friends house for the standard pre-race pizza.

I am feeling calm, energetic and ready to go.

The support crew wandered off to climb Camelback. What possibly could go wrong? I anticipate their return at any moment. I am looking forward to an evening of laughter and beer (for them...okay maybe one for me).

More soon...

The End is Always Near

FeWoman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:44:42 GMT

I am about 12 hours from game on...4am breakfast. Starbuck's opens at 4am! Shower. I know, weird but I like to be "fresh" for the race. Get to the race about 5:30am to inflate tires (beg someone to hold the crack pipe) and put the Powertap in place. Wetsuit on and time to race.

It seems like I started training for this race a lifetime ago. I remember running intervals last Christmas on an empty road in St. Louis. There were so many high points since then that I can't count all of them. This time I would like to write about the low point. I have avoided the words for a long time. I haven't really known what to say or why to say it.

Last May and June I started to dread my workouts. The bike rides were such a grind and I felt like I could cry or quit at any moment. For the first time I lost the magic...the great feelings that I got from a hard workout or a good effort. It took a while, but I discovered I had a hole in my heart. Metaphorically.

May 4th I had to accept that Zachary lived strong and acknowledge on that day that his physical presence died strong. As my nephew completed his life here, I discovered a depth of sadness and loss unfamiliar to me. I began to grieve the absence of Zachary in my life. I grieved for Zachary's pain at the end and my inability to help.

I grieved for my best friend. I will always grieve for her. My words will never be adequate. I will continue to be amazed by her strength. Twenty years from now, we will have a glass of wine and still toast, "To Zachary."

I remember so many things. His smile, his twang, his joy, his faith, his pain and his love. Zachary made it very clear that he was not special. Yet, everyone around him would argue that he was special. Special to us. He opened his heart and gave us each a piece to carry forth. One day it hit me that I needed to search in my soul for the piece he left me. When I found it, I used it to patch the hole in my heart. It is still there and I suspect will always be there. My heart is whole again with love. Stronger than my own flesh and not of my flesh.

The last time I did an Ironman, I was honored to wear the Live Strong bracelet Zachary received for his first stem cell transplant. On May 4th, I decided it was time to put the bracelet away. Today, I wrapped the bracelet around my bike stem. When it gets hard, I will look down and remember that Zachary lived and died strong. I will celebrate his life and remember him with love...

It Takes a Village To Do an Ironman

FeWoman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:38:24 GMT

More photos at:

Ironman Arizona 11/22/08 11:25 AM

Last Race Prep

FeWoman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:57:25 GMT

The day started with espresso (thanks to the Coach) and my laptop! After a quiet morning we ventured down to the swimming area. It was jammed with nervous triathletes preparing to squeeze into their wetsuits. Two issues became quickly apparent: the water temp was 61 degrees and it was wavy enough to qualify as a small craft warning. The day before I purchased a warming swim cap...not neoprene but something a bit more substantial. I did not however purchase an inner tube to ride out the storm.

Everything was fine until I was on the stairs ready to enter the water. This guy floats over to the stairs and says, "this is the hardest swim I have ever had and I swim in the ocean all the time!" Lovely. I jumped in, felt my nipples retreat to Indiana. The cold was fine but the waves were something else. I got the crap kicked out of me with direct frontal hits. Lots of water swallowing and choking. My goggles even got knocked around. The worst part is that the swims are very disorganized. People are swimming all over the place and you have to look carefully to avoid a collisioon! Everything went fine but my feet did feel like bricks on the way out of the water.

My right shoulder started feeling funny this week. I just need to get through the hour and a half and I can rest it. Strange how the taper seems to bring on the aches.

After swimming, we decided to drive the bike course. The best part was when the valet brought up our white rental car (they are always white)! Coach and What About Bob got into the car and were waiting for me. It took them a few minutes to realize that they were in someone else's car. As in not our rental car. They quickly bolted and jumped in our car.

The bike course is very flat until an uphill segment at the end. If the wind stays calm it could be a very fun ride. The run course is flat with some nice uphills to the bridges. The bike and run courses are 3 laps each. I really like lap courses because it breaks the race down into manageable pieces.

Workouts are finished. The last member of the support crew arrived (aka The Other Coaches Wife). We all headed off for a short run with one mile at race pace. It was great to have Bob and Mindy along for the tour...just like home. We are off to dinner and drinks for them...it is the least I can do...

Tracking on Race Day

FeWoman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:59:12 GMT

My BIB number is 2375

You can track me live at ironman.com:

Real Time Athlete Tracking, the core product of Team Ironmanlive. Follow your athletes progress through the course, with split times, pace, transition, and position information. Our goal is to keep you connected to the race, from anywhere around the globe. At the start of the race you will see a link for the Athlete Tracker under the coverage tab of the event on the home page of Ironman.com. You can also access the coverage by navigating to "Events", then choosing the race you are interested in.

The BARC team has assignments in Bloomington. If I get off the bike and have any chance or working my way into the Top 20 (there are over 120 women in my age group...crap!) during the run, they are to call the race support team. The race support team will let me know where I stand and if I have any shot. If I do, time for some afterburners. Okay, after a long day there are no afterburners...just little pilot lights.

Shedding

FeWoman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:08:35 GMT

The taper is over and the race is only a few days away. This last week was the final remnants of me shedding fatigue. Today I flew to Tempe and slept over an hour on the plane. I never sleep on planes. Why? At any moment the plane could go down and I want to make sure I could do everything possible to get out alive. Too damn funny. Like anyone gets out alive.

Back to shedding fatigue. It is really about surface fatigue. There is an incredible well of energy starting bubble under the fatigue. I want to ride my bike, I want to run and I even think a little bit about swimming. Just a little bit. It is still a struggle to taper. I know I am losing fitness but more importantly I get it that I need to shed the fatigue to reveal my strength and my endurance.

I am registered. Thanks to "What About Bob" and the Coach I have everything I need to race. Most importantly I am now over the separation anxiety from my bike. We have been apart almost a week. I had missing bike syndrome. All is well now that we have been reunited!

What I had to endure today was the multiple vendors and athletes that asked Coach if she was the one racing this weekend. No, I am not kidding. It is painful to walk in her shadow...especially since she is the one that barely moves. Despite my 20 hours of training a week, I will always be her support crew.

Race Plan

FeWoman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:47:27 GMT

Keeping it simple this time. No special needs bags and enjoy the day. Well as much as you can enjoy a race that will take 17 hours or less (it better be less...much less).

1) Swim: Under 1:20 (work hard)
2) Bike: Under 6:30 (130-140 watts...17 MPH or faster)
3) Run: Under 4:00 (9 minute miles)

These are big goals. Seriously big goals. If I can finish under 12 hours (based on the last results for IM Arizona) I have a chance to qualify for Hawaii (the World Championship). My goal for my second Ironman should be under 13 hours. Why live in reality? This is my hobby, the thing I love and that brings me joy. Why not roll the dice and go for it all!

The question marks. Open water in my wetsuit. Ugh. Bike speed...what will it be like on a relatively flat course? Wind? Run...can I maintain the pace after working hard on the bike?

The key will be to manage my emotions. No drama. Expect a long day of ups and downs. Most importantly, save it for the run! Only one woman (in my age group) last year broke 4 hours on the run. Wisconsin I ran a comfortable 4:30 with walking at every aid station. This year I am limiting walking to every other aid station.

I have asked the BARC team to monitor my progress on the web. If I finish the bike in contention for an IM Hawaii spot, the team is responsible for calling the support team (Coach, the Other Coaches Wife and What About Bob), to let me know on the run how many are in front of me. I love reeling in the competition!

Just in case...plan B (or the original goal of under 13 hours):
1) Swim: Under 1:30
2) Bike: Under 7
3) Run: 4:15

The ultimate goal this time is to finish the race knowing that I left everything I have on the course...

To Taper or Not to Taper...

FeWoman — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:54:58 GMT

Don't stress...I chose taper. I did choose to taper in a different way. First, I changed my mind. In the past, I looked at taper as the end of training. I expected to do almost nothing and have it over quickly. This time I decided that I was going to maintain my workouts and not get into my mind that I was done.

I have learned through the years that my body really would prefer to do nothing. Biologically this makes sense. We are wired to avoid any physical threat with the rush of hormones and flight of our physical being. Protecting the organism is work that requires rest. Our natural state seems to be rest and in this day and age of little physical threats we embrace our inertia. Despite all I do and all I enjoy, the emotional and physical craving of rest/stopping is always there. It is like there is a door in my brain and something on the other side is constantly knocking softly. Rhythmically. Inviting me to skip today's workout, drink some hot cocoa, eat a donut and slowly melt into the couch. Taper gives me more time to listen to that invitation and consider it seriously.

Second change I made to taper was reduction in volume. The first week of taper I reduced my volume be only 30%. The second week of taper I reduced the volume from the previous week by another 30%. The last week of taper I will reduce the remaining volume to approximately 5 hours before the race. In the past my shutdown would be much more dramatic. This time I wanted to recover but not lose fitness. I have kept sharp with up tempo work and added quality with a reduction in quantit.

Results? They won't be in until next Sunday! I feel great. No injuries and I am sleeping very deeply. Energy level is improving and I am working to not increase weight too much before the race. Today is a day off. Yikes, there is a lot of hours in a day...

Climbing Out

FeWoman — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:44:47 GMT

I just finished Peak week. Drum roll please:

Swim: 10,500 yards
Bike: 165.39 miles
Run: 41.1 miles

How do I feel...very good! The hardest part of the week was a two hour ride with the temp in the low 40's and a "feel like" temp of 37 degrees with Chelsea and Sarah (aka we don't just participate in triathlons...we win them...and we are not talking age group wins either!). The sisters are amazing athletes and every time I am privileged to ride with one or both of them I find myself hanging on by a finger nail. Fortunately, they are a lot of fun and treat me as part of their community out reach service. Recently, they introduced me the phrase "Baller." I found out that this is a complement. As in, "it is damn cold today and we are Ballers." Hence, from this day forward, the Winter Baller Cycling Club was born.

Back to training...the tough stuff is finished. As in over. As put a fork in me because I am done. The last few weeks really started to feel like training was a job. It was just hard being out there in the cold and knowing that almost everyone else was done for the year. When it was bleakest, the weather broke and we have had a string of 70 degree days.

This week I have lots of little workouts except for a race rehearsal on Wednesday. The rehearsal was supposed to be Saturday but I chose a 74 degree sunny day over the expected 58 degree cloudy day on the weekend. Village Bob will be joining me for a very controlled 6 hour ride followed by a 45 minute race pace brick run. After that I really start to shut down the volume but maintain the intensity.

Last year, I had a poor taper for Wisconsin. I never climbed out of the training fatigue hole. This year I am going to have a great taper and adjust it to meet my needs. I plan on getting to the race fresh, sharp and ready to go. Three weeks and counting down...

Thoughts from the Abyss

FeWoman — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:18:54 GMT

I sent this to a great triathlete this morning who checks in on me. She is always there with support and advice. Her blog is listed on my links to the left. She was checking in on how I am doing. Here is my response:

"I am wondering why the hell I signed up for a November Ironman. Seriously. What was I thinking? What were you thinking being supportive?

I love to train but I am really struggling with the cold weather cycling. I am also struggling with the endless rides. 6 hours last Sunday and 4.5 hours yesterday. I have one more 4.5 hour ride and one more six hour ride in the next two weeks. The Village Bob has been a trooper going out with me but it is still a long, long time in the saddle. I am starting to listen to my Ipod when I am alone. There is only so much I can take of myself.

I am teetering on the line of exhaustion, burnout and discouragement. Time to be careful. 2.5 more hard weeks and then taper. Please remind me of this experience if I even mention another Ironman next year (unless it was Hawaii of course!)."

Now is the time to separate the women from the girls. I am starting to feel like a girl. The next two weeks are grueling with work commitments, family commitments and training. The good news is that I really do get a better glimpse of "who I am" through these crucibles. Don't get me wrong, the image is seldom pretty but fairly accurate.

So, do I have what it takes to see this through? Do I have what it takes to bring my A game on race day? Will I be bankrupt, childless, without friends and single by that day? Can I fight the urge to sit in front of the fire, drink great wine and eat endless pieces of pie? We will know in a month!

Note to self: NO MORE BIG NOVEMBER RACES!

Longest Long Run

FeWoman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:47:28 GMT

Decided to do a race simulation long run on the flattest road I could find...it is appropriately called Bottom Road and is located at the Bottom of a valley. The sewage treatment plant is located there and I was fortunate that the wind was kind. Being down wind of the plant is a stench you want to avoid at all costs.

My goal for the Ironman is to run the marathon. A conservative goal is 9 minute pace (with walking through water stops to drink some Gatorade). At mile 20, if the wheels are still on the bus and I feel okay, I would like to push the pace to 8:45. According to my Jack Daniels book, an open marathon pace for me would be 8:15 miles based on my 5k this past weekend.

My plan called for a 2:30 (hours:minutes) run with no taper. I started at 8 am on Sunday and was greeted with cold temps (41 degrees) the sun coming up off the hills and two hot air balloons overhead. It does not get much better...

Mile 1     9:08
Mile 2     8:37
Mile 3     9:00
Mile 4     7:58
Mile 5     9:02
Mile 6     8:08
Mile 7     8:48
Mile 8     8:30
Mile 9     8:55
Mile 10     8:44
Mile 11     8:32
Mile 12     8:54
Mile 13     8:20
Mile 14     8:13
Mile 15     8:33
Mile 16     8:16
Mile 17     8:20

I consumed one large Gatorade (200 calories and one Espresso Cliff Shot at 100 calories). I was happy with the negative split and I felt very well when I finished. Scary good. The faster I ran, the better I felt.

New long run PR.

Hoosiers Outrun Cancer

FeWoman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:46:53 GMT

My first 5k in a long, long time. I had no idea what to expect and decided it was important not to totally give 100% (I needed to ride later in the day). Weather was perfect, no taper and a good warm up with strides. I have finally learned to start at the front and not try to weave through the crowds.

Results: 22:37 (7:12 per mile average)
Overall: 14th out of 775 women (the 13 in front of me were a minimum of 10 years younger)
Age Group: 1 out of 39 (the next fastest in my age group was a 26:07)

I was very happy with the results but I must admit I felt a bit like I was cheating. I guarantee that there were probably no other women training for an Ironman (or having the time to train). New shoes were great. The only problem I am still encountering is the mysterious side stitch I developed a couple of months ago. It is high on my rib cage and only occurs when I am really running hard down hill.

I did set a new mile PR with a 6:50! I had no idea I could run an under 7 minute mile. Now I just need to hold onto this speed for the next 7 weeks...

Training Progress Report

FeWoman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:25:43 GMT

Climb every mountain. So, what the hell does all the above mean? I am training...hard. I am getting faster, stronger and leaner. My quote for the day "I do today what you won't, so tomorrow I do what you can't."

What have I learned? I extended my build without rest probably a week too long and ended up with a cold during my recovery week. I am capable of long bouts of hard training IF I take care of the essentials; nutrition and sleep. I have learned that I could have never focused this hard without my family. So where am I?

Swim: I can finally kick out long course 100's in 2:05 and short course under 2:00. I am often swimming two miles!
Bike: I can average over 17 MPH on 90+ miles on a hilly course
Run: No improvement...just holding my speed gains and running 5-6 days per week
Weight: Only 5 lbs off my goal weight of 135. I have lost 18 lbs since I started training for IM Wisconsin!

Areas of concern: I really need to get more comfortable on my bike seat. Trying the Adamo saddle...the girls' feel better already. Body feels good with some slight mystery aches. I have really gotten use to something nagging at the end of a workout and the next day it is gone. I try to give them minimal if any attention. I need to kick out one more hard week and I get some recovery next week. Time to consider the taper from a data driven perspective (more on that later but it involves the chart above).

The next week is a huge challenge, single parenting, opening a new store, managing house painting project and attending to a death in the family. Top that off with a significant training week and I see a recipe for disaster. Breathe.

Changing Gait

FeWoman — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:29:33 GMT

I recently went to the Runner's Forum in Indianapolis. I decided to undergo a gait analysis. I have had a sneaking suspicion that my running gait has changed. A few years ago, Coach was sponsored by Adidas. After having a gait analysis, it was determined that I pronate quite a bit and that a control shoe was best for my running type. Before Coach left the field, she kindly ordered me about 10,000 pairs (actually more like 10) of Adidas Supernova Control. I have worn the same brand of shoe for at least three years. Over time, I started to have some problems. Nagging achilles irritation and some calf issues. I added heel lifts/cushions and noticed the problems went away a bit.

After talking to the man at the Runner's Forum, he explained that over time your gait can change with your training and fitness. Additionally, if it does and you are in a Control shoe, you can end up irritating your Achilles through the movement of the shoe in your gait.

Imagine my surprise when I get off the treadmill at the shoe store and watch my running tape. Who is that woman? The woman tested many years ago looked like both ankles could collapse immediately and with severe consequences. Seriously, I was shocked how much less I pronate. I still pronate but I no longer require a heavy control shoe.

When I look back at my Achilles episodes last year I am surprised that the question of running shoes never came up. The ART specialist never mentioned it and I never asked. In the future, I will periodically get reassessed over time to make sure I continue to be in the right shoe for my type!

I tried on three or four brands of shoes and ended up with an Asics model. They are light and fast. They make the Adidas feel like lead weights strapped to my ankles. Embracing my philosophy of small incremental change when training, I decided to only wear them on my easy run days and continue with the Adidas on interval and long run days. I have done this for three weeks with very good results. My legs feel better and I am now used to the shoes. This week I am going to use the shoes for the first time on my interval day.

Cheers to more injury free running!